A Small Batch Fiber From The Wide Open West
The History Of Mohair In America
The Mohair Story
Mohair Was A Gift Centuries In The Making
For 300 years the Sultans of Turkey jealously guarded their Angora goats. And then in 1849, one shipped a small herd 5,800 miles to America. His gift included just two bucks and seven does. But today, their offspring number more than 200,000, most of whom make their homes on ranches in the dry, hilly brushlands of Southwest Texas.
Good Things Come In Small, Furry Packages
An Angora goat rarely weighs more than 100 pounds. Yet the hairs sheared from it are among the most sought-after in the whole world. They’re fine and soft, delicate enough to cradle every inch of your skin. They dye extraordinarily well. And they have a magical ability to refract light, bending it, making colors lustrous and rich.
It’s rare to come across a garment crafted entirely from mohair. Instead, it’s woven into cashmere, wool, and other fabrics to add detailing, sheen, dimension, and touchability.
You Can Find Mohair Anywhere Luxury Gets Put To Work
MULTIGENERATIONAL RANCHES
You Don’t Meet Many Rookies In This Business
There are family ranches that have been operating in West Texas for more than 130 years. It’s a way of life that gets in your blood. And when you grow up caring for goats, you learn the traditions and techniques that make America’s ranches sustainable enough to last through the generations.
“Doesn’t matter how big your herd gets, there are always a few giants you know by their bleat.”
America’s Ranchers
Life On The Mayfield’s Fifth-Generation Ranch
West Texas isn’t just an idyllic place to raise Angora Goats. It’s also a pretty good spot to raise a family. The Mayfield’s herd has been roaming the same pastures for 130 years. And now the family is using drone technology to make sure the goats stay safe and happy.
Angora Goats
Angora goats aren’t just a way to make a living.
They’re a way of life.
Work with Angora goats long enough, you get to know them as individuals. They have quirks. They have personalities.
Angora kids have the finest hairs, the ones you clip for suits and sweaters. The older the goats get, the more their fibers get woven into rugs and carpeting. But the goats grow up with you – and they grow on you, too.
Texas produces 90% of America’s mohair, probably because its climate resembles goats’ native Turkey
Angora goats don’t live off the land.
They live with it.
Angora goats eat just about anything, from grass to bark to brush. Which means they can live in harmony with the land they’re raised on, without extensive irrigation or disruption.
In fact, they’re about the most peaceful creatures you’re going to find in the American West. So ranchers put a lot of trouble into protecting them from coyotes, bobcats, and even raccoons.
Bred To Be Better
We’re Not The World’s Biggest Mohair Producer, Fortunately
The finer the hair, the more valuable it is. So over the generations, America’s ranchers have bred their goats to produce high-quality hairs, even as they start to age. That’s why Italian clothiers often demand American mohair in luxury suits. And it’s one of the benefits of breeding herds just a bit off the beaten path.
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