100% mane hair is all we use; in the cover strands and in the core
Some cheaper mecates have mane hair cover strands, but a tail hair core.
This is a serious problem. First, some of those tail hair prickles are going
wor
k their way through the cover strands and the rider will feel them. This
is minor compared to the second problem. Ropes made this way will
self-destruct. Mane hair and tail hair react to water
differently. This
means when this type of mecate gets wet, the core will begin to crawl out
through the cover strands. Nothing can be done at that point and eventually the
mecate will be useful only as a wall decoration.
We only use hair 6" long or longer
Longer hair makes a stronger mecate. We end up throwing some hair away, but that's a small price to pay for a great product and satisfied clients.
Proper hair preparation is critical
We sort the hair by color and wash it all by hand, rinsing i
t at least
twice to remove all soap residue. Once it is dry, we sort it again by color
and shade. We currently have 12 shades of flaxen, 13 shades of sorrel,
13 shades of chestnut, 5 shades of red chestnut, 12 shades of sorrel with
white, 13 shades of gray, and of course, black and
white. Breaking down the
shades so carefully allows us to use complimentary and contrasting colors in
unique ways.