Featured Artisan: Begg & Company
Makers of the World's Finest Cashmere Scarves
Begg of Ayr, Scotland has long been regarded as the finest maker of woven cashmere scarves anywhere in the world. The history of Begg & Co. is a long and proud one. Established in 1866, the firm continues to weave their products in the time-honored traditional manner. From carefully selecting the best bales at the annual cashmere auction to inspecting each and every product for the smallest defect, Begg continues to stake their rightful claim as the World's Best.
We are proud to be among the select few who are privileged to offer their wares.
Here's a look behind the scenes ...
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What Are Teasels?
The Fuller's Teasel was formerly widely used in textile processing, providing a natural comb for cleaning, aligning and raising the nap on fabrics. The dried flower heads were attached to spindles, wheels, or cylinders, sometimes called teasel frames, to raise the nap on fabrics (that is, to "tease" the fibres).
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Fringing
The process of fringing Begg cashmere scarves is one still done completely by hand. In the leftmost photo, the fringer is separating the cashmere yarn into small groups, each of which will become one fringe. Then a string is wound around each small group and pulled so as to twist the fibers into a fringe. Once the twist is "set" into the yarns, the fringe is hand cut resulting in a fine, luxurious scarf.
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![]() Slowly Weaving the Final Cashmere Products |
The Rest of the Story ...
Until you have felt an Arran Cashmere Scarf you will have no concept of how luxurious cashmere can be. What's more, I have a black Arran scarf which I've used for 17 years. Properly cared for, cashmere of this quality will give you the longevity you expect. For yourself ... or as an indescribably elegant gift for a man or a woman ... this has no equal.
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