EPISODE 1 & 2 - Sorting the wool
Norway is one of the few countries in Europe with an excellent wool infrastructure. In the so-called Ullstasjion in Gol, Hallingdal, Norwegian new wool has been sorted into 16 different qualities according to the Norwegian wool standard for many years before it is washed and processed.
The sorting and classification is still purely manual work and is carried out by the wool graders. The colour, fineness, length, crimp, homogeneity and cleanliness of the wool play a decisive role here. Thanks to the work of the wool sorters, the Norwegian wool that we use for our lavalan wool padding is particularly clean and homogeneous in terms of its fineness, crimp and length, which is later reflected in our fleece quality.
Stein Terje Moen (62 years old) has been the manager of Ullstasjion for over 30 years and trains the sorters. In 6 episodes he takes us on a journey through the sorting station and explains to us what special properties Norwegian wool has and why that is.
May we please ask you to present yourself Stein Terje?
My name is Stein Terje Moon. I'm 62 years old and I work with wool since more than 30, 35 years. At the Gol Wool Station as a manager and as head of the graders. I also got sheep myself, so it's all about sheep and wool.
Could you please explain what „grading“ means?
The grading is to put the wool in the right class according to the Norwegian Wool Standard, so the buyers know what kind of wool they are going to buy. If they are making one kind or another kind. So the grading is for the buyers and it is for making the farmers getting the right price for the quality of the wool he’s got.
What do the graders have to consider during grading?
During the grading, they look at different things. They look at the micron (fineness), they look if it's got kemp or medulation. That's important for the customers, when they are using the wool. They look at the color, they look at the crimp and the Norwegian wool has very good crimp. That's one of our trademarks. It has really good crimp. So they have a lot of different things to look at. When you see them grading, it goes pretty fast, but that's why they are that experienced. They do this every day, the whole year, so they get very good.