Editing Abacá (section)

== Uses ==
[[File:Abacá Mat.jpg|thumb|Mats made from woven abacá fibers from the [[Philippines]]]]
Due to its strength, it is a sought after product and is the strongest of the natural fibers.<ref name="wood" /> It is used by the paper industry for such specialty uses such as [[tea bags]], banknotes<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Primer on the New Generation Philippine Currency |url=http://www.bsp.gov.ph/downloads/Publications/FAQs/currencyprogram.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529033050/http://www.bsp.gov.ph/downloads/Publications/FAQs/currencyprogram.pdf |archive-date=May 29, 2019 |access-date=July 12, 2019 |website=Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas |page=7}}</ref> and decorative papers.<ref name="wood" /> It can be used to make handcrafts such as hats,<ref>{{cite web |title=All About Sinamay |url=http://www.torbandreiner.com/MillineryMaterials/sinamay |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120063235/http://www.torbandreiner.com/MillineryMaterials/sinamay |archive-date=January 20, 2020 |publisher=Torb & Reiner}}</ref> bags, carpets, clothing and furniture.

Lupis is the finest quality of abacá.<ref name="bab1">{{harvnb|Gove|1976|p=1347}}</ref> Sinamay is woven chiefly from abacá.<ref name="bab2">{{harvnb|Gove|1976a|p=2122}}</ref>

===Textiles===
{{See also|Barong tagalog}}
[[File:USAID Measuring Impact Conservation Enterprise Retrospective (Philippines; Kalahan Educational Foundation) (40246611432).jpg|thumb|The traditional ''[[t'nalak]]'' cloth of the [[T'boli people|T'boli]] dreamweavers are made from abacá fibers]]
[[File:T'nalak weaver at Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.jpg|thumb|A [[T'boli people|T'boli]] dreamweaver using a traditional loom]] 
Abacá fibers were traditionally woven into sturdy textiles and clothing in the Philippines since pre-colonial times. Along with [[cotton]], they were the main source of textile fibers used for clothing in the pre-colonial Philippines. Abacá cloth was often compared to [[calico]] in terms of texture and was a major trade commodity in the [[Maritime Silk Road|pre-colonial maritime trade]] and the [[Spanish colonial era of the Philippines|Spanish colonial era]].<ref name="Craig">{{cite book |last1=Craig |first1=Austin |last2=Benitez |first2=Conrado |title=Philippine Progress Prior to 1898: A Source Book of Philippine History to Supply a Fairer View of Filipino Participation and Supplement the Defective Spanish Accounts |date=1916 |publisher=Philippine Education Co., Inc. |location=Manila}}</ref><ref name="Ocampo">{{cite news |last1=Ocampo |first1=Keith R. |title=Demand rises for PH abaca as raw material for PPE |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1272482/demand-rises-for-ph-abaca-as-raw-material-for-ppe |access-date=30 May 2023 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=10 May 2020}}</ref> There are multiple traditional types and names of abaca cloth among the different [[ethnic groups of the Philippines]]. Undyed plain abacá cloth, woven from fine fibers of abaca, is generally known as ''sinamáy'' in most of the islands. Abacá cloth with a more delicate texture is called ''tinampipi''. While especially fine lace-like abacá cloth is called ''nipis'' or ''lupis''. Fine abacá fibers may also be woven with ''[[piña]]'', [[silk]], or fine cotton to create a fabric called ''jusi''.<ref name="hendrickx"/>

