[ErikaMay]

So I've sold almost all my jacobs, will be selling or butchering the last one soon. i've got almost all black sheep otherwise.

5 jacob fleeces, total of 14 fleeces in my possession. I'm selling almost all my black fleeces but these jacobs! I don't know if I should sell most of them or not!

I've got 2 virgin fleeces that have a 4-5 inch staple, but they've got VM and one of them is pretty mixed up. Came off a fighting ram. oh, and a few second cuts because it was the shearers first time. *le sigh*

They clean to an amazing pure white. beautiful stuff! but with vm, torn up and a few second cuts do you think anyone would be interested at a halfway decent price? what would a decent price be? both after skirting are about 4 lbs, I was thinking $15 a lb?

I've got two fleeces of my ram. Ones virgin, in two sections. VM but 5 inch staple. The second year I washed him before I sheared him and its pretty clean, not totally, but pretty nice. First year is 5 inch staple, second year 3.5 inch. you can see in the first two pictures. Which do you think someone would prefer?

last two pictures are off the torn up fleece off John, my first ever sheep. I've pulled from a few sections on the fleece and the length varies. Obviously I got 4.5 out of one section, then a very long chunk (that I just washed very quickly to see if it would wash up!) thats almost 7 inches! So the fleece is all mixed up, vm, some second cuts (which are obvious to spot because of all the color variation) but really long in places! about 60% black, 40% white.

I'd like to keep one fleece out of these three. Which would command the highest price? I'm happy to keep whichever others don't like. I spin in the grease and card as I go...sometimes I don't even card! a little VM doesn't bother me. They all have positives and negatives.

 

[Marchwind]

When you say some VM what does that mean? I see a few flakes in the top photo it the locks only have that small amount I would worry about it but........ Do you have pictures of approx how much VM is it there? Can you shake the second cuts out of the fleece? $15 a pound is a lot to pay if someone will have to fight the fleece all the way along. They look like nice fleeces otherwise. If there are only a few second cuts that can be easily removed and the VM is minimal than $15 a pound is a great price.

Good luck!

 

[Wind in Her Hair]

I am unclear on several fronts.

Please clarify your meaning?

1. What is a "virgin fleece"? :shrug:

2. What do mean when you say "I've got two fleeces of my ram. Ones virgin, in two sections" :shrug:

 

[ErikaMay]

a virgin fleece is the first fleece that you take off a sheep. It will be the softest fleece an animal gives. Instead of shearing him in a way that gave me one solid fleece I removed one side and then the other. So one of my fleeces is soft, long virgin wool and then the second fleece is from the next year when he was a year old. slightly coarser because its from an older animal.

I would say those flakes of VM are average. some places have more, some places less.

The way I spin VM is not much am issue for me, and I'm pretty much self taught so I don't know entirely what other people expect. Some folks seem to think fleece should have zero vm or its unworkable. :/

 

[Wind in Her Hair]

Which one to keep? Whichever one appeals to you most. If you like softer, keep the softest, if you like natural colors, keep the one with all the colors you like most. :shrug:

I have never heard the term "virgin fleece" used to describe what I think you are applying to a LAMB's fleece but I dunno. :shrug: Not saying you are wrong - just saying that is not terminology I am unfamiliar with.

I have heard "hogget" fleece used to describe a fleece from a sheep that was young - not a 1st year lamb - but between 12 and 18 months of age?

and Virgin WOOL is terminology used by the garment industry but just means wool never used before (not recycled). :shrug:

Sheep and fiber terminology - other and it all varies from different geographical locales- sheesh. It is hard to follow.

Anyone else run into colloquial or regional terminology differences?

Personally, I think $13- $15 a pound is reasonable for a nice, clean Jacob fleece. I like the ones with lots of colors - especially that lavender gray as well as black and white.