Hmmm. That is an interesting description of the cotton/linnen thing. I remember being taught by a little old lady in an antique store (back in the 1980's) that the way to tell if the linnens were real linen was to lick your finger, then touch the back side of the cloth. If it is linen it will wick the moisture to the front instantly, but other fibers (including cotton) won't do that. I have been using this trick ever since, and there really is a difference in how the linnen wicks moisture.