What is the Dachstein Wool Story?
Dachstein Wool has become a relatively generic term that implies that the sweater, hat, or socks were made by the ancient methods of felting and fulling (sometimes referred to as boiled wool) wool, and still used today, almost exclusively carried on from ancient times as a heritage and traditional method in the Dachstein region of Austria. The Dachstein region encompasses a tri-state area of Austria, with the central theme being the Hoher Dachstein Massif, located in the Northern Limestone Alps Range running across the alpine states of Austria and Germany. The alpine states in this range are Bavaria, Germany, and the Austrian states of Tirol, Salzburg, and Steiermark. Dachstein means “roof stone”, and refers to the Limestone rock found in the Northern Alps. Hoher Dachstein towers at 9826ft (2995 meters), and is the highest peak in two of the nine Austrian states, Upper Austria (Niederösterreich) and Styria (Steiermark), and is the second tallest in the Northern Limestone Alps.
Wool is a high performance material, giving the Alpinist many advantages. Not only is a Dachstein Wool boiled wool sweater made from a sustainable, all natural material (sheep wool) that has been produced by methods without added chemicals, but it is also completely recyclable. Naturally, wool offers at least 10% more breathability to the wearer compared to other performance designed materials derived from synthetics. Wool is naturally water resistant, and next to waterproof and windproof when made in the “boiled wool or fulled” methods. When wet, wool still insulates, unlike down filled insulative layers. Wool is extremely durable, naturally rugged in tough mountain environments.
Sheep are cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter. This is possible by three layers of fleece, each operating in synergy to protect the sheep’s skin from heat and cold, but also from skin disease. In winter the wool fibers intertwine, making a matted layer to block cold by trapping air, and increasing the resistance to water, and moisture. At the same time, the skin can breathe. This creates a natural fiber, perfect for clothing/protecting human skin.
Wool can be itchy, but contrary to this common notion, wool sweaters, mitts, and socks made with these methods are not itchy at all, but soft and non-irritating to the skin. The fulling process not only makes a thick, matted wool material that is extremely durable, breathable, highly wind and water resistant, but it is soft, unlike other products made from worsted or felted loden wool.
Wool is a natural, renewable, sustainable material. See below.
On a miroscopic level, wool is the only natural fiber that has an outer scaly surface. Felting the wool occurs when the wool fibers are “shocked” by soaking woven/knitted strands or the entire constructed garment in hot water. This causes scales to spread open. Sometimes the wool is shocked repeatedly by being plunged into cold water, then hot water again. Then, the wool is agitated by rubbing and pummeling the fibers for lengthily period of time, either by the pressing of fingers into the wool fibers, the feet (like wine), or by special machine, causing the scales of the fibers to tangle and intertwine, forming a “felted” or matted hard fabric. This process is irreversible, and the result is a very thick and dense wool material. A natural earthen clay (fuller’s earth), or natural soap is used during the agitation process, as an agent to further the intertwining and matting by influencing the natural ph balance, thus making the fiber temporarily unstable, increasing the swelling and spreading of the filber’s scales, and to aid removing impurities in the wool. This process of intertwining the scales on the fibers, gives these wool products such incredibly great thickness, strength and durability, and gives the wool its windproof and waterproof characteristics by trapping air into a myriad network of tangled woolen fiber.
This felted wool is then used in many applications, including turning the fabric into yarn for knitting. After a garment is knitted with the felted wool fiber, it is then put through the process of “fulling”, which is very similar felting. Fulling is a combination of hot water shocking, cleaning, alteration of the natural ph balance, extended agitation, further intertwining and matting, but the fibers also shrink in the process, creating an incredibly densely matted finished material that is not only extremely durable, but also traps air. It’s this trapped air effect that makes a fulled wool sweater so extremely warm. This secondary agitation and matting process creates an interesting texture to the knitted pattern and design. Boiled wool, is really a form of fulled Wool, but rather Boiled Wool is produced solely on a controled mechanical basis, at a set temperature, mechanized and controlled agitation, to produce sheets of ‘fulled wool” ready for the assembly of panels of ready fabric that have been cut to a desired shape. Boiled Wool Sweaters are “put together”, whereas Fulled Wool sweaters are knitted loosely with large needles into a design or pattern from pure wool yarn, then “fulled” to perfection, and shrunk in the process.
Fulled or often referred to as Boiled wool sweaters are used by Alpinists for their warmth in extremely cold temperatures, windproof qualities and high water resistance. Since they are primarily used in Alpine zones where there is likely to be snow, rather than extended rain, these wool sweaters are a perfect combination of water resistance, wind-proofness, and breathability. From a safety aspect, wool’s texture offers significant friction on snow or ice, aiding in self arrest situations. Besides being a natural durable material, this added benefit of safety in the form of friction, is completely unique to wool, and out performs from a friction standpoint, even synthetics such as Schoeller Cloth.
These sweaters are first knitted with the complex Brioche Rib stitch using pure wool. This complexity of the Brioche stitch requires nearly 50% more wool than an average knitted sweater, and creates knitted pattern nearly doubled in thickness. Then, after the sweater is constructed, they are put through the fulling process, thus intertwining and matting the knitted pattern in a never ending network of combined woolen scales within the knitted pattern, tangled forever in an incredible matted network. These sweaters will not unravel, remain incredibly durable, and will not fray or destruct, even if cut.
Boiled wool is produced industrially and is characteristic to Austria and South America. After very large knitted patterns are produced in large sheets, the wool fabric is dyed (or not), and are boiled and shrunk without the use of any chemicals. Because of this and other factors, boiled wool is very warm and usually does not itch.
"Fulling" is the process of producing felt fabric from animal fiber yarn that has already been woven or knitted. Fulling takes the woven or knitted fabric through the process of hot water and agitation in order to facilitate shrinkage and create felted fabric. In the Middle Ages, "fullers" were textile workers who used Fuller's Earth, a highly adsorptive clay that removed grease and oils from the woven cloth. The agitation of the cleansing action would shrink and matt the fibers creating a fabric that would not unravel. The term fulling stems from "fullare", a Medieval Latin word meaning "to walk on or trample". This process emphasizes the agitation that is required in coaxing those fiber scales to intertwine.
"Boiled wool" is another descriptive term for felted cloth. The process is the same as fulling but completed on an industrial level in order to facilitate the handling of larger quantities. Computerized controls finely tune water temperature levels and agitation strength in order to produce a consistent result. The yarn is first dyed, then knit and shrunk without the aid of chemicals. This process produces felt fabric available by the yard, ready for cutting into pattern pieces to be assembled into garments.
Now available in the US again, Bradley Alpinist is one of few, if not the only retailer in the US offering you these classics. These vintage style and functionally timeless Dachstein Wool Pullover Sweaters, Mitts, & Hats will forever be a high valued article of equipment in the Alpinist's kit. Made in the Dachstein Region of Steiermark Austria in the tradional boiled/fulled wool methods, these sweaters are the warmest, most durable and breathable layers you can wear. Preview the DACHSTEIN WOLLE OF AUSTRIA offering. Wear Dachstein Wool to the summit, in the ice park, or on top of a bar stool in a mountain town...its the classic look of mountaineering worldwide, and an extreme cold performance layer.
