Goat hair
Description
Fine, smooth hair from any of several species of goats, such as Capri hircus. Most goats have soft insulating hairs nearer the skin, and long guard hairs on the surface. The coarse guard hairs are of little value as they are too coarse, difficult to spin and to dye. The soft hairs are the ones valued by the textile industry; the material goes by names such as Down, Cashmere and pashmina. The cashmere goat produces a commercial quantity of fine and soft cashmere wool, one of the most expensive natural fibers commercially produced. The Angora breed of goats produces long, curling, lustrous locks of Mohair. The entire body of the goat is covered with mohair and there are no guard hairs. Goat hair can be white, gray, or black. It has been used to make Yarn and to make artist and cosmetic brushes. Goat hairs do not point well since they have a blunt tip (Pinney 1999). They are typically used in Oriental brushes and inexpensive school artist brushes (Pinney 1999).
Additional Images
Goat (genus Capra)
Goat hair
White Goat Hair Brushes
Resources and Citations
- Zora Sweet Pinney, 'A Handle on the Terms used for Artists' Brushes: The Indispensable Tools' unpublished glossary, 1999.
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "goat" [Accessed October 16, 2003].
- Edward Reich, Carlton J. Siegler, Consumer Goods: How to Know and Use Them, American Book Company, New York City, 1937
- Zora Sweet Pinney, 'A Handle on the Terms used for Artists' Brushes', unpublished glossary, 1999
- Wikipedia: Goat (Accessed Nov. 2, 2005 and March 2025)