This section is from the "A Complete Dictionary of Dry Goods" book, by George S. Cole. Also available from Amazon: A complete dictionary of dry goods and history of silk, cotton, linen, wool and other fibrous substances,: Including a full explanation of the modern processes ... together with various useful tables.
Camel's Hair. The fiber known as Camel's hair comes from Southern Asiatic Russia, Tartary, and Africa; the quality from the latter country is the finest. Its native color is the light brown as seen in the goods made from it, and is its most distinctive feature. In preparing camel's hair for weaving, it is separated into "tops-long, coarse hairs, and "noils" - the short fine, curly ones - by combing, precisely as mohair, alpaca and other combing wools are treated. The "tops" are used for coarse cloths. The staple of the "noils" is about one inch in length, and the feeling extremely soft and silky. It is the noils only that is used in underwear, hosiery, dress fabrics, shawls, etc. Camel's hair is often mixed with wool or cotton to make various grades of goods. Good grades of raw "noils" sell for 60 cents per pound. It is not unreasonable to suppose that camel's hair will at no distant day become a fibre of common use in the United States. The camel is numerous over an immense area of the earth; he is a large animal and his coat is heavy; the globe is constantly being ransacked for new and superior materials for clothing mankind and for decorating his home. Until within the last few years, camel's hair fabrics have been very high-priced, but as the advantages possessed by this material came to be appreciated the demand for raw material was proportionately increased. A steady demand by the manufacturers lead to a larger production and supply; competition is developed, and these causes have lowered the former high prices until now camel's hair can be bought as cheaply as fine wool fabrics.