Traditional abacá textiles were often dyed in various colors from various [[natural dye]]s. These include blue from [[indigo plant|indigo]] (''tarum'', ''dagum'', ''tayum'', etc.); black from [[Diospyros ferrea|ebony]] (''knalum'' or ''batulinao'') leaves; red from [[Morinda citrifolia|noni]] roots and ''[[Biancaea sappan|sapang]]''; yellow from [[turmeric]] (''kalawag'', ''kuning'', etc.);  and so on. They were often woven into specific patterns, and further ornamented with embroidery, beadwork, and other decorations.<ref name="Palasi">{{cite web |last1=Palasi |first1=Kat |title=Philippine Natural Dyes: A Short Overview |url=https://www.habiphilippinetextilecouncil.com/blogs/what-we-do/philippine-natural-dyes-a-short-overview |website=HABI: The Philippine Textile Council |access-date=31 May 2023}}</ref><ref name="hendrickx"/> Most clothing made from abacá took the form of the ''baro'' (also ''barú'' or ''bayú'', literally "shirt" or "clothing"), a simple collar-less shirt or jacket with close-fitting long sleeves worn by both men and women in most ethnic groups in the [[History of the Philippines (900–1521)|pre-colonial Philippines]]. These were paired with wraparound sarong-like skirts (for both men and women), close-fitting pants, or loincloths (''[[Bahag (garment)|bahag]]'').<ref name="hendrickx"/><ref name="Coo 2014">{{Cite thesis |last=Coo |first=Stéphanie Marie R. |title=Clothing and the Colonial Culture of Appearances in Nineteenth Century Spanish Philippines (1820–1896) |date=2014 |degree=PhD |publisher=Université Nice Sophia Antipolis |url=https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01126974/document}}</ref><ref name="Ramos 2016">{{Cite thesis |last=Ramos |first=Marlene Flores |title=The Filipina ''Bordadoras'' and the Emergence of Fine European-Style Embroidery Tradition in Colonial Philippines, 19th to early-20th Centuries |date=2016 |degree=MA |publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University |hdl=10587/1788 |hdl-access=free |s2cid=194439772}}</ref>

During the [[Spanish colonial era of the Philippines|Spanish colonial era]], abacá cloth became known as '''medriñaque''' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] (apparently derived from a native [[Cebuano language|Cebuano]] name). They were exported to other Spanish colonies since the 16th century. A [[waistcoat]] of a native [[Quechua people|Quechua]] man in [[Peru]] was recorded as being made of medriñaque as early as 1584. Abacá cloth also appear in English records, spelled variously as '''medrinacks''', '''medrianacks''', '''medrianackes''', and '''medrinacles''', among other names. They were used as [[canvas]] for sails and for stiffening clothing like skirts, collars, and [[Doublet (clothing)|doublet]]s.<ref name="hendrickx"/><ref name="Craig"/><ref name="Castro-Baker">{{cite book |last1=Castro-Baker |first1=Sandra |title=Textiles in the Philippine Landscape: A Lexicon and Historical Survey |date=2018 |publisher=Ateneo De Manila University Press |isbn=9789715508957}}</ref>

Philippine indigenous tribes still weave abacá-based textiles like ''[[t'nalak]]'', made by the [[Tboli people|Tiboli]] tribe of [[South Cotabato]], and ''dagmay'', made by the [[Bagobo]] people.<ref>{{cite web |title=Philippine Basketry of the Luzon Cordillera {{pipe}} www.flysfo.cn |url=https://www.flysfo.com/museum/exhibitions/philippine-basketry-luzon-cordillera |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930085352/http://www.flysfo.com/museum/exhibitions/philippine-basketry-luzon-cordillera |archive-date=September 30, 2017 |access-date=June 17, 2019 |publisher=Flysfo.com |language=zh}}</ref> Abacá cloth is found in museum collections around the world, like the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Textile Museum of Canada.<ref name="acl"/>

The inner fibers are also used in the making of hats, including the "Manila hats", hammocks, matting, [[cordage (rope)|cordage]], ropes, coarse twines, and types of canvas.<ref name="acl">{{cite web |title=Abaca cloth |url=http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/abaca-cloth-73450 |access-date=September 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Textile Museum of Canada Collection and Exhibitions {{!}} Textile Museum of Canada Collection and Exhibitions |url=http://collections.textilemuseum.ca/index.cfm?page=collection.browse&sub=Yarn,_Fabric_and_Fabric_Finishing_Material&cat=ArtifactType&id=668 |access-date=September 1, 2015 |website=collections.textilemuseum.ca}}</ref>

