confused by burn test

[velvetpinvintage]

I have this skirt that feels and looks like nylon. I did the burn test but according to vfg burn chart it might not be. Is there another way to figure it out?
The sample had very strong smell of burning hair. However it did not burn with a bead like silk supposed to....it did exstinguished itself thou. But a sample of nylon from 50s dress did burn and not self extinguished and did not have that smell...
Oh so confused.

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

If the fabric burned with a strong smell of burning hair, there is probably silk in there. It may be a blend or it may be all silk. Personally, I have performed a burn test on hundreds of different silk textiles ranging from 19th century to modern over the past 30 years and I do not always get a bead, soft or otherwise. Sometimes I just get a soft gray ash or dark black line of ash. Sometimes I get a thin crispy ash. I also think the term that Dritzy chart uses of "soft bead" may mean that it crumbles easily, not that it feels soft or pliable. I am not sure what they mean by "soft" as I don't recall getting any soft feeling beads when burning silk. The terms in that Dritzy chart seem a bit vague to me. Linen does not smell like burning grass to me at all, but they say it does. I also use a simple drop water test to tell cotton from linen, as they smell a lot alike when burning.

Actually, I just looked for the first time at that chart after reading your post. My feeling is that the chart is a guideline, and over time you will get to know better from your own experience. At least that's what I feel.