The Shahtoosh Alternatives for Summer & Winter: Both Legal

After banning Shahtoosh for killing endangered Tibetan antelope Chiru, people sought a legal Shahtoosh alternatives for almost forty seven years. Team Muslin Dhaka hand-woven Dhaka Muslin and cervelt shawls are the answer.

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In many cultures, people loved to give Shahtoosh to their loved ones. It is one of the finest luxury fabrics in the world. But due to it the entire chiru species was almost wiped out. Inevitably, and thankfully, shahtoosh products were banned in 1979 under CITES Appendix I.

It helped to save the chiru population. The more it is unreachable and hard to find, the more it makes some people want it even more. The demand was always there.

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So the black market of shahtoosh was created. There have been several illegal shahtoosh trade events. Similar to many ultra-luxury contraband products, high demand and high prices continue to fuel illegal trafficking despite international protection.

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Shahtoosh was highly desired because it was one of a kind. The lightness, buttery smooth, and fine. It was so fine that I could pass through a finger ring like Dhaka Muslin.

Can you imagine a wool scarf getting inside a ring? Shahtoosh is not only incredibly fine but also exceptionally warm.

Just a warp of it could protect from near-freezing temperatures. There was no alternative scarf that could reach close to the fineness of shahtoosh. But what exactly happened this year?

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I am Sharif, founder of Muslin Dhaka. For eight years, we have been working to make Legendary Dhaka Muslin, and successfully made museum-grade muslin. Also, we made cervelt scarf applying dhaka muslin technique.

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Today’s article is the answer to the legal Shahtoosh Alternative. We will share our journey to weave something that simply fulfills the same desire of Shahtoosh. That’s the best idea to save thousands of chiru lives.

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We already weave 500 yarn count muslin fabric. This is the world’s most subtle plain weaving technique for thousands of years. Shahtoosh was also made with plain weaving using luxury animal fiber. Our plan was simple: what if we made the world’s finest animal fiber shawl with one of the most luxurious animal fibers , cervelt?

So we took the challenge to weave an alternative shahtoosh fabric. We already woven historical summer alternatives of Shahtoosh since the great emperor Akbar. It is a dhaka muslin shawl made from plant fiber phuti karpas.

Now we are making the winter alternative of Shahtoosh, made from animal fiber cervelt. Cervelt comes from New Zealand red deer.

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The textiles of the subcontinent went through a golden time when the Mughals ruled. Although they were from Persia, they never forced foreign culture on the subcontinent. Instead, the sthe Mughals facilitated local culture, providing patronage and trade benefits. They were also passionate enjoyers of the masterclass crafts.

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Emperor Akbar used to wear the finest muslin in the summer and luxurious shahtoosh in the winter. The history of Bengal in the Middle Ages fascinated me from the core. Preservation of cultural heritage has always been my passion. If we lose our traditional symbols, societies will lose the texture and beauty of differences.

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From that calling, I started researching Dhaka Muslin. Inspired by the Bangladesh government’s Muslin Revival Project, we successfully produced authentic Dhaka Muslin.

Muslin dhaka became the first authentic dhakai muslin brand. We didn’t limit ourselves just to muslin; we have researched all the luxury fabrics of the world.

We also connected with the artisans and founders of different luxury fashion brands. Creating a network of textile enthusiasts and businesses.

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In the process, I met Richard Keddell, the Co-founder of Cervelt. They developed a new luxury wool fiber from the red deer undercoat, named Cervelt. It is one of the fastest-emerging luxury fabrics in today’s world.

As I discussed more with Richard, I found Cervelt has interesting similarities with the shahtoosh fiber.

Team Muslin Dhaka decided to experiment with the fiber. But in my mind, I was looking to create something that could reach the excellence of shahtoosh. Richard loved the idea and offered all the help required in the process.

With the skills of our master artisans, we tried to weave cervelt with the dhaka muslin technique. After months of trial and error, we finally made one of the finest Cervelt scarves that easily passed through the famous ring test.

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We have made a Cervelt shawl with the techniques of Dhaka muslin. But did we actually achieve what we intended? Making an alternative to shahtoosh?

Shahtoosh was made from the undercoat of Himalayan chiru. The average fiber diameter of the down hair is 11.45 microns with a standard deviation of 1.78 microns. This is the finest type of animal fiber discovered till now.

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Cervelt fiber is slightly higher in diameter, about 13 microns on average. This may not be as fine as shahtoosh, but already finer than baby cashmere and other luxury animal fibers.

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But the reason it matches shahtoosh is that cervelt fiber is consistent across its length. This gives a unique hand feel.

Interestingly, they both provide a similar smooth experience. Both shahtoosh and cervelts are extremely rare, soft, and warm animal fibers. If we want to make a fabric similar to shahtoosh, we have to win the technical aspect of making the finest fabric.

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As our master artisans weave the finest fabric in the world, Dhaka Muslin, it wasn’t an impossible thing to weave the finest wool fabric. We asked Richard to deliver the finest cervlt yarn on earth. He sent 40 Nm cervelt yarn.

At first, our weaver produced something very promising, but not quite to the level of shahtoosh. After multiple attempts and adjustments, we have produced the grand Cervelt scarf that was almost so fine that it could pass through the ring.

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Cervelt scarf is spun at nm 40 and handwoven on a Bangladeshi traditional pit loom. Due to using the Dhaka Muslin Technique, the fabric is outstandingly light and soft. It is the first cervelt fabric in the world where 100×200 cm of fabric can weigh under 140 grams.

