It is strong, durable, and resists rotting in damp climates. It is
one of the few textiles that has a greater breaking strength wet than
dry. It has a long "staple" (individual strand length) relative to
cotton and other natural fibers.
Production History of Linen
- Up until the 1950's or so the finest linen yarn was made in Scotland, Ireland, and Belgium. The climates of these locations were ideal for natural processing methods called "retting". As years went by many of the finest factories in those areas closed, and most linen is currently made in China.
Uses of Linen
- Linen is also used for cloth, canvases, sails, tents, and paper. Due to its one-time common use to make fine fabric, "linens" became the generic term for sheets and pillowcases, although these are now often made of cotton or synthetic fibers