Heckling (flax)
Encyclopedia
Heckling splits and straightens the flax
fibers, as well as removing the fibrous core and impurities from flax. Heckling is done with heckling comb
s by pulling the flax through the combs. This parts the locked fibers and makes them straight, clean, and ready to spin
. After heckling, the flax is ready to spin
. After spinning, the flax is then suitable for weaving
into linen
.
Heckling is the last of three steps in dressing flax, or preparing the fibers to be spun
. Dressing consists of three steps: breaking, scutching
, and heckling. The breaking breaks up the straw, then some of the straw is scraped from the fibers in the scutching process, then the fiber is pulled through heckles to remove the last bits of straw.
The process of heckling involves pulling the flax through several different sized heckling combs, progressing from coarser combs with only a few prongs or nails per inch, to finer combs with more nails per inch. Generally around three heckling combs are used, although many more can be used. The finer the final heckling comb, the finer the yarn spun from that flax can be. An example of a progression of five combs is first using a heckling comb with 4 nails per square inch, then one with 12 per inch, then 25, next 48, and finally 80 nails per inch. The first three remove the straw, and the last two split and polish the fibers. The finer, shorter fibers that come off in the last hackles is called tow
. Tow can be carded
like wool and spun
, or spun like the other flax fibers. Tow produces a coarser yarn than the fibers pulled through the heckles because it will still have some straw in it. While this yarn is not suitable for fine linens, it can be used for bagging, rough sheets, cords or ropes.
The term "heckle" is thought to be derived from Old English, with Middle English forms hechele, hetchell (c1300), hekele (c1440), hakell (1485), and later hatchel. The terms "heckle" and "hackel" are used interchangeably at present.
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
fibers, as well as removing the fibrous core and impurities from flax. Heckling is done with heckling comb
Heckling comb
Heckling combs are used to remove the fibrous core and impurities from flax. A heckling comb, or heckle is a bed of iron, steel or brass "nails"- sharp, long, tapered, tempered, polished pins driven into wooden blocks at regular spacing. In the heckling process the flax is drawn through the nails,...
s by pulling the flax through the combs. This parts the locked fibers and makes them straight, clean, and ready to spin
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
. After heckling, the flax is ready to spin
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
. After spinning, the flax is then suitable for weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
into linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
.
Heckling is the last of three steps in dressing flax, or preparing the fibers to be spun
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
. Dressing consists of three steps: breaking, scutching
Scutching
Scutching is a step in the dressing of flax in preparation for spinning. The scutching process is the first attempt to remove the straw and woody stem from the flax fibers. The flax fibers that are spun are inside the woody stalk, so to obtain the fibers the stalk must be removed. Scutching can be...
, and heckling. The breaking breaks up the straw, then some of the straw is scraped from the fibers in the scutching process, then the fiber is pulled through heckles to remove the last bits of straw.
The process of heckling involves pulling the flax through several different sized heckling combs, progressing from coarser combs with only a few prongs or nails per inch, to finer combs with more nails per inch. Generally around three heckling combs are used, although many more can be used. The finer the final heckling comb, the finer the yarn spun from that flax can be. An example of a progression of five combs is first using a heckling comb with 4 nails per square inch, then one with 12 per inch, then 25, next 48, and finally 80 nails per inch. The first three remove the straw, and the last two split and polish the fibers. The finer, shorter fibers that come off in the last hackles is called tow
Tow
In the composites industry, a tow is an untwisted bundle of continuous filaments, and it refers to man-made fibres, particularly carbon fibres ....
. Tow can be carded
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
like wool and spun
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
, or spun like the other flax fibers. Tow produces a coarser yarn than the fibers pulled through the heckles because it will still have some straw in it. While this yarn is not suitable for fine linens, it can be used for bagging, rough sheets, cords or ropes.
The term "heckle" is thought to be derived from Old English, with Middle English forms hechele, hetchell (c1300), hekele (c1440), hakell (1485), and later hatchel. The terms "heckle" and "hackel" are used interchangeably at present.
See also
- Hand processing flax
- Heckling combHeckling combHeckling combs are used to remove the fibrous core and impurities from flax. A heckling comb, or heckle is a bed of iron, steel or brass "nails"- sharp, long, tapered, tempered, polished pins driven into wooden blocks at regular spacing. In the heckling process the flax is drawn through the nails,...
- Linen production