{"id":75100,"date":"2017-07-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhgshop.it\/flax-tough-fiber-from-a-delicate-flower\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T12:41:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:41:12","slug":"flax-tough-fiber-from-a-delicate-flower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dhgshop.performize.io\/en\/flax-tough-fiber-from-a-delicate-flower\/","title":{"rendered":"Flax: tough fiber from a delicate flower"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today we are going to talk about flax, <\/span><\/b>a fiber which has been used for textile production since ancient times. In fact, proof of flax plantations and linen fabrics are widely present even in Egyptian tombs. Indeed, the Egyptians saw the fiber as a symbol of purity<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>

Flax flowers<\/span><\/b><\/p>


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Flax from A to Z<\/h2>

Flax can grow as tall as one meter. Its leaves have an <\/span>oblong spear shape<\/span><\/b>, and its flowers have five petals and a capsule fruit.<\/span>
It is present all over the world, but it has different features depending on the area where it is grown — for example, cultivation in <\/span>cold areas <\/span><\/b>yields a <\/span>thinner fiber<\/span><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

The fiber is harvested after the flowering, when the fruit is ripening. In order to get very fine fibers, the harvest is done when the stem is still green and the fruit has just formed. From this kind of harvest the precious <\/span>blue flax <\/span><\/b>is obtained. It is a fine, soft, but not very robust fiber.<\/span>
To obtain a more robust fiber, instead, the flax is harvested when the capsule has turned light yellowish and the stem is yellow.<\/span>
For an even tougher, but rather ordinary, fiber, the flax is harvested when the capsule has turned brown and the stem is dark yellow.<\/span><\/p>

The flax is harvested by uprooting the plant, as cutting it would make the fiber shorter. Once harvested, the stems are bundled up and dried. Then, the seeds are removed and then the fibers are put to <\/span>macerate<\/span><\/b> in order to eliminate the pectin which keeps the wooden part stuck to the fiber.<\/span><\/p>

Raw Flax tops<\/span><\/b><\/p>

Morphology and characteristics<\/h3>

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Depending on where it comes from and the methods used to macerate it, flax can be <\/span>white<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>yellowish <\/span><\/b>or <\/span>grey<\/span><\/b>. The <\/span>best variety <\/span><\/b>is white-grey, <\/span>very shiny, very tough and soft to the touch<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>
Raw flax comes in long threads, between 20 and 100 cm, and formed by fiber bundles. The size of Individual fibers can vary significantly, from 6 to 50 mm.<\/span>
Flax is the most resistant vegetable fiber. <\/span><\/b>As with <\/span>cotton<\/span><\/b><\/a> and <\/span>hemp<\/span><\/b><\/a>, the fiber is tougher when wet.<\/span><\/p>

Classification<\/h3>

Linen are <\/span>classified according to thickness of the fibers<\/span><\/b>:<\/span><\/p>