Harris Tweed
Harris Tweed , English Harris Tweed , is a hand-woven form of tweed . Only tweed woven in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland may be traded under the name Harris Tweed .
definition
The Harris Tweed Act of 1993 defines Harris Tweed as follows:
"Harris Tweed is cloth that has been handwoven by the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra in their homes, using pure virgin wool that has been dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides."
"Harris Tweed is a fabric handwoven in their homes by the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra from pure new wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides."
Each Harris tweed piece of clothing bears an authenticity label that bears the Harris tweed trademark, the orb , an orb and often a serial number.
history
Tweed has been made across Scotland for centuries. With the industrial revolution , hand weaving became uneconomical and looms replaced the loom . Only in the remote Outer Hebrides, which were already known for the quality of their tweed, were manual production methods retained.
Tweed production on an industrial scale began at the end of the 19th century and is closely linked to the name of Catherine Murray, Countess of Dunmore (October 31, 1814 - February 12, 1886), who at that time began selling tweed through traders in England market. With the success more and more imitation products came onto the market, which did not achieve the high quality, but threatened to damage the reputation.
When the British Parliament passed the Trade Marks Act in 1905 , the Harris Tweed Association Ltd. was founded the following year . founded as a central marketing and control body. Harris Tweed was recognized as a registered trademark in 1910 and has had the Orb and Maltese Cross as a distinguishing mark ever since .
With the passage of the Harris Tweed Act , the previous definition of Harris Tweed became law. The previous Harris Tweed Association Ltd. became what is now the Harris Tweed Authority and oversees compliance with the law. The Harris Tweed Authority is based in Stornoway in the northern part of the island of Lewis and Harris ( Lewis ) and not in the southern part of Harris .
Harris tweed production had been declining since the late 1960s, leading to the closure of many businesses. A new loom was developed at the beginning of the 1990s. The transition from the old Hattersley looms to the newer, lighter running and twice as wide looms from Bonas-Griffith was gradual. The looms are pedal-driven, but such a product made with muscle power is considered hand-woven. The new looms are more productive and flexible; either one double panel or two single panels can be woven at the same time.
Most of the business is done through the last three remaining mills. Since around 2009 there has been a stronger demand and increasing sales of Harris Tweed.
- Harris Tweed Scotland had been owned by Brian Haggas or the John Haggas Group since 2006. This company is the only one that has a complete production line from fabric production to the finished jacket , which is sold in its own online shop and via retailers across Europe. The associated mill in Stornoway is the oldest in the Outer Hebrides and has been in existence since 1906. This company temporarily only produced four of the approximately 8,000 samples and switched to mass production, but there were massive sales difficulties and at times large excess stocks. The range of samples was later expanded and new products introduced. In September 2019 it was announced that Brian Haggas is retiring and handing over the company to the Mill manager to prevent financial exploitation of the company by "money vultures".
- Carloway Mill is an independent company producing and marketing Harris Tweed in Carloway . It is the smallest of the three mills. The company has switched to traditional production and individual fabrics according to customer requirements. A buyer has been sought since 2016.
- Harris Tweed Hebrides opened a disused mill in Shawbost in November 2007. The main owner of this company is Ian Taylor, a Scottish businessman who previously worked in the oil industry. It is the largest of the three mills.
properties
In contrast to other tweeds, Harris tweed does not dye the yarn , but the wool fleece . Not only wool from the Outer Hebrides is processed , but also purchased wool from other sources as required. There are around 30 basic colors, some of which are dyed synthetically in several processing plants, the "mills". There are three such mills involved in the production of Harris Tweed.
The dyed nonwovens are machine-cut, mixed and spun in certain proportions and produce the corresponding carded yarns during further processing . The individual yarns have a mixture of fibers in up to nine different colors. Then the yarns are handed over to the weaving mills, along with the information about the weaving patterns, where they are exclusively hand-woven. A weaver produces around 80 to 100 meters of fabric in a week. After weaving, the goods are taken to one of the mills, where the lengths are milled, washed, steamed, dried, checked for defects and stuffed if necessary. Finally, the fabric is stamped every 50 meters to clearly identify it as Harris tweed. The mills take care of the marketing of the tweeds, but the weavers can also market their products themselves and use the mills' services for a fee.
Cloths and yarns with fibers other than wool can be produced by the weavers and processed by the mills, but in these cases may not be marketed as Harris tweed. There are thousands of different tweeds and designs, and customers can also have their own exclusive yarns or tweeds made to order. The typical weaving patterns are roughly divided into Checks & Tartans , Plain, Herringbone , Houndstooth , Barleycorn and Kaona. Herringbone and Houndstooth are also available with an overcheck, i.e. an additional, superimposed, wide, discreet checked pattern in contrasting colors over the small herringbone or houndstooth pattern. Plain with an overcheck is called a window check instead, kaona are fabrics with colorful stripe patterns. The cloths are offered as single width with a width of 75 and double width with a width of 150 centimeters. Single was common until the 1990s, now double is more common.
Tweed has always served to defy the changeable Scottish weather conditions with a lot of wind and precipitation and had to be suitable for everyday use. Harris tweed has inherited these characteristics. The finished fabrics are durable, crease-free, robust and resistant, breathable, wind- and water-repellent and, because of their warming properties, are intended for outdoor clothing in cold, rough weather. Typical fabric weights are around 500 grams per square meter. Harris Tweed jackets are traditionally single-breasted. A Harris tweed jacket with a scarf can in many cases offer sufficient protection in the cold season even without a coat. Due to the various colors in the yarns, horse or animal hair is almost invisible on appropriately colored tweeds, which makes these fabrics attractive for riders, dog owners and hunters. Hunters also appreciate the adaptability of the tweeds and weave patterns to the earth tones and the colors of nature. New application possibilities arose as upholstery fabrics, for bags, shoes and accessories, where the robust quality is needed.
Harris tweed is processed in a variety of ways, both on and off the islands. In addition to the authenticity label, a piece of clothing made from Harris tweed can have other labels that provide information about the designer of the yarns and fabrics, the designer of the garment, the weaver, the tailor, the processing company or brand names. Harris Tweed often feels rough and hard right after the production process and is only "broken" through use, making the fabric softer and more comfortable again.
Harris tweed blanket
Houndstooth - Houndstooth
Herringbone - Herringbone
Herringbone
Stripe pattern - Kaona
Harris Tweed weaver at the Hattersley loom ( ca.1960 )
Official logo label
Harris Tweed with stamp
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ HTA09: The harris tweed act 1993 . ( harristweed.org [PDF]).
- ^ Harris Tweed mill given to its manager as a gift . September 2, 2019 ( bbc.com [accessed November 3, 2019]).