Fiber Fineness: Bradford Count and Micron Count
Fiber Fineness Table by Bradford Count and Micron Count
Sheep Wool Fineness Table by Bradford and Micron Count
Other Fibers Fineness Table by Micron Count
Fiber Fineness: Bradford Count and Micron Count
Bradford Counts and Micron Counts are terms that refer to the fineness of the fiber. Having a numerical idea of what project a fiber might be suited for may help a spinner select an appropriate fiber. Of course, we are artists and may want to leave the numbers to the mathematicians.
Bradford Count
The Bradford count was developed in England in the town of Bradford as a way to determine the fineness of fleeces when all people had to rely on was their eyes. The Bradford count refers to how many 560 yard skeins can be produced from one pound of combed top.
Micron Count
A micron is actually a micrometer which is one millionth of a meter. This measurement is used to describe the diameter of a single fiber of wool. A small sample of wool is analyzed in a Laserscan or some such device. As this is a physical measurement, the results should be very accurate.
Fiber Fineness Table by Bradford Count and Micron Count
| Fineness | Micron Count | Bradford Count |
| Fine Wool | 17-20 | 64s |
| Medium Wool | 22-29 | 62s-50s |
| Coarse Wool | 31-34 | 48s-44s |
| Very Coarse Wool | 36-40 | 40s-36s |
Sheep Wool Fineness Table by Bradford and Micron Count
| Sheep Breed | Micron Count | Bradford Count |
| Arapawa | 17 | 80s |
| Balwen Welsh Mountain | 32 | 56s |
| Beulah Speckled Face | 26-31 | 56s-50s |
| Black Welsh Mountain | 28-31 | 54s-50s |
| Blue Faced Leicester | 24-28 | 60s-56s |
| Bond | 23-28 | 60s-56s |
| Border Leicester | 37-40 | 48s-36s |
| Borderdale | 30-35 | 54s-48s |
| Bowmont | 17 | 80s |
| British Bleu du Maine | 27-32 | 56s-50s |
| British Charollais | 24-28 | 60s-56s |
| British Friesland | 28-31 | 54s-50s |
| British Oldenburg | 27-28 | 48s-46s |
| BritishVendeen | 23-28 | 60s-56s |
| Blue Texel | 27-28 | 46s |
| California Red | 28-31 | 54s-50s |
| California Variegated Mutant | 21-25 | 64s-60s |
| Cheviot | 28-33 | 56s-48s |
| Clun Forest | 25-28 | 58s-56s |
| Columbia | 24-31 | 60s-50s |
| Coopworth | 35-39 | 48s-44s |
| Cormo | 21-23 | 64s-58s |
| Corriedale | 26-33 | 58s-50s |
| Cotswold | 34-40 | 46s-36s |
| Dartmoor | 36-40 | 40s-36s |
| Debouillet | 19-24 | 80s-62s |
| Derbyshire Gritstone | 27-31 | 56s-48s |
| Devon Closewool | 28-34 | 54s-46s |
| Devon Longwool | 36-40 | 40s-32s |
| Dormer | 23-25 | 60s-58s |
| Dorset Down | 26-29 | 58s-54s |
| Dorset Horn | 27-32 | 56s-50s |
| English Leicester | 37-40 | 46s-40s |
| Exmoor Horn | 28-32 | 54s-48s |
| Finnish Landrace | 24-31 | 60s-50s |
| Galway | 24-33 | 56s-50s |
| Gotland | 28-32 | 52s-48s |
| Gromark | 28-34 | 54s-46s |
| Hampshire | 26-30 | 58s-54s |
| Hebridean | 29-36 | 50s-44s |
| Herwick | 36-40 | 40s + |
| Hill Radnor | 28-33 | 54s-48s |
| Icelandic (thel) | 19-22 | 70s-64s |
| Icelandic (tog) | 28-31 | 54s-50s |
| Ile de France | 23-28 | 60s-56s |
| Jacob | 26-33 | 56s-48s |
| Kerry Hill | 26-29 | 56s-52s |
| Lincoln | 36-38 | 40s-36s |
| Llanwenog | 25-28 | 58s-56s |
| Lleyn | 26-31 | 56s-50s |
| Lonk | 28-34 | 54s-46s |
| Manx Loaghtan | 28-32 | 54s-46s |
| Masham | 29-34 | 50s-46s |
| Merino | 17-24 | 70s-60s |
| Montadale | 25-30 | 58s-54s |
| Mule | 28-34 | 54s-46s |
| Navajo-Churro (outercoat) | 38+ | 36s + |
| Navajo-Churro (undercoat) | 22-23 | 62s |
| NZ Halfbred | 25-31 | 58s-50s |
| Norfolk Horn | 26-29 | 56s-54s |
| North Ronaldsay | 26-31 | 56s-50s |
| Oxford Down | 28-34 | 54s-50s |
| Panama | 25-30 | 58s-50s |
| Perendale | 28-35 | 56s-48s |
| Polwarth | 21-26 | 64s-58s |
| Polypay | 22-28 | 62s-56s |
| Portland | 26-31 | 56s-50s |
| Rambouillet | 18-24 | 80s-60s |
| Romanov (outercoat) | 40+ | 36s + |
| Romanov (undercoat) | 16-22 | 80s-64s |
| Romeldale | 21-25 | 64s-60s |
| Romney | 33-37 | 50s-46s |
| Rouge de l’Ouest | 23-25 | 60s-58s |
| Rough Fell (mixed coat) | 36-40+ | 40s + |
| Ryeland | 26-32 | 56s-50s |
| Scottish Blackface | 36-40+ | 40s + |
| Shetland | 23-30 | 60s-50s |
| Shropshire | 26-30 | 58s-50s |
| Soay | 29-36 | 50s-44s |
| South Dorset Down | 25-28 | 58s-56s |
| South Hampshire | 25-28 | 58s-56s |
| South Suffolk | 23-28 | 60s-56s |
| Southdown | 23-28 | 60s-56s |
| Spelsau (outercoat) | 37-40 | 46s-40s |
| Spelsau (undercoat) | 19-22 | 70s-64s |
| Suffolk | 26-28 | 58s-56s |
| Swaledale (mixed coats) | 36-40+ | 40s-30s |
| Targhee | 22-27 | 64s-58s |
| Teeswater | 30-36 | 50s-44s |
| Texel | 26-34 | 56s-46s |
| Tunis | 25-30 | 58s-50s |
| Welsh Half-Bred | 26-31 | 54s-46s |
| Welsh Hill Speckled Face | 29-33 | 50s-48s |
| Welsh Mountain | 32-40 | 48s-36s |
| Welsh Mountain Badger Face | 26-34 | 56s-46s |
| Wensleydale | 30-36 | 50s-44s |
| White Faced Woodland | 28-31 | 54s-50s |
| Zwartbles | 26-29 | 56s-54s |
Other Fibers Fineness Table by Micron Count
| Fiber | Microns |
| Alpaca | 17-35 |
| Angora | 12-16 |
| Bombyx Silk | 10-13 |
| Camel | 15-22 |
| Cashmere | 14-18.5 |
| Cotton | 13-21 |
| Guanaco | 14-18 |
| Hemp | 18-23 |
| Linen | 15-17 |
| Llama | 22-29 |
| Mohair | 25-45 |
| Quiviut | 14-19 |
| Tussah Silk | 28-30 |
| Vicuna | 13-16 |
| Yak | 18-20 |