# Virgin Wool

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-wool/419914>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 20, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-wool/419914 "2007-09-20T20:58:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-wool/419914/1 "2007-09-20T20:58:06Z")

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Just exactly what is it? Wiki tells me that it’s wool that hasn’t been spun before, but I have no idea what that means.  
The reason I’m asking is that I just bought an Army surplus blanket with 70% “Virgin Wool”. Now, I was in the Army for three years and the blankets were very warm, but I’m curious to know if it was virgin wool or something else.  
Any help would be appreciated.

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**Author:** ![Point\_No\_Point](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Point\_No\_Point](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Point_No_Point)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-wool/419914/2 "2007-09-20T21:09:57Z")

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70% virgin and 30% “camp follower”

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**Author:** ![Point\_No\_Point](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Point\_No\_Point](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Point_No_Point)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-wool/419914/3 "2007-09-20T21:31:48Z")

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[Marriam-Webster.com](http://Marriam-Webster.com) says the same:  
Main Entry: virgin wool  
Function: noun  
: wool not used before in manufacture

So it’s what they aren’t saying that makes the difference.  
30% has been used before. This is almost always “pre-consumer” recycling.  
A virgin wool bolt of cloth will be made out of newly shorn and spun wool. Then a lot of baby blankets and jammies will be cut from it and some odd shaped pieces will be left over.  
These are shredded and tossed into a new batch of virgin wool to dilute it for cheaper cloth.

Virgin wool is usually softer, having all long sheep hairs. The non-virgin stuff is rough, since it is cut smaller and there are a lot more ends sticking out per square inch.

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**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-wool/419914/4 "2007-09-20T21:40:07Z")

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It’s made from ugly sheep. 😉  
(someone had to say it)

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-wool/419914/5 "2007-09-20T23:48:32Z")

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[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne]  
It’s made from ugly sheep. 😉  
(someone had to say it)  
[/QUOTE]

Not ugly, just faster than **Hal**.  
You’re right , someone had to say it. 😃