Raw Wool ... that is, wool as it is shorn from the sheep, is called Greasy Wool because it has such a high content of Wool Grease, from which Lanolin is refined.

The first step in the WeatherWool Fabric Production Process in which WeatherWool is actively involved is the acquisition, based on careful evaluation of test results of the highest-quality American Merino and Merino-Variant Greasy (Raw) Wool, purchased from Family Ranchers with whom WeatherWool personally interacts. WeatherWool relies on the aid of Advisors Mike Corn and Bob Padula in this process, which is intermediated by Roswell Wool of New Mexico, of which Mike Corn is a partner.

There is a bunch more stuff to write about Greasy ... for example, even the raw wool we purchase isn't entirely raw because we purchase only the prime parts of the best fleece ... the wool shorn from the belly, lower legs, face and private parts of the sheep are removed from the fleece prior to our purchase. Some of "our" Ranchers have told me they shear the inferior parts of the fleece in a completely separate operation -- on a different day -- and then remove this wool from the ranch! -- before shearing the prime parts.

These sheep, from the Jewell Ranch in Rifle, Colorado, have just been crutched. That is, the inferior fleece on their lower legs has been removed prior to shearing the best wool.

I will include more info on this page eventually, but I have added it here very quickly, more or less on-the-fly, because I realized I mentioned Greasy Wool in various places on this website and should really be able to link to a page with more info.

14 May 2021 --- Ralph