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Hemp - crafts
The word 'canvas' is derived from the word 'cannabis', reflecting the use of hemp throughout history as a fibre crop for textiles, rope and paper. Special varieties have been developed around the world for their tough fibres, which generally look like linen when processed into fabric. Sailcloth, sacking and ropes were very important hemp products, particularly in Europe during the 1500s and 1600s.
Fibres
Despite its importance in Europe, hemp was not widely used as a fibre in South Asia, where it was cultivated more for its narcotic properties. In 1841 William Robinson noted that Cannabis sativa was used only as a drug by the hill tribes of Assam and its use as a fibre was unknown. But there are a few cases where hemp fibre has been used elsewhere in South Asia.The story of hemp products in South Asia is confusing because the word 'hemp' is used for many fibre-bearing plants. 'Indian hemp' comes from a species called Hibiscus cannabinus, 'ramie' or 'rhea' from the plant Boehmeria nivea, and 'sunn hemp' from Crotalaria juncea. These hemp fibres were used in a range of products from fishing nets to paper, textiles and cordage.
True hemp wasn't really used as a fibre in South Asia, except in a few cases. Rope was manufactured in Kashmir using hemp, and scraps of hemp textile were produced in India for paper making. These days most of the world's paper is manufactured from wood pulp, but in the past different regions exploited different plant fibres for paper making.
The Chinese first developed hemp varieties to make paper and today it is still the preferred material for official Chinese documents because it is water resistant and tough. In the north of India, Muslim papermakers, known as khazgi, use a variety of materials to make paper including sunn hemp.
Nowadays true hemp fibre is used in various parts of the world to make art paper, filter paper, money and tea bags. The seed oil is used in lamps and to make paint, varnish and soap. Both the seeds and stalks can be used as a fuel. Hemp is considered to have enormous potential as an industrial crop for a wide range of uses. One of the more surprising uses for hemp was in the USA in 1941. Henry Ford made a trial car body using 70% hemp, wheat straw and sisal, and 30% hemp resin binder with a steel frame. The car weighed one third less than conventional cars of that period and was ten times stronger.
True hemp wasn't really used as a fibre in South Asia, except in a few cases. Rope was manufactured in Kashmir using hemp, and scraps of hemp textile were produced in India for paper making. These days most of the world's paper is manufactured from wood pulp, but in the past different regions exploited different plant fibres for paper making.
The Chinese first developed hemp varieties to make paper and today it is still the preferred material for official Chinese documents because it is water resistant and tough. In the north of India, Muslim papermakers, known as khazgi, use a variety of materials to make paper including sunn hemp.
Nowadays true hemp fibre is used in various parts of the world to make art paper, filter paper, money and tea bags. The seed oil is used in lamps and to make paint, varnish and soap. Both the seeds and stalks can be used as a fuel. Hemp is considered to have enormous potential as an industrial crop for a wide range of uses. One of the more surprising uses for hemp was in the USA in 1941. Henry Ford made a trial car body using 70% hemp, wheat straw and sisal, and 30% hemp resin binder with a steel frame. The car weighed one third less than conventional cars of that period and was ten times stronger.
