|
|
|
I
was hanging out looking for information on my Sheldon ancestors and
came across your page with the photos of the Bartz family and a flax
brake. How lucky you are to have a family artifact.
The whole process is a little more complicated than just separating the flax so it can be woven into cloth. The flax plant was sown in early spring and pulled out after about 100 days. It was left in the field to dry (like hay) and then the process of separating the fibers from the rest of the plant began. First the dried flax had to be retted. Retting is a rotting process that separates the spinnable fibers from the rest of the plant. This could take anywhere from a week submerged in water to six weeks using dew. If the retting process was not stopped at the right time, the crop would be ruined. After the flax was dried again, it was broken in the break. The break (and just as often spelled brake) helped remove the inner core of the flax plant by breaking it into smaller sections from it's original three-foot length. The next process was called scutching where a wooden knife was used to scrape the broken flax to remove the core. Then hatcheling or hackling or hetcheling where the fiber was combed to separate the shorter tow fibers from the long line fibers. Those long fibers are then spun and woven into your fabrics like tablecloths and dresses and such. The shorter tow fibers were used for such items as sacks and men's work pants. Since the processing of the flax from seed to fabric was dependent on the weather and time available, it was not unusual for the entire process to take three years. Also, the process could stop just after a minimal combing and the flax stored in a dry area. Some old timers believed that letting the flax dry longer would make a finer thread when spun. The flax could also be used as a cash crop and be sold to make linen paper. If your brake ever wants to find a new home, just let me know. Elizabeth Love
|
