Winter - Classical Mileend Alpacas

CURVATURE
Is it Crimp or
Something Else?
Eric Hoffman feels that his comments
regarding crimp have been misrepresented and
takes this opportunity to clarify his position and
to examine, once again, some of the facts that
underlay the debate.
FIGURE 10:22 UNPROCESSED SPECIALTY FIBER CHART
Fiber Fineness Fiber Length Price Tag Source
Fine wool 21µ 58mm $6 Roberto Fuchs
Alpaca 20–28µ 4cm $12–$28 Wool Record, Prosur IAA
Cape mohair 25um (kid) Annual length $24–$28 Wool Record
Chinese cashmere 13–15µ 32mm $74–$84 Wool Record
Guanaco 14–18µ 35mm $2009 (not Dhd) European processors
$400 Dhd
Vicuna 12–14µ 35 mm $400–$600 European processors
Notes All monetary amounts in US dollars. One kilogram equals 2.2 pounds. Prices are
for raw fl eeces. These prices are 1999 international market approximations. Prices often
fl uctuate rapidly, but for comparative purposes these prices represent ranking of speciality
fi bre animals, with sheep’s wool the standard to which all fi bre is held. There may be sidebar
markets and information that are not included in these estimates.
Sources Thanks to Adriana McGuire and Proyecto ‘Ganaderia Extensiva y Sustenable del
Guanaco/Llama’ Del Fundcacion Habitat; International Alpaca Association (IAA) in Peru,
Grupo Prosur (Sarfaty) in Peru; The Wool Record, and Roberto Fuchs for information found in
this chart.
46 Alpaca World Magazine Winter 2004/05
I
read Mike Safl ey’s article The Case
for Crimp, Autumn 2004 Alpaca World
Magazine, with great interest. Mike
introduced a fresh topic: fi bre curvature,
he included graphs and close-ups of
fi bre samples and an antagonist to his
crimp theory. As the person named as
the antagonist in his story, I’m grateful to
Alpaca World for allowing me to respond.
In many cross-species fi bre studies,
including alpacas, fi neness (AFD), and
low variability (SD/CV), are the two most
important properties for processing.
We are just beginning the study of
fi bre curvature, there is much that is not
known. I would like to expand on the
concepts in Mike’s article by addressing
the following areas:
❍ What have fi bre scientists and large
alpaca fi bre processors said about
crimp, curvature and the correlative
data in this relatively new area of
study on alpaca fi bre?
❍ What is the difference between
hearsay and verifi able data?
❍ What constitutes peer review and
a bonafi de scientifi c study? m. Are
curvature and crimp the same thing?
❍ What correlative data actually exists
about crimp or curvature and other
characteristics?
❍ What does the highest frequency of
curvature actually look like?
❍ Are there fi bre studies correlating
qualities in alpaca fi bre that include
crimp? And lastly…
❍ What new tools have been added to
histogram measurements that will
help breeders get a fi x on correlative
factors such as low microns, standard
deviation, microns over 30, curvature
and medullation?
Before we get started on a discussion of
curvature in fi bre, I’d like to free myself
from the anti-crimp role that Mike has
assigned me. He offers the following
quote from my book, The Complete Alpaca
Book, as evidence of my bad attitude
towards crimp:
‘Huacaya as a breed has some
amount of curvature in the fi bres, in
other words crimp or crinkle. In some
alpaca show systems, the various types
of crimp are assigned different values.
Such hair splitting distinctions between
styles of crimp may serve the purpose of
identifying differences between individual
animals in high-stakes alpaca shows, but
commercial processors in Peru who move
tons of fl eeces through their scouring
vats based on handle classing (with some
recently introduced micron sampling) are
not making such distinctions in the fl eece
used to create their high-fashion endproducts
found in the top salons in Milan,
Paris, and Geneva…’
This is just a statement about the
reality of the milling process in Peru. It
is not a condemnation of crimp. Their
processing criterion for excellence is
different than current show standards.
Mike continues, ‘Eric’s (Hoffman) primary
argument is based on the fact that
producers do not pay a premium for fi bre
with superior expression of crimp.’ This
is silly. There is and was no argument
by me, or any of the other nine authors
contributing to the The Complete Alpaca
Book about crimp’s value or lack of it. To
apply Mike’s logic is to say we are also
against handle, average fi bre diameter,
standard deviation, microns over 30µ,
yield, medullation, dietary infl uences,
colour, luster, density, strength, cuticle
scale structure, fl eece regeneration,
dyeing and numerous other fi bre
properties because we don’t mention
paying a premium for any of these
individually either!
The Complete Alpaca Book’s narrative
style offers footnoted text with clear
language and closure on topics where
good scientifi c data supports it. There are
fi ve chapters addressing some aspect of
fi bre, and three solely focused on fi bre. All
of the fi bre chapters were peer reviewed;
high-ranking offi cials at Michell & CIA
reviewed the one Mike quotes. Where
data is sketchy on a topic or contradictory
and agreement doesn’t exist, the
text presents different viewpoints.
Contradicting data is put forth so the
reader can understand the discussion
that is underway. In some areas, such
as identifying a species standard for the
optimum fl eece weight with desirably
low microns, we published new material.
In other areas such as follicle density
studies we did not fi nd enough large-scale
studies to ‘declare’ a species parameter,
so we published what had been reported
and didn’t offer a conclusion. Objective
data on fi neness, standard deviation,
coeffi cient of variation, fl eece weight,
staple regeneration, strength, milling
standards and practices were obtainable
and reported. In general there was
widespread agreement around the world
that fi neness, little or no medullation, and
the lowest possible coeffi cient of variation
encompassed the most essential qualities
for the fi bre’s performance and value.
At the time the text was developed
(2001–2003), the role of crimp had
attracted more than one viewpoint.
Even the defi nition of the word crimp
was debatable and still is. For example,
Dr Tumen Wuliji, a fi bre scientist
who worked with Agresearch in New
Zealand’s Tara Hills alpaca herd assigned
crimp a secondary importance, less
important than fi neness, little or no
medullation, length, yield and colour.
On the other hand, Dr Jim Watts, a
fi bre scientist in Australia working from
a Merino sheep model, emphasized
eliminating medullation and creating