On our first day in Biella we visited Pettinatura Italiano; the largest commissioned scouring/combing mill in Europe. This place, like many we were to see in Italy, is steeped in tradition. NZ Merino arrives here from Cirque Terre (the main port for northern Italy) where it is checked for quality then stored in the warehouse prior to processing.

Blog Part 2

On our first day in Biella we visited Pettinatura Italiano; the largest commissioned scouring/combing mill in Europe. This place, like many we were to see in Italy, is steeped in tradition. NZ Merino arrives here from Cirque Terre (the main port for northern Italy) where it is checked for quality then stored in the warehouse prior to processing.  

Pettinatura Italiano has the capacity to process approximately 25-30 million kilos of wool fibre per year on six scouring lines. The majority of the wool going through is between 12-25 micron and the average lot size is 30 tonnes (200-300 bales of wool per bin). The process here starts by loosening the wool packs and blending the fibre prior to scouring. Because of the colder temperatures during winter, bales are moved up into the elevated glass drying room. The wool is blended and put through the scouring line to be cleaned with water and detergent to remove wool wax, grease, dirt, sand and other impurities.  

A series of forks rakes the wool through the water, passing it through a number of bowls each containing various levels of detergent which operate at different temperatures. Between each bowl the wool is squeezed to decrease water and detergent volume along the line. After scouring, a process called carding is applied to open out the staple structure of the wool while removing any impurities and aligning the fibres. Grilling and combing follows to remove any short fibres and remaining vegetable matter, creating a wool sliver which is compressed and wound into ‘Top’ bobbins or bumps. Pettinatura Italiano produces 10kg bobbins of higher quality top and standard bumps of 50kg.  

Of great interest at Pettinatura Italiano was the level of testing undertaken and the expression of true ‘craft’ which is top making. Top making is a creative process and the Italians have a very particular approach to creating the perfect wool from fibre sourced from around the world. Wool is classified by style which is defined by the process of growing and producing the wool top. The quality of the style produced by Pettinatura Italiano is supported by rigorous testing where any one batch is tested three times a day – something that reflects the Italian passion for creating the superfine.