Surprises in a Sheet of Paper, Happy and Unhappy

Surprises in a sheet of Paper, Happy and Unhappy

What is Undesirable in a Sheet of Fine Paper

(Translated from an olde French papermaking booke of apocryphal origin*)

“After the hard, labor-intensive work one might be unhappily surprised by common flaws, imperfections, and otherwise unacceptable results in an otherwise marketable sheet of rag paper.

Hastily formed, so-called wild sheets have no strength. Hold your paper to the light and you will see an uneven pattern of thick and thin. Long threads may be strong, but often form knots, which result in thick, random bumps that can spoil the evenness of the flat surface. You can feel these bumps with your fingers, but can easliy see them as darker spots when you examine against the daylight.

Poor choice of fibers, with non-archival properties can make a nice looking piece of paper unsalable. Improperly sorted material of dubious origin is not always worth the low price. Unwashed fabric with foreign objects can be dangerous to the manufacture of paper. Inclusion of molds, infestations, or non-fiber materials will often destroy your best efforts. Fingers from rag trimmers can be problematic. Rings on fingers are not so bad, if discovered before the fibers are added to the hollander. Blood is often a clue that can aid in the discovery of severed fingers. Sometimes blood and rusted metal look similar to the untrained eye. Be careful. Metal introduced to the hollander can damage the blades or jam the action. Large rings on or off severed hands can jam even the most powerful beater rolls.

Be vigilant about small animals, especially those wearing collars. Fur is not a proper fiber for papermaking.

Avoid the use of clothing collected from plague victims. Observe the health of the rag pickers you buy from. Do not purchase rags from collectors who are covered with open sores. Ask for a discount if you observe closed sores.

The linen content of mummy cloth may seem attractive, but unless you have an appreciation for the special thrill of surviving cholera, it would be wise to pass on this as a fiber source.

One final word of advice: know the origin of the rags you use. Rags from a sick person may kill you. Rags procured from a sorcerer or magician may be of special value, especially if they include a powerful ring.”

* ok, so I am the writer of this apocryrpha. No surprise.

July 10, 2010

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