Canvassing Opinion
Did you know that a ship’s canvas sails used to be made out of flax? Long before the advent of polyester and its sister materials the wind power of old was harnessed by this old fashioned plant, which used to be a staple crop in Scotland. Now with the world focused on trimming carbon footprints and changing our ways the crop is getting a reboot, it’s now Flax 2.0.
Flax is used to make linen and canvas and as near as 100 years ago it was all the rage for Scottish farmers, but with the death of sail and the move to manmade fibres the crop fell into decline. But the knowledge of climate change has tilted the tables in favour of this lovely natural material and it is being rediscovered by fashionistas everywhere. Top fashion houses are now demanding this desirable Scottish fibre. Unfortunately the native varieties of flax were lost with the move away from farming the crop, but growers have been able to source alternatives from around the world.
These alternatives are being trialled by Scottish farmers to see if this potentially valuable crop can once again be grown in our wet, but warming national climate. This would be a boost to the local economy and help us to get back to nature, because the world’s fashion industry is said to account for a monster 10% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Manmade fibres are usually oil based and made from up from fossil fuels whereas flax is a tough natural material. To produce it the fibre has to go through intense processing until we get a fine hair-like fibre which can be then spun into thread.
If we look to a future where clothing lasts, you can’t get much better than linen, which is extremely durable and which will last longer than your cheapjack cotton or polyester clothing. It takes a might of looking after though, unlike Flax itself which grows like a weed no matter what. Most of the world’s flax is grown in France and the Netherlands, but it is a definite opportunity for Scots farmers to make a few bob and look after the land.
Now if you too are going with the natural flow and want a product that both harks back to the past and yet will last into the far future then take a gander at this. The Barley Twist Flower of Scotland Whisky Dram in a sensational gift box by Royal Scot Crystal. These are exquisite barley twist whisky glasses. We have faithfully made a reproduction of a mid 18th century glass and each glass is mouth blown with twists in the stem that are created by skilled glass makers when the material is molten. Like linen they share a link with our past and show the way to the future. And just because we are nice folks we’ve got them on at half-price for the moment.
