What enthralled all public about these shawls, was the extraordinary softness of the cloth, alloyed with an exceptional delicacy given by the Tibet goat's down with which they are made.
Goat's down is a very good calorific insulating material, and the finest known natural fiber.
The best quality is less than 13 microns in thickness, and the more common quality less than 19 microns, what is three to four times as fine as a hair.
This extreme delicacy and these naturally insulating qualities allow to create extremely fine, nonetheless very insulating cloths, and with a very pleasing softness touch.
And what about Orenburg Shawls?
The link is the Tibet goat's down, which in the South of the Himalayas allows the Kashmir production, and in the north feed Kirghizstan, a Russia province, which feeds the city of Orenbourg.
There is however an essential difference between two: Kashmir cloths are weaved on loom, which gives them a smooth and regular aspect, while the Orenburg Russian productions are knitted, which gives them an exceptional filling, as well as an incomparable softness.
There are in fact two techniques for the Orenburg Shawls: the most common consists in knitting them either with hand needles in a traditional way, or with specialized machines which still leaves a big part to the manual work, or the exceptional method of the "fork", which allowing a wider mesh size, gives to the shawls an extraordinarily light texture.
Thanks to the use of forks, we get filling shawls which are even more sumptuous, with esthetic motives without other limits than their creators imagination, while keeping an exceptional insulating power.
To illustrate this duality betwin outstanding lightness and swelling, it is traditional to show these qualities by making the shawl cross in the hole of a wedding ring.
It is as the elephant joke in a fridge: we can't believe it.
But every time the master trick works, and the shawl go through the ring without any problem.
To bring the final touch, the Orenburg Shawls incorporate an important proportion of silk, what gives them brilliance and still improve their esthetic qualities.
Where is it possible to find Orenburg Shawls?
To find a Shawl of Orenbourg is not always an easy thing, because these shawls being produced in small quantities, they aren't found everywhere.
Fortunately, thanks to Internet and to search engines, it is possible today to find specialized online stores, sometimes located in the world other side.
It's the web magic!
In the boutique orenburg shawls you will find a sprawling range of very nice Orenburg Shawls chosen to be their beauty and their softness.
See also châles d'orenbourg and chales d'orenbourg
