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The production of wool is the oldest known trade in the world. Mentioned in the Old Testament in the Bible, it was the first international commodity that became widespread throughout ancient civilisations, dating back some 4,500 years. When you consider modern sheep shearing methods, using electric-powered shearing machines, spare a thought for sheep farmers in years gone by, who used hand clippers to remove the wool. The old-fashioned method took twice as long and meant the farmer was bent over double for long periods. Although sheep were first domesticated more than 10,000 years ago, when they were bred as a source of food in central Asia, shearing didn't begin until 3500 BC, when people first learned how to spin the sheep's wool into yarn to make garments, blankets and other items.   History of sheep shearing The earliest records of sheep shearing in Europe date from Crete in the Bronze Age, in around 3000 BC. A group of Linear B stone tablets (an early form of written Mycenaean Greek) found during an archaeological dig at Europe's oldest city, Knossos, detail sheep breeding and shearing. The sheep were shorn using very basic tools, such as metal, or sharp glass, fashioned into an implement to take whole clumps of wool off at once. Over time, the tools were adapted into scissor-like blades to make the job easier. In the 15th century, Queen Isabella of Spain financed many expeditions of exploration through her wool trading industry. She funded the voyages of Columbus using the profits from sheep shearing. Columbus took sheep to the New World when he sailed to Cuba and Santo Domingo, where they were used as a source of food. Known as Churras, they were the ancestors of today's American sheep. In England, the medieval wool trade was a major factor in the economy. Deemed so important that sheep-shearing was held as an annual midsummer event in June or July; the tradition was still going strong in the 19th century, when a traditional feast and festivities were held after the sheep shearing had been completed.   Evolution of sheep shearing methods In years gone by, there were numerous methods of shearing sheep, before electric clippers were invented. Using hand clippers required a lot of patience. Experts honed their skills so they used as few clicks of the blades as possible, making very little noise. They aimed to make only one click at the end of each "stripe" across the ewe, creating a chequer-board pattern all over its body, with a line running along the spine, at the meeting point of the two cutting directions. In shearing competitions, the line was expected to continue right along the sheep's tail. The traditional English way of shearing sheep meant the farmer tied the sheep's legs together and placed it on a stool, clipping in a criss-cross manner. An arduous and slow task, a maximum of about 50 sheep could be sheared per person each day. In the late 19th century, the first mechanical shearing machines were invented. It took two men to operate them, with one holding the sheep and the second turning a handle on the machine to power the blades, which were attached to a hand-grip. In the 1950s, a new style of shearing was invented by the Bowen brothers, Walter and Ivan, of New Zealand. It refined techniques that had been passed on from blade-shearers to machine-shearers, developing a new method known as the Bowen Technique. Today's electric shearing equipment enables many more sheep to be sheared each day. On average, four shearers can finish 900 to 1,000 ewes. Sheep shearing in the UK takes place in early spring, as it relieves the sheep of their year-old heavy coats in time for the warmer weather, keeping them cool and comfortable. It also gives them enough time to grow a new coat that is heavy and warm for the following winter.   Common uses for wool In the Middle Ages, the primary use for wool was to make clothing, but it is a very versatile material that can be used for so many other things. Today, open the average wardrobe and you'll find items made of wool. Usually, it makes jumpers, socks and suits. Generally thought of as a winter material, it can make lightweight garments as well. Merino wool is designed to be worn comfortably next to your skin, with seamless garments being made for activewear. It is used for compression garments and even in training shoes. Eco-friendly properties and the modern trend for "green" practices have seen recent wool prices enjoying a 25-year high. Merino wool has flame retardancy up to 600°C, making it suitable for firefighters' uniforms. It's the top choice for high-quality carpets and is widely used in furniture, soft furnishings such as cushions, and for bedding. Perhaps surprisingly, wool is used as mulch pads for fertiliser, as it is absorbent and bio-degradable. Wool's by-product, lanolin, is commonly used to make cosmetics, shampoos, auto-lubrication and adhesive tape. While wool is primarily used for clothing all over the world, in India, coarse wool is used in the hand-made carpet industry - a staple of the economy. It also makes cloth nappies, as an alternative to cotton. In Australia, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology is developing a new type of body armour using wool and the synthetic fibre, Kevlar, as the resulting material is more resistant to bullets. Today's biggest producers of wool are the United States, Australia, China and New Zealand. While there have been periods in history when wool was continually selling at a low price for long periods, prices have risen by 11.53% in the past 12 months, reflecting changes in consumer habits. Now in its 60^th year, the British Wool Marketing Board (the Wool Board) was set up by the government to regulate the marketing of wool. With 50,000 registered producers, this farmer-run organisation is based on co-operative principles to ensure ALL farmers can sell their wool through the Board, that sits somewhere between the farming and textile industries.