In our production we use natural latex as a binder and resilience enhancer in our rubberised and needled products. The 100% pure natural latex requires a minimum of vulcanizing agents. This is one of the secrets to the unsurpassed resilience and durability of our rubberized products. In our production we use natural latex as a binder and resilience enhancer in our rubberised and needled products. This is one of the secrets to the unsurpassed resilience and durability of our rubberized products.With just a slip in pronunciation, “sleeping on air” becomes “sleeping on hair,” and is not taken as a joke, because even today horsehair is the stuff (or stuffing) of several luxury mattresses. These include some of the most expensive in the world, made by high-class names such as and , , , Hastens, and others. Besides filling, horsehair is also used in the or quilting of a few models. This is nothing new. For hundreds of years, better mattresses were filled with horsehair, along with other natural fibers.
Those who could not get horsehair settled for grain husks (chaff), sawdust, straw and other cheaper alternatives. Horsehair was generally for the nobles. Today it is found in mattresses made for English royalty. The feel of a horsehair mattress is used in describing mattresses made by , even though they do not contain horsehair. The most common sources of horsehair are the mane and the tail. Some of this is obtained by collecting loose hairs from grooming, but most comes from clipping hairs from manes and tails. Body hairs of shaggy northern horse breeds could conceivably be harvested in late Spring, but that is currently unheard of for commercial production. Horsehair is classified by the length of the hairs. The longest ones (6″ or longer) are called horsetail hair, the medium ones (4″ to 6″) tail hair, and the shorter ones (under 4″) horsehair. This means that horsehair contains some of the shorter horsetail strands. And, depending on the processor, some tail hair and horsehair can have some hair from cattle in it.
Harvested horsehair is washed, steamed and rinsed, but not bleached. This clears it of almost all allergens. The cut and washed horsehair is curly. Since horsehair is stiff, it is cushioning. Horse hairs are hollow, so they funnel air through the batting. This serves to ventilate a mattress and keep it dry. Being hollow also makes them more resilient. Horsehair is also a very durable material. Some horsehair mattresses have lasted 80 to 100 years. Tail hairs are used in violin bows, and can last a long time even with frequent use. Often horsehair is used in combination with other natural materials, such as , , , and . Sometimes two fibers are mixed, but these components are usually in separate layers. The ticking for a horsehair layer is tightly woven so the horsehairs don’t creep through. The ticking of the horsehair layer for a mattress or topper is normally sewn into chambers, each one filled with hairs. This keeps the horsehair in place, forestalling a lumpy mattress.
In closing, here is a quote from the NovosBed website: Horsehair: the stuff of luxury for those for whom luxury is a given. Care to hazard a guess as to which is the mattress of choice for the Queen of England? Your average oil sheik? They’re all sleeping on horsehair. Parker Sleep Systems (Toronto, Canada) Tags: covers, fabrics, horsehair, mattress types, natural materials This entry was posted Friday, May 29th, 2015 at 5:42 PM and is filed under cover, fabrics, fibers, mattress covers, mattresses, upholstery .Bed: Savoir No. 2 with Horsehair Topper Retail Price: $15,550 (queen) May was a huge step up for us; we tried our second extreme luxury bed, the Savoir No. 2, also known as The Savoy. Completely handmade in England for each customer, Sara Kate and I slept on a medium tension model that was sprung equally for both of us (we were both invited to come try a floor model months ahead of time). We both really liked the bed, but had different reactions to how lumpy the bed was at first (it settled a lot over the course of the month.)
We agreed on one thing: this bed REALLY moves. Savoir is a UK based company that started up in 1905 by making beds for the Savoy Hotel in London after the owner declared he wanted the best beds in town for his hotel. Prior to 1997, you could only buy these beds through the hotel, but since then the company split off and has a large presence in Europe. They only opened a US showroom, in New York City, last year. Check out Joyce Wadler's review of the Savoir $50k bed (she only spent one night on it) here (NYTimes). In the interest of full disclosure, the delivery of these beds is a big part of the experience, and we got the full treatment. Savoir not only delivered the bed, but threw in luxury bedding and a bottle of champagne (they said customers often buy new bedding with their beds). When we came home that night it made quite an impression. Personal, white glove delivery is standard. Not sure about the champagne. This is what we tried out: • Sferra Giza Sateen Bedding
• Hefel Pure Silk Comforter • Savoir Back-Sleeper Pillows While all of this added to the experience, we quickly swapped out the sateen for our own linen sheets. They were just too slippery. It's worth adding, however, that making a big deal out of this point of contact made a distinct impression. Not only is bed delivery a very sensitive event, it's also a huge marketing opportunity and all of the attention this bed comes with definitely adds to the personal experience. • Excellent (but not at first) You have to get used to this bed. For a $15k bed, we were both amazed at what a lumpy first impression it made. The horsehair topper settled big-time over our thirty days. Soft, breathable and plush with many layers of natural material, I loved falling into it at night, but it did take getting used to. Sara found the way the horsehair topper "settled" uncomfortable as it created a ridge between us at first and made her feel as if she were rolling towards the edge.
This went away by the end of the month. That said, we both slept very well after the first week, my occasional morning back pains disappeared and our body temperatures were never too hot or too cold. The sleep is very soft and deep, which I prefer, but Sara is more of a firm surface aficionado. This is important to know when choosing a bed, and the Savoir can be built for different firmnesses within the same bed. The Savoir is a "bespoke" handmade bed, which means that it is built to your specifications in their factory in London. Totally traditional in build, with layers of natural materials on top of hand tied springs, this bed will rock your world if your eco-minded. If you just like well made things, you'll appreciate all the care that goes into one of these things. From the Savoir website: The difference between a Savoir Bed and any other will become apparent over many years of comfort. The fact that 60 hours of craftsmanship goes into one of our king size beds allows us to make best use of the finest materials.
Screwing a frame together takes longer than using a pneumatic staple gun, but the time taken is reflective in their respective lives.FSC certified knot-free pine and beech, lambswool, cotton, horsehair and steel springs. I took a lot of pics of the bed being set-up as the thing looks as good without bedding as it does dressed. This bed is a lot of money, but if actually can afford to buy one, you're likely not to feel that it's overpriced. While I'm sure there's a healthy markup in there, this is a lot of bed and you DO feel like you're lying on something that's going to get better and dearer with time. It had a totally different presence in our bedroom than most of the other beds - like a big, solid anchor in our home. If you're big into having a great bed, really crave natural materials, this type of soft, deep sleep and don't need to buy a car or send a kid to college this year, this could be a great choice. Can you get a Savoir for less? Yes, Savoir makes two other models that are lower in price (often bought for guest rooms!), which will allow you to dip your toes in these waters, but they're still going to run you a lot more than the typical $1-2k beds that we see most often.