Comparative Study On The Quality Characteristics Of Handmade And Machine Made Pashmina Shawls

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.