Demonstrating Blade-Shearing of Merino Sheep in Greenfield Village, April 2010

Heavy coats of fine wool made Merino sheep a popular breed among nineteenth-century wool producers. Every spring, shearers carefully navigated blade shears to remove each sheep's thick fleece -- a process that could take several hours. More than a century later, presenters demonstrate this labor-intensive blade-shearing process at Firestone Farm in Greenfield Village.