[EKStationers] To answer the question about Papermaking

[lindafowens at netzero.com]

Thanks, Aziza, I wondered how it was done in the old days.  What I like about abaca is that you can get a really thin sheet that is also strong.  I can't recall the abaca source I used--I think it was part of a group order with a prof friend.  But that was years ago.  I do think it originated in Asia, however.  It came in thick cardboardy sheets that we would soak and use.  I will check out the Helen Hieber books, thanks, Linda/Luisa.  PS Is Aziza your real name or SCA name?  Lovely.

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Aziza Mojalled <azmojalled.sca at gmail.com>
To: ekstationers at lists.gallowglass.org
Subject: [EKStationers] To answer the question about Papermaking
Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:42:16 -0400

I make the pulp now in a Hollander beater. I use abaca(banana leaf) linters and beat it for one-two hours in the machine. Those machines are expensive, but my college has one that I'm using like crazy before I lose access to it. 
Abaca is a great base pulp for other plant pulps that oftentimes are too fragile to stand alone. Sometimes I beat recycled paper or construction paper.
Mulberry/Kozo is a lot easier and doesn't need a beater, and has been used for many thousands of years for papermaking. You still need to boil it and hit it a whole lot with a mallet to soften the fibers. Kozo looks better as a hand-beaten product. The Hollander beater chops and dices the naturally long and thin kozo fibers, rendering it not as unique as it would have looked had it been hand beaten. Kozo naturally has this very satisfyingly crispy feeling to it, and you can soften it and make the surface more regular by adding a bit of flax pulp.
Other fibers used historically was gampi, hemp, rice stalks or wheat stalk. You can get all of these from a place online called Carriage House. Thing is, beaten pulp paper is mostly an Eastern thing, there is evidence of its use in Persia but it was oftentimes imported from farther east.
Any book by Helen Hieber is a good resource. She has one specifically for making pulp with garden plants and weeds.
Hope this answered some questions.
Best, 
A. Mojalled
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