Horse-tail and cattle-tie hair (only use tail hair, no bristle, pig hair etc.) are bought on the world-market as hides and sheep-wool etc. Main quantities are imported from North and South American countries, E.U. countries as well as smaller quantities from Australia. The raw materials are imported with certificates and only from countries controlled by the Swiss Veterinary Ministry.
The raw materials are washed in hot soap water of 80oC during at least 90 minutes (and more following cleanliness of hairs) and thoroughly rinsed in fresh cold water, then kiln dried and 70oC.
The clean hairs are mixed and teased (opened) in a mixing unit.
The prepared hairs are curled in a spinning/curling machine to give a spiral shape to every hair.
The curled ropes are fixed and sterilised in a steam-autoclave during more than 30 minutes at 99oC and afterwards dried and conditioned in the same autoclave.
The ropes are labelled and packed for export and can be carded for the manufacturing of mattresses or sent to be needle punched into hair pads.
Various other fibres (cashmere, silk) can be added to hair.
Hair is certified according to the OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
