Can a hole be repaired well enough to raise the grade?

Yes. Professional reweaving or careful darning can close a hole and lift a Poor piece into a sellable repaired grade. The repair is rarely fully invisible, though, so disclose that the area was mended rather than presenting it as undamaged.

Holes and tears

Also: rips · punctures · splits

Holes and tears are breaks in the fabric where fibers have been severed or ripped apart, from a small puncture to a long split along a seam or panel. Unlike thinning, the material is already open, so they are structural damage that caps the grade well below the Excellent tiers.

How to detect it

Hold the garment up to a light and scan for pinholes glowing through
Check pocket corners, hems, and belt lines where tears start
Stretch suspect areas gently to reveal a small hole hiding in the weave

Grade impact

Holes and tears are Structural Integrity (25%) damage. A single tiny pinhole caps an item below Excellent, landing near Good (6); an obvious hole or a long tear drops it to Fair (5) or Poor (3–4) as a repair or reclaim piece.

Fixability

Repairable but rarely invisible. Darning, patching, or reweaving closes a hole and can lift a Poor piece to a sellable repaired grade; the mend itself must then be disclosed as a repair.

How to disclose it

Measure and locate each one ('1 cm hole near left pocket') and photograph with a scale. A hole is the flaw buyers least tolerate as a surprise, so precise disclosure is essential.

Holes and tears — frequently asked

Can a hole be repaired well enough to raise the grade?: Yes. Professional reweaving or careful darning can close a hole and lift a Poor piece into a sellable repaired grade. The repair is rarely fully invisible, though, so disclose that the area was mended rather than presenting it as undamaged.

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