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Abaca


abaca

… you must have sometimes wondered what the connection between Manila and Envelope was all about!

Well the answer is abaca. Abaca (Musa Textilis) is a tree like herb resembling the banana in appearance, except for the distinguishing marks in its leaves, trunk, color, formation and the shape of its fruit and heart. The leaves are upright, pointed, tapering and narrower. Its trunk is smaller than that of the banana plant.

abaca handbags

Its application includes cordage (known worldwide as Manila Hemp), twine, ropes used in ships rigging and other marine cables, pulp and specialty paper used in making Manila Envelopes. It is one of the most favorite indigenous fibers of the Philippines.

Another attractive use of abaca is in fiber craft. Abaca's strength, texture and iridescent qualities make it an excellent material for creating beautiful home and fashion accessories. You can dye it in just about any color, and best of all it is a sustainable plant material that you can harvest in 18 to 24 months.

Here are some of the derivative materials of abaca:


Balacbac or Balakbak

A dried outer leaf sheath of abaca. It is skinny on the upper side of the leaf but soft and fleshy on the other side. It has low tensile strength and not susceptible to penetrations of different colorants.


Lupis

Fiber drawn from the third to fourth layer of abaca and bigger compared to fine abaca. It is brownish in nature. It is skinny on the other part of the stripped fiber.


Fine Abaca

Fine fiber drawn from the inner part of abaca tree. It is whiter in color and soft to touch compared to lupis. It has very high tensile strength. Widely known as Manila Hemp and considered as the world's best cordage material because of its durability and resistance to salt decomposition.