=== Industrial textile production ===

==== Processing ====
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:30-QWSTION-BANANATEX-FIBER-PULP-SHEETS-LAUSCHSICHT.jpg|alt=1. The raw fibres are tied with rope and shipped to Mindanao, Philippines, where they are boiled and pressed into cardboard like sheets which are then shipped to Taiwan.|'''1.''' The raw fibres are tied with rope and shipped to a factory, where they are boiled and pressed into cardboard like sheets.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BANANATEX®|url=https://www.bananatex.info/index.html#manufacturing|access-date=2021-07-12|website=www.bananatex.info}}</ref>
File:31-QWSTION-BANANATEX-PAPER-MAKING.jpg|'''2.''' The abacá fibre sheets are then soaked in water.
File:32-QWSTION-BANANATEX-ABACA-PAPER-LAUSCHSICHT.jpg|'''3.''' They are then made into paper which are then cut into strips.
File:34-QWSTION-BANANATEX-YARN-SPINNING.jpg|'''4.''' The paper strips are then spun into yarn.
</gallery>

===== Dyeing and weaving =====
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:36-1-QWSTION-BANANATEX-YARN-DYEING-2.jpg|alt=1. The natural white yarn is sent to Qwstion's dyeing and weaving partner in Tainan, Taiwan. They colour the yarn using the yarn dyeing method which is more sustainable than the roll dyeing alternative and certified OekoTex® Standard 100, the highest standard.|'''1.''' The natural white yarn is then coloured using the yarn dyeing method which is more sustainable than the roll dyeing alternative.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Eliminating silo thinking and the word 'waste', plus a tip from Jimi Hendrix|url=https://www.innovationintextiles.com/interviews/|access-date=2021-07-12|website=www.innovationintextiles.com}}</ref>
File:40-QWSTION-BANANATEX-WARPING-LAUSCHSICHT.jpg|'''2.''' The warp yarns are then prepared for weaving.
File:38-QWSTION-BANANATEX-WEAVING-3-LAUSCHSICHT.jpg|'''3.''' The yarn is then woven at extra high density.
File:48-QWSTION-BANANATEX-LOOM-LAUSCHSICHT.jpg|Weaving looms processing the fabric.
File:49-QWSTION-BANANATEX-FABRIC.jpg|'''4.''' The finished Manila hemp fabric, a natural beeswax coating is added to make the fabric waterproof. This particular fabric is manufactured by the Swiss company QWSTION.
</gallery>

=== Manila rope ===
{{see also|Fiber rope}}
[[File:Manila rope is examined for defects, Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York, 1941 (26336043982).jpg|right|thumb|Manila hawser is examined for defects at Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York, circa 1941]]
Manila rope is a type of [[rope]] made from manila hemp. Manila rope is very durable, flexible, and resistant to [[Seawater|salt water]] damage, allowing its use in rope, [[hawser]]s, ships' lines, and [[fishing net]]s.<ref name="eb" /> A {{convert|1|in|cm}} rope can require {{convert|4|MT|lb}} to break.<ref name="Colliers" /> Manilla rope is still the only material specified for lifeboat falls (the ropes with which a ship's lifeboat is lowered) in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |title=NATURAL & SYNTHETIC FIBRE CORDAGE FOR LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fbce3d58fa8f559e77576e0/MGN_106__M+F_.pdf |publisher=Marine and Coastguard Agency |access-date=9 July 2024}}</ref>

Manila ropes shrink when they become wet.  This effect can be advantageous under certain circumstances, but if it is not a wanted feature, it should be well taken into account.  Since shrinkage is more pronounced the first time the rope becomes wet, new rope is usually immersed into water and put to dry before use so that the shrinkage is less than it would be if the rope had never been wet.  A major disadvantage in this shrinkage is that many knots made with manila rope became harder and more difficult to untie when wet, thus becoming subject of increased stress. Manila rope will rot after a period of time when exposed to saltwater.

Manila hemp rope was previously the favoured variety of rope used for executions by hanging, both in the U.K. and USA. Usually 3/4 to 1 inch diameter, boiled prior to use to take out any overelasticity.  It was also used in the 19th century as whaling line.<ref name="hm">[[Moby-Dick]], 1851, [[Herman Melville]]</ref> Abacá fiber was once used primarily for rope, but this application is now of minor significance.