Superior Threads

Potatoes and Cotton | What is Egyptian Cotton?

Idaho potatoes are famous worldwide. I’ve wondered if there really a is difference between Idaho potatoes and other potatoes but regardless of what I think, fast food hamburger chains believe that Idaho-grown potatoes are the best potatoes for French fries and they are the major buyer of Idaho potatoes. Other potatoes are not as valuable. The Idaho soil, the climate, the water and air are ideal to grow the perfect potato.                                                                                                               

So it is with Egyptian cotton. The climate, the soil, the air, and water are ideal in Egypt for growing excellent cotton. But there is a problem. 90% of thread labeled Egyptian cotton does not come from Egypt. In the rank of cotton-producing countries, Egypt is not even in the top 10. There is no way all the products labeled "Egyptian cotton" are actually from Egypt. I have seen labels printed, ‘Egyptian Cotton, Made in China’ and ‘Egyptian Cotton, Made in India.’ So what do the labels really mean?              

Many years ago, the term ‘Egyptian cotton’ became synonymous with ‘long staple cotton.’ Regardless of where it was grown, long staple cotton was labeled as Egyptian cotton and of course everyone assumes it comes from Egypt. Today it is almost impossible to know if cotton labeled ‘Egyptian cotton’ really was grown in Egypt. Because we, like the potato buyers, believe the there is a difference in quality, all Superior’s cotton is purchased in Egypt. It is certified Egyptian-grown extra-long staple cotton.

The staple length of cotton is also very important. Staple refers to the fibers of the cotton boll. The longer the fibers, the better the quality. Higher quality cotton means better strength, less breakage and down time, and less lint which results in less wear on your machine and less cleaning time.

Lowest quality: Short staple cotton. Thread labeled ‘100% cotton’ without specifying the length of the staple is usually the lowest grade or short staple cotton.
Medium quality: Long staple cotton.
Highest quality: Extra-long staple cotton. Our King Tut thread and MasterPiece thread are made from 100% Egyptian-grown extra-long staple mercerized cotton.