A Noble Beast

Yaks, for the uninitiated, are the hairy bovine beasts that hail from the "roof of the world." Over the past 10,000 years yaks have developed and thrived on the Tibetan Plateau in some of the highest altitudes, coldest temperatures and harshest conditions on the planet.

Domesticated yaks are vital to the survival of the people and culture of the Tibetan Plateau. Kept mostly by the nomadic populations of the region, yaks provide milk and meat for sustenance; their dried dung is collected and used as a primary source of fuel and heat; they are the brute force that transport goods; and, as we discovered, the wool is collected, separated and used to make tents, ropes and rugs for the nomad families.

The remarkable ability of the yak to survive in such extreme conditions is paralleled only by the reliance of the nomadic families on the animal for their own survival. Rarely in modern times does such a symbiotic relationship exist between man and beast.

Yak Wool Sourcing

Curious about how Khunu yak wool compares to other wools? Sheep are far and away the largest producers of wool on the planet. Best described as "industrially domesticated," sheep are usually raised on large ranches in groups of thousands where the animals are shorn with clippers to collect their wool. In contrast yaks are usually raised in smaller groups of 50-300 and their wool is combed - not shorn - only once per year in the springtime when the animals shed their winter coat.

This is probably why you've never encountered yak wool before. It's far more difficult, costly, remote and lower yielding - to name a few. At Khunu we also happen to believe it's more unique, authentic and directly beneficial to those at the source.