Tow, where get it

[joeboleo1]

After communicating with a fellow forum member, I have decided to try using worm and tow to clean. After checking the internet with little luck --- can anyone point me to a supplier of tow? Thank you.

 

[necchi]

Dixie Gun works has it.
Really nice stuff is used for spinning wheels making thread.
Use the words Flax Tow when searching.

 

[freekforge]

smiling fox has it

 

[jbwilliams3]

Yeah, Smiling Fox Forge has it. Godwin has tow and sells it in bulk as well as in smaller quantities. There's a woman named Susan on the Frontierfolk forum who makes it and it apparently very good stuff as well. You might want to create a user name for that forum, if you don’t have one, and ask around for her info to get her prices- you might get more bang for your buck that way- but I could be wrong. The one-pound bulk price for Godwin’s is $31. That’s a lot of tow, but that also seems expensive to me. I don’t know.

 

[LRB]

Susan Wallace/Silver Shuttle.

 

[ohio ramrod]

A very cheap (like free) substitute for tow. Is old sisal baler twine. You can get it from farmers or people with riding horses. It will work about as well as true flax tow. :idunno: :idunno:

 

[floyd1350]

off the tow truck :rotf:

 

[lorren68]

Now for the $3 newbie question ...................What is TOW?

 

Tow is the course crushed Flax plant stem. It's crushed to break the fibers free from the stalk. The fibers can then be carded, and spun into linen thread, which can then be woven into linen, or mixed with wool thread to make linsey-woolsey. Back in the 17th, 18th century, and even into the early 19th century Linen, and L-W were the cheap material, the polyester of it's day. Up in value was wool, cotton, and then silk. Cotton was very expensive until the invention of the Cotton Gin to process it. The tow we want for cleaning is coarser, and hasn't been carded very much, if at all. Kind of a brillo pad.

Bill

 

[jamesthomas]

I've bought sisal rope at Wally World in 25' rolls, is it the same stuff? if so you could just unravel it.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

They actually plant flax in a few places around here. I got some at the Landis Valley Farm Museum in Lancaster.PA Tow is a by product of linen fibre. It is the coarse fibres left over after the good ones are used. linen was far more common before the invention of the cotton gin.

Years ago an old lady made a reference to our two toddlers as "cute little tow heads." Mrs. was highly PO'd, until I explained what the old lady said.

 

[Bretwalda]

Log Cabin Sport Shoppe Lodi, Ohio has it! :hatsoff:

 

[joeboleo1]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone. Checked the places mentioned and now have access to tow.

 

[necchi]

I've bought sisal rope at Wally World in 25' rolls, is it the same stuff? if so you could just unravel it.

Not the same as TOW; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisal
(Tequila!!)

But very similar, if used for fire starter your kinda in trouble with new stuff (rope/twine) it's treated with a fire retardant so it can be sold here in the USA.

I use Sisal rope for my tent and awning ropes,, I replaced some a few years ago and strung the old stuff out on a back 40 fence line and let it be it for two years. Came back and picked up the now well weatherd stuff, cut it in 2" pieces and it makes great fire starting nest material.

Trouble is it's so heavily treaded with some unknown chemicals ( you can smell it for along time) I wouldn't want to use it for anything but rope.

 

[LRB]

Tow can also be from hemp. Might be cheaper. Check with hemp cloth suppliers.

 

[C Barker]

off the tow truck :rotf:

Now that's funny; I don't care what you say, that's funny. Git 'r done!
:thumbsup: :bow: :haha:

 

[FPDoc]

Ya got too much time on your hands Floyd, but not too bad for 23rd post. :thumbsup: