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How to Make Abaca Bags
If there's one kind of product from the Philippines that you can consider as an export material, Abaca bags are on the top list. These bags are becoming more popular abroad because of the unique designs and eco-friendly materials used. Even more, some famous Hollywood stars, international models and fashionable people are becoming more and more familiar with the Philippines' product.
Abaca bags can come in different sizes, shapes, designs and colors. You choose which bag fits your personality or fashion preference. Whether you pick a small bag or a large one, there's one thing that you can be sure of – the quality will be top of the line. But what really makes an Abaca bag special? Why do many foreign people buy this product when it's just made up of dried fiber? If you will try thinking about this, you will realize that the reason why foreign people love this bag is because they seldom see such kind of bag in a typical store in their country, right? But more than that, there's a unique reason why Abaca bags are nonetheless special.
Try to examine an Abaca bag. The woven fibers will surely make you think, “How did they make this stuff?”. Well, here's the truth, only a few people know how to weave these fibers into a nice bag. It takes two skilled hands and a hard work to be able create such beautifully woven bag. This is one of the reasons why Abaca bags are limited and cannot be produced in huge numbers.
Abaca bag is made out of Abaca fibers. Philippines is one of the countries that grow Abaca, a plant that produces the special fibers used in making Abaca bags. Well, if you think that the most difficult task in making this bag is when the fibers are being woven together, then you're wrong. It is harder to produce the raw materials used in making an Abaca bag than doing the actual process of weaving the Abaca fibers.
It will take one to two years before one can harvest Abaca stems sheath by sheath. The Abaca stems are then cut, stripped and then processed to eliminate the pulps before letting them dry under the sun. Take note that the whole process is done by hand, not by a machine. After the drying, the fibers are then classified based on their texture. The first-layer fibers are usually rough and more sturdy, good enough for making materials such as ropes. The second-layer fibers are smoother and more refined. The latter are usually used in paper-making.
Then comes the making of Abaca bags. After the drying process, the fibers are dyed with various colors. After being colored, the Abaca fibers are again, hung to dry. Then the fibers are woven together to create various shapes and sizes of bags. Various materials are attached to boost the products' beauty like buttons, ribbons, leather handles, shells and some linings. Just merely reading this article will make you think how tedious an Abaca bag-making is. The next time you buy an Abaca bag, make sure that you take care of it because the calloused hands that worked to created such product is no joke.