BS"D
The prohibition against wearing shatnez applies only to wool and linen. Wool has to come from sheep. Cashmere and Mohair are derived from goats and not sheep. Wool is often mixed in with cashmere and/or mohair. How do we distinguish between these three fibers? It's not easy.
The above pictures are not obtained from my microscope, but were snapshots taken on this site. The powerful Java application showcases many natural fibers in high resolution.
By comparing and contrasting the three fibers - Wool, Mohair and Cashmere, I am able to observe the following.
Here is what I found under the microscope. I am able to distinguish between the two fibers based on the difference in diameter and density of the scales. Scales are closer together in wool fibers than mohair fibers.
I also have a sample of Wool and Cashmere blend and this is what I found. I am able to distinguish between the two based on the diameter of the fibers. The wool fiber is coarser and wider in diameter than the cashmere.
The prohibition against wearing shatnez applies only to wool and linen. Wool has to come from sheep. Cashmere and Mohair are derived from goats and not sheep. Wool is often mixed in with cashmere and/or mohair. How do we distinguish between these three fibers? It's not easy.
The above pictures are not obtained from my microscope, but were snapshots taken on this site. The powerful Java application showcases many natural fibers in high resolution.
By comparing and contrasting the three fibers - Wool, Mohair and Cashmere, I am able to observe the following.
- Wool fiber exhibits the most compact scales; there is less room between the overlapping of scales
- Mohair fiber seems to have the widest diameter, however coarse wool can have the widest diameter of 40+ microns (micrometer).
- Cashmere fiber appears to have the smallest diameter.
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| Wool and Mohair Blend |
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| Wool and Cashmere Blend |