• What we commonly call buffalo are really "bison". The proper scientific name is Bison bison. The names are often used interchangeably. This beautiful docile animal is surrounded with a background rich in history and culture.
• True buffalo are from Africa (Cape) or India (Water Buffalo). Neither produce any usable fiber, let alone the soft downy undercoat that our American Bison grows for winter protection. So even though we do call it buffalo down or buffalo hair...remember that it's really from Bison bison.
• The current estimated population of bison is around 400,000. This is up from 1000 in the early 1900's and doubles the 1980 estimates of 150,000.
• This current buffalo boom is due to the economic use of bison by private ranchers across North America as a stocking and meat animal. Parks and government preserves have less than 50,000 buffalo. Our fiber is a direct by-product of the bison meat industry that now processess approximately 55,000 animals per year.
• An exclusive un-hairing process that saves both the hide and the hair in exceptional condition for processing is used. Bison leather is as soft and beautiful as the fiber making it perfect for upholstery, footwear, baseball gloves and garments.
• There are ususally five distinct fibers on bison. Bison down is the shortest and is a solid fiber. The guard hairs and other finerhairs are hollow. At least one of the fibers is always grey/white and can still be readily seen in the products until it is spun.
• Micron testing put the down predominantly between eleven and thirteen microns. Staple length...at the shortest exceeds one inch. Pinch and pull the rovings and you'll find down fibers even exceeding two inches!!

2hl Buffalo Ranch and Company                              www.buffalogold.net