Abaca, Premium

Premium abaca pulp is in sheet form and sold by the pound. Each sheet measures 23.5" x 29" and weighs about .7 pounds. However we may cut sheets to fit more easily into boxes. Premium abaca pulp can be processed very easily in a kitchen blender or other form of mixer if a Hollander beater is unavailable.

The Philippine government rigidly grades abaca by quality, and our Premium Abaca is the highest grade, designated as S grade. It is naturally creamy white in color and has not been bleached. Many people today are trying to avoid the use of bleach, so this abaca is ideal for that purpose. 

Abaca is the Philippine word for Manila hemp, the fiber that comes from the stalk of a special type of banana tree, Musa textilis.

This fiber came into use in the U.S. primarily for the making of tea bags and filter paper which required a thin, porous paper capable of withstanding hard use. Abaca paper has incredible "wet strength", enabling the artist/papermaker to pick up a wet, newly formed sheet of paper and manipulate it into any shape without tearing the sheet. It also has a long fiber length and is excellent for sculptural applications as well as being a remarkable substitute for Japanese - style papermaking, eliminating the need for hand beating the bark fibers.

Longer beating times in a Hollander produce wonderfully crisp and translucent sheets. We strongly recommend abaca as a versatile, all-purpose pulp.