Misconceptions about silk?

[Tibbie Croser]

On several SCA rapier Internet lists, I've seen posters discouraging the use of silk for rapier garb on the grounds that silk allegedly breaks down quickly from perspiration, sunlight, etc., and that it traps heat. Is any of this true, or is it a misconception perhaps based on the behavior of thin, cheap modern silks?

[Maeryk]

On several SCA rapier Internet lists, I've seen posters discouraging the use of silk for rapier garb on the grounds that silk allegedly breaks down quickly from perspiration, sunlight, etc., and that it traps heat. Is any of this true, or is it a misconception perhaps based on the behavior of thin, cheap modern silks?

Thin cheap modern silks, and people not caring for it right. Want your silk to look like a fishnet? Bleach it in the wash.

It's _hard_ to get a "good" silk.. usually what you find is either that sateen crap, or slubby nasty badly woven "raw silk". You can get good, decent silk, but it's usually expensive.

[Black Swan Designs]

As a fibre, silk breaks down from contact with perspiration and sunlight. Perspiration contains salts that can damage fabrics, especially silk. Perspiration is acidic and turns alkaline on exposure to the atmosphere. This can cause the fabric to change colour and may disintegrate and weaken it.

If you want to see an example of what perspiration will do to silk, go to any museum that has a research collection of clothes. Have a look at the clothing and you will notice most of them have the underarms eaten away. If they've been hanging, they will probably have breaks everywhere the fabric was folded.

This is perspiration damage in an 18th-century silk open-robe from the collection of the Dugald Costume Museum, Dugald, Manitoba


Silk is incredibly strong, but it is fragile.

Gwen

[James B.]

Gwen's post it dead on but what you have to ask yourself is over the life span of a fighting garment will this be a problem to worry about.

Medieval people made arming garments with silk all the time but then again they were rich and kept up with ever changing fashion.

[Young Knight]

Also they would be lined by something else, wouldn't they?

[Thomas Powers]

Weighting silks with metallic salts to make them feel "heavier" also makes them more prone to damage.

Keep unweighted silks out of the light---like bury them in a grave and they will still be around 1000 years later.

Note also that noil silk would not be a common version as reeled silk!

Thomas

[Derian le Breton]

It's _hard_ to get a "good" silk.. usually what you find is either that sateen crap, or slubby nasty badly woven "raw silk". You can get good, decent silk, but it's usually expensive.

Not here. There are scores of quality silk merchants in and around Vancouver, BC. Many SCA folk take an extra trip into town whenever they go to an event up there; we did on our most recent trip over the border for 12th night.

I wouldn't call it "cheap," but it's certainly less expensive and higher quality than you'll get if you only have a handful of fabric stores nearby.

-Donasian.

[Strongbow]

I get silk from these guys:

Dharma Trading Company

They also carry some very nice hemp canvas, and some linen too (but there are better sources for linen).

[Amanda M]

I order silk online from Dharma Trading all the time and their prices are very reasonable. I will second the recommendation to buy from them. *thumbs up* If you're just making an undergarment for fencing, you're not going to spend a whole ton and I can vouch for it being totally worth it. I wear a short sleeved silk t shirt that I made under my garb and it's far more comfortable than packing on layers of fabric.

[Derian le Breton]

Yeah, Dharma trading is a good company. One of the best places to buy from if you don't mind seeing the fabric in person first (they might do samples though, I'm not sure.)

-Donasian.

[Strongbow]

They will do samples if you ask. I wanted a sample of the hemp cavas before splashing out on it, and they happily provided it.

[Tibbie Croser]

Isabella, how does your silk tee handle sweat and being washed?

[Amanda M]

So far it's holding up well. I probably don't sweat as much as some, and I can't fight regularly due to a lack of any fighters in my area but I always hang it up to dry when I'm done with it so it doesn't sit around while damp. I just wash it by hand and hang it up to dry.