What Is Abaca Fabric? (Price and Where To Buy Abaca Fabric)
While everyone is aware of natural fibers like cotton, bamboo, linen, silk, and wool, other fabrics are made from natural fibers found in exotic and tropical regions of the world. These fibers are as good as the well-known ones.
What is abaca fabric? Abaca comes from a fiber made from the abaca plant which is native to the Philippines and some areas of Indonesia. These fibers are best used for tea bags and paper because they are very porous. They are also very durable and can be made into denim.
To learn more about the abaca plant and its uses, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know in order to use this fabric to its fullest potential. Take a minute or two and find out about this great plant and fabric.
What is Abaca Fabric?
This is a tropical fabric as it is made from fibers taken from the abaca plant which is grown in the South East Asian tropics It is a very stout material with high tensile strength. So strong that it can be used to create denim.
Once the fibers are turned into this fabric, the material remains very flexible and allows you to shape it into almost any design you can think of. With no odor to tickle your sensitive nose, this is an easy fabric to work with and as a lightweight material, you should be able to maneuver it at will.
This fabric is very bio-degradable and has an eco-friendly nature about it. Plus, it resists salt water so you can use it in the ocean if you need to. The color of this fabric seems to be limited to a light beige which is still attractive.
Abaca Fabric Place of Origin
Not all good natural fibers come from well-known places like America, Europe, New Zealand, or even China. There are smaller countries of the world that have exotic plants that can easily be turned into great fabrics.
This is the case for the abaca fabric. Its native land is the Philippines and it can be used for making rope because of its strength. Then it can also be found in cultivated areas of East Indonesia but its main native land is the Philippines.
Other countries may be cultivating this plant for commercial use as it was a top export of the Philippines for over 3 centuries and before the invention of synthetic materials.
The fibers can grow to about 3 meters in length but retrieving those fibers is very labor-intensive. The effort to retrieve these fibers is worth it because the fabric is very versatile as well as being high in quality.
Silk Abaca Fabric Clothes
This plant is related to the banana family of plants. The fruit of this plant looks like a banana but it is filled with seeds inside. When the fibers of this plant are combined with silk, you get a fabric that is luxurious to the touch but not as delicate as 100% silk clothing would be.
The combination of the two fibers is turned into sarees, kimonos, tablecloths and this blend allows for some great looking curves as it can be twisted and shaped into almost any design.
The good news is that abaca silk can be dyed without harming the material. There is a unique look that comes when you use this material especially when you turn it into a hat. The sheen is what sets it apart from other materials.
Some beautiful deep, rich colors are part of this blend of fibers which will provide you with a level of sophistication you may not have achieved with other materials.
Abaca Fabric Price and Suppliers
There are lots of wholesale suppliers if you really want to deal with this fabric. Unfortunately, the prices are only given upon request and you would have to contact most of the different wholesalers to get the cost. Keep in mind those costs are based on large wholesale orders.
The silk abaca is running at $23.50 per yard and that may be Australian dollars as the company selling the material has an Australian URL. Alibaba will connect you with different suppliers but again you are looking at a wholesale price of $1 to 3 per roll with a minimum order of 6000 rolls.
Etsy had some material for $7.75 and you would need to check your local stores to see what they offer the material at. They may carry it and they may not as even abaca denim can be fairly costly to keep in stock.
Where Can I Buy Abaca Fabric by the Yard?
This may be a bit difficult to do as Amazon has carried the material but is currently out of stock. hen they do carry it, you are looking at prices of about $23 for a 10-yard roll. One website recommended fabric.com and they may do so but we could not confirm as so many other stores popped up before them.
Another place to look would be Etsy as they seem to carry this material by the yard and their price is almost $30 for some selections. If you are looking to make hats out of this material, you can try the different online hat material suppliers. One location has it on sale for $40 down from $50 per yard.
Some Final Words
Going to the tropics to get some durable fabrics is not going to be a waste of time. The abaca plant produces some very strong fibers and is strong enough to rival cotton denim for jeans.
It is made into paper and rumor has it the Philippine government uses this paper to make its money. The same goes for Japan as this fabric is durable and lasts a long time. That means your clothing should last longer as well when made from this material.
