New Hemp Shirts

**Riverkilt** · 27th January 07, 11:21 AM

Been a lot of talk about RKilts hemp kilts..still on my list.

Got the Duluth Trading Company's new catalog yesterday and they are offering 70/30 Hemp/Cotton shirts as a new product.

I ordered one of each color (brick red, which the order lady said was sort of a burgandy??, and light blue). Think they'll go well with many tartan and solid color kilts and be cool in the summer.

Here's the website if you've an interest too.

http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/...ture=Product_1

Ron

**Dreadbelly** · 27th January 07, 12:53 PM

It should be noted that hemp and cotton is not a good blend. Allow me to explain why.

The hemp is stronger and has a higher friction value that the cotton. It acts like a saw. In the knit weave where the fibres are milled together, over time, the hemp actually wears away the softer cotton fibres, causing them to break, produce lint, and over time breaks down the structure of the weave. Cotton also shrinks more with time than hemp does, so the cotton fibres are actually pulled taut over the hemp fibres, further aiding the friction process where the hemp rubs the cotton in to disintegration.

**Riverkilt** · 27th January 07, 01:08 PM

Jeez Dread,

Is this a great board or what...?

Fool me....I ordered before posting and getting the board's expertise.

The spin doctor catalog copywriters say it all..."It (hemp) is three times stronger than cotton." Then they say hemp is similar to linen...that got me because I like linen in hot weather, even though its difficult to iron.

Then the copywriters say, "a 30% cotton blend for a very soft feel."

Guess if the hemp threads keep the cotton threads all sawed up and linting it WILL be a soft feel.

I have a lot of shirts so won't be wearing these two hemp ones every day so hopefully they won't fall apart before I get some wear out of them.

They do have the long tails Duluth Trading specializes in...so hopefully them hemp fibers won't be sawing up my backside too badly...

Live and learn...thanks Dread,

Ron

**Dreadbelly** · 27th January 07, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

Jeez Dread,

Is this a great board or what...?

Fool me....I ordered before posting and getting the board's expertise.

The spin doctor catalog copywriters say it all..."It (hemp) is three times stronger than cotton." Then they say hemp is similar to linen...that got me because I like linen in hot weather, even though its difficult to iron.

Then the copywriters say, "a 30% cotton blend for a very soft feel."

Guess if the hemp threads keep the cotton threads all sawed up and linting it WILL be a soft feel.

I have a lot of shirts so won't be wearing these two hemp ones every day so hopefully they won't fall apart before I get some wear out of them.

They do have the long tails Duluth Trading specializes in...so hopefully them hemp fibers won't be sawing up my backside too badly...

Live and learn...thanks Dread,

Ron

Oh, not to worry... The cotton will disintegrate in time... Not the hemp. The shirt will be fine.

Hemp never wears out, it only wears in. It does become softer with time, like denim. Once time has passed, hemp has an incredibly soft hand and knap to it.

Hemp is excellent for hot weather. It has one of the highest evapouration factors of any natural fibre. It breathes incredibly well. These two factors working together make hemp great for desert wear... It will wick away moisture from your body and evapourate it quickly. Any slight breeze blowing through the fabric will make you feel cooler. Also in hot weather, hemp resists bacteria better than cotton... What does this mean? It means hot funky arm pits wont smell as bad as they normally would in a cotton / cotton blended shirt. (And this goes for other hot sweaty smelly places too)

Hemp, if it is blended, blends best with wool, the wool felts over time from the friction between the two, and the fabric will only get STRONGER as time passes. I have made a number of hats and what not from hemp wool blends... Amazing things. I am also a big fan of hemp and soy silk. That particular material has damn near supernatural properties and would make for an excellent kilt material... However, it is still far to expensive... Even the smallish spools of yarn made from this stuff is obnoxious and pricey. But I am dying to work with it.