In 2002 Escorial was officially measured as the world's finest ever naturally grown hair or wool fibre. This very special wool from the Mahgreb flock derives its name from El Escorial, a monastery located northwest of Madrid, to which Spanish Royalty took the flock in 1340, having vanquished the Beni Merines of North Africa in the battle of Salado.
In 1820 Eliza Furlonge, a Scottish expert, took 100 of the finest Escorials to Tasmania, off the South East coast of Australia. In 1987 a small flock was bought and taken to New Zealand but it was not until the mid 1990's that the delicate processing codes were perfected. The handle is a sheer delight, soft, airy and light but remarkably good tempered because of the natural springiness of this magnificent fibre.