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Abaca Fibre: Leaf Sheaths Tuxied and Hand-Stripped
Abaca, Manila hemp, is the fibre in the leaf sheaths of Musa textilis, a banana relative from the Philippines; it makes Manila rope, coarse twine and strong papers. Cut the stalk after flowering, peel the outer sheath layers away (tuxying), strip the fibre by hand with a knife and dry it in the sun.
The picture: pulling abaca strips under a knife at the harvest site.
Beginner
Two days
Instructions
1
1
Cut the stalk
Cut the stalk
After the plant has flowered and before fruit forms, cut the stalk near the ground and take off the leaves.
Materials for this step:
Mature Abaca Stalk (18-24 months old)60 kgTools needed:
Bolo
Leather Work Gloves2
2
Tuxy
Tuxy
Loosen the leaf sheaths one by one and peel the outer, fibre-bearing layer (the tuxy) away from the soft inner layer.
Tools needed:
Kitchen Knife3
3
Strip
Strip
Lay each tuxy on a board, press a knife down on it and pull the strip through under the blade, scraping the pulp away and leaving the fibre.
Tools needed:
Kitchen Knife
Hardwood BlockLeather Work Gloves4
4
Dry and bundle
Dry and bundle
Hang the fibre on a rack in the sun until dry, then tie it in bundles and weigh it.
Tools needed:
Bamboo Drying Rack
Cordage
Balance Scale5
5
Fibre from your stalks
Fibre from your stalks
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Materials
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Tools Required
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