Written by Charles Stewart, Chief Executive, Holland & Sherry.

The wool fibres required to produce these ultra fine qualities have always been available from fine Merino sheep albeit in limited qualities.

As tastes have increased for more aesthetic 'handle/feel' in luxurious qualities at higher prices - so the sheep farmer has been encouraged (by price) to take greater care of selected Merino sheep and to then sort out the finest throat and underbelly fibres into special lots. These special lots of fibres are then further subdivided/sorted by micron count:

14 to 15 micron fibre thickness = Super 170's
15 to 15.5 micron fibre thickness = Super 150's
15.5 to 16 micron fibre thickness = Super 140's
16 to 16.5 micron fibre thickness = Super 130's and so on

How do they perform?

This depends on how thick, or thin, a yarn is spun to. Obviously such very fine fibres can be spun to very fine yarns. In fact most spinners accept this as a challenge, i.e. Who can spin the finest yarn? Doing this, as with the Holland & Sherry 'Masterpiece' quality produces 150/2 metric yarn, and an ultra lightweight cloth.

At Holland & Sherry - we have gone the other way and spun fine 16 micron fibres deliberately to thicker yarns 60/2 metric - to produce our 'Victory' qualities. The merit being a thicker and more rounded yarn where clients can not only feel the quality of these ultra-fine fibres but also that the cloth qualities are more robust. Our Victory quality Super 130's is in fact finer than most commercial cashmere.


How fine can wool really get?

Genetically there are of course limits. Traditionally vicuna produces the finest 'wool' fibres of around 11/12 micron - and cashmere around 12/13 micron (commercial cashmere however is frequently 16/17 micron).

With careful breeding and selection it is believed wool fibres from merinos could achieve a 13/14 micron range which may, if eventually achieved and recognized, lead to Super 190's or Super 200's cloth qualities.

The problem with this type of designation are the cheats of this world and this has resulted in the British Wool Textile Export Corporation issuing rules that most legitimate UK weavers subscribe to. Hence, Super 170's as the finest designation to date.
What the future holds?

We have put a man on the moon. We can clone sheep as an animal, but no one has found a man-made substitute for the wool fibre. The future is secure for those who want the best and only the best.

Holland & Sherry can offer you a choice from over 2,000 patterns.

Holland & Sherry Textile Guide