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Previously, two fabrics in the world could slip through the ring: Dhaka Muslin and Shahtoosh. With our combined effort, we can weave the third luxury fabric in history that has the same characteristics.

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As Cervelt fibers have a curly nature, the shawl often feels even shifter and fluffier than shahtoosh. Overall, Cervelt grand shawl is not the exact shahtoosh. Indeed, it’s a similar luxury fabric. Cervelt scarves, shawl & other attires have unique characteristics.

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Let’s compare some of the luxury fabrics with shahtoosh.

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Feature	Shahtoosh	Pashmina	Dhaka Muslin	Cervelt Grand Shawl
Fiber source	Tibetan antelope (Chiru) undercoat	Changthangi goat undercoat	Phuti Karpas cotton	New Zealand red deer undercoat
Micron count	~11.5 µm	15+ µm	Under 10 µm (fiber)	~13 µm
Legal to buy	No. Banned under CITES Appendix I	Yes	Yes	Yes
Animal harm	3–5 Chiru killed per shawl	No. fiber is combed from goats.	None	Obtained from Legal Poaching
Best season	Winter	Winter	Summer	Winter
Passes ring test at shawl size	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Price	Illegal to trade	Varies by quality	7 to 10K	15 K
Available today	No	Yes	Yes by request	On Commission

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Shahtoosh is absolutely illegal and environmentally concerning. But what about cervelt that is extracted from red deer? A shahtoosh shawl requires the life of 3-5 Himalayan chiru.

On the other hand, cervelt is collected from red deer as a by-product of the luxury leather industry in New Zealand. The cervelt is also a sustainable fashion.

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While chiru are a protected species under environmental laws, red deer are an invasive species in New Zealand.

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Chiru cannot be farmed, while red deer are widely farmed. Cervelt is completely legal and significantly better than shahtoosh from an ecological perspective.

Yes! In many ways, dhaka muslin carries many similarities with shahtoosh. Dhaka muslin is also a historical fabric that flourished under the Mughal Empire. It is ultra-fine, light, and smoothly glides through a finger ring. Dhaka Muslin holds GI Certification No. 39 (Bangladesh Patent Office, WIPO-listed 2021). Authentic Dhaka Muslin is woven from rare Phuti Karpas cotton grown within 40 km of Dhaka, with fiber fineness under 10 microns.

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Shahtoosh and Dhaka muslin have quite different materials. One is made with the finest animal fiber, and the other is made with the finest plant fiber. A shahtoosh scarf is for winter, while a muslin scarf is for summer.

But one thing is clear: they are both the most elegant & expensive fabrics. Historically, Dhaka muslin is more pricey than shahtoosh.

However, if you are looking for a heritage shawl or scarf with historical significance, not specifically a winter fabric, Dhaka Muslin is a great Shahtoosh alternative.

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We have skilled artisans and a very complex process to make majestic Muslin. This allows us to experiment and develop shahtoosh alternatives as discussed.

We are already working with the finest vicuña wool. We will bring another hand-woven alternative to shahtoosh. Hopefully, our vicuña fabric will carry Dhaka muslins craftsmanship, distinct with its own characteristics.

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Looking for a shahtoosh alternative? We have two doors for you to choose from. Door one is a grand Cervelt shawl that is surprisingly similar to shahtoosh. The other is authentic Dhaka Muslin, a historical fabric from the same era that carries similar cultural significance.

Here is what you should know.

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You can order a customizable Cervelt shawl/Scarf from us. Normally, we do not have inventory. We take orders first and produce them by patronage. As Cervelt fiber is extremely rare, we make a handful of Cervelt fabrics each season. So, you may have to wait in line. After you fill out the application form, we review it and contact you.

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Authentic Dhaka Muslin is available by request. Dhaka Muslin is hand-woven by master artisans, and the 16 step process is extremely delicate. Production of the fabric takes much longer than others. After submitting the Request to Own form, we will discuss your requirements, confirm time, and start production.

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Please check the dhaka muslin master pieces

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Yes, Cervelt Grand Shwal made with the Dhaka muslin technique is the legal alternative to shahtoosh. Historically, Dhaka Muslin is also a summer alternative to shahtoosh.

Partially. It is a woven shawl woven by the shahtoosh weavers with the same technique. But pashmina is made with pashmina goat fiber. It does not resemble shahtoosh. It does not go through the ring, but still fairly fine, common, and affordable.

Yes, if you inherit a shahtoosh, you can obviously keep it. However, if you want to have a collector shahtoosh, there are some complicated gray areas. Generally, shahtoosh trade is banned.

Cervelt is the red deer down  from New Zealand. No animal is harmed for cervelt. It is a by-product of the luxury leather industry.

Research a great brand for your masterpiece. Make sure to get a CoA from the brand you buy. Muslin Dhaka provides certificates of authenticity.

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Shahtoosh can be the king of wool, but it’s not worth the life of an endangered chiru. For a long time, we did not have any equal alternative to shahtoosh. But after Cervelt Grand Shwal, that’s no longer the case.

Hand-woven Cervelt is ultra-fine, smooth, and extremely warm like shahtoosh. It is also sustainable. It can be passed to generations like shahtoosh. This may not completely end the illegal black market, but obviously open a better way to experience the luxury fine warmth. Enjoy.

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