Comparative Study on the Quality Characteristics of Handmade and Machine Made Pashmina Shawls

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted to compare the quality characteristics of globally recognized pashmina shawls manufactured manually (using traditional tools and techniques) with machine processed ones. The quality parameters studied include areal density, thickness, ends/picks per inch, bending properties, tensile properties, surface characteristics using SEM and total hand value. The results revealed that areal density and thickness of handmade pashmina shawls were significantly higher than machine processed shawls. Ends/picks per inch showed no-significant difference among the treatments. Tensile properties of handmade pashmina shawls were found higher than machine-processed samples. Bending length was found less in handmade pashmina shawls while as bending rigidity was less in machine processed samples. The subjective assessment score in terms of total hand value was found significantly higher in handmade pashmina shawls than machine-processed ones. The scanning electronic microscopic images of the fibers from machine-processed shawls clearly depicts the damages inflicted during processing. From the study, it was concluded that machine processing leads to the deterioration in the overall quality of globally recognized pashmina shawls. Hence, the traditional practices of pashmina shawl processing need to be preserved to sustain the Kashmiri pashmina, besides proper labeling to avoid fraudulent trade practices.

摘要

进行了一项研究, 以比较全球公认的手工 (使用传统工具和技术) 生产的帕什米纳披肩与机械加工披肩的质量特征. 所研究的质量参数包括面密度、厚度、每英寸端部/齿数、弯曲性能、拉伸性能、使用SEM的表面特征和总手感值. 结果表明, 手工制作的帕什米纳披肩的面积密度和厚度明显高于机械加工披肩. 每英寸末端数/截齿数在各处理间无显著差异. 手工制作的帕什米纳披肩的拉伸性能高于机器加工的样品. 手工帕什米纳披肩的弯曲长度较小, 而机器加工样品的弯曲刚度较小. 手工制作的帕什米纳披肩的主观评估得分明显高于机器加工披肩。机器加工披肩纤维的扫描电子显微镜图像清楚地描绘了加工过程中造成的损伤. 研究得出结论, 机器加工导致全球公认的帕什米纳披肩的整体质量下降. 因此, 需要保留帕什米纳披肩加工的传统做法, 以维持克什米尔帕什米纳, 此外, 还需要适当的标签以避免欺诈性贸易做法.

KEYWORDS:

• Handmade
• machine processed
• pashmina shawls
• quality characteristics
• total hand value

关键词:

• 手工制作
• 机器加工
• 帕什米纳披肩
• 质量特征
• 总手工价值

Acknowledgments

The Authors are highly indebted to Indian Council of Agricultural Research and SKUAST-Kashmir for providing the financial support for establishing the laboratory facilities without which the current study was not possible.

Highlights

• The handmade pashmina shawls have attained the global recognition since decades, because of its traditional methodology of preparation viz-a-viz its quality. With the advent of mechanization, the unscrupulous manufactures are using machine and chemicals in the processing of finest fibres, leaving the quality of these pashmina shawls compromised, thereby reducing the life span of shawls to a great extent. Further, the fraudulent marketing practices adapted by traders and manufacturers, wherein the machine-made pashmina shawls are being marketed in the name of handmade pashmina shawls, giving negative images of Kashmiri handmade pashmina shawl industry. Hence, the topic of study was important to compare the quality of handmade pashmina shawls with that of machine-made pashmina shawls.

• The results revealed that quality of handmade pashmina shawls in terms of tensile properties, bending properties, surface characteristics (SEM), handle etc was superior than machine-made pashmina shawls.

• It was concluded that machine processing leads to the deterioration in the overall quality of globally recognized pashmina shawls. Hence, the traditional practices of pashmina shawl processing need to be preserved to sustain the Kashmiri pashmina shawls industry worth billions of dollars. This becomes inevitable as the handmade pashmina shawls have been awarded GI status under the name Kashmiri pashmina. Further, machine processed pashmina shawls should be properly labeled before marketing in order to avoid fraudulent trade practices.