Loden cape

The term Loden probably comes from the Old High German term " Lodo " for, coarse woolen stuff ', which is attested since the 10th century, but can also be from the Middle High German " Lodi " (coat) or from the homonymous Old Norse " Lodi " ( shaggy coat) originate. Loden originally denoted firm, not fulled wool fabrics of carded yarns. Ever since the High Middle Ages Loden was flexed to subsequently as " woolen cloth " (English broadcloth, swedish Vadmal ) to be processed. The term " Loden " designated at this time only the unfinished raw fabric before the fulling process.

Mainly wool - - Today, the term Loden as a collective term for dense carded (rarely woolen fabric ) is used with a more or less smooth surface. Colloquially Loden is often equated with Walkloden, although today both milled and non- milled materials within this category. The classic colors are olive green, gray brown, or reddish brown schwarzmeliert. Modern Loden fabrics are usually woven in twill, twill or canvas -like bonds.

The demonstrably oldest existing manufacturer of Walkloden is the Lodenwalke in Ramsau am Dachstein. A major company in Tirol was Franz Baur 's sons.

Traditional use

Loden has traditionally been the resistant clothing fabric of the rural population in Europe, which was especially appreciated in its milled form because of its wind and water tightness. Today plays felted loden both in Alpine costumes, as well as in the historical and modern costumes of seeds Lapland an important role.

The Loden generation

The basis for the existence of Lodenwalke were the farmers of the area, from their high mountain sheep the wool came. Originally, the wool was broken up by the farmers with two studded boards and spun at the spinning wheel of the farmers and their maids to the long winter evenings at fixed threads. A trained Weber traveled from farm to farm and wove on a loom, the loose tissue. This crude Loden fabric brought the peasants to Lodenwalker. There it was with heavy wooden hammers that were operated by water power, energetic drumming and mashed in warm water. So shrinks the tissue, the individual hairs become matted with each other, to the water-and windproof Walkloden arises.

Drumming is partly still today after the Urverfahren, much like 500 years ago. Despite enormous technological progress, this method could not repress. For the generation of numerous operations are necessary:

• Wolfen: This refers to the mixing of different Rohwollsorten and colors matched to the further use. The mixture of the raw wool is in the machine and is pulled by rolls fitted with teeth and mixed.
• Carding: On the carding machine, there are many equipped with needles rollers that comb the wool to a fine fleece. This is shared for the first roving ( ungedrehter thread ).
• Ring spinning: Here is the first roving is spun into a strong thread. Depending on usage, the yarns are spun in different strengths.
• Twisting and winding: The spun yarns are processed into various twisting. Several yarns are twisted together for more strength to gain. With the use of different speeds when turning to get different effects (eg pimples ).
• Weaving: The weaving the finished yarns and threads are woven into various woolen cloths. Depending on the application different weaving techniques are ( plain, twill, Double, for example ) are used.
• Walking: The walking is an ancient and simple art work. The wool cloth in hand-hot water ( 30-40 ° C), with the addition of bar soap, fulled by pressure and friction. This felted wool is dense and about 40% smaller.
• Finishing: After a short spin, the workpiece is colored.
• To treat the matter as gently as possible, they are dried in the old tradition in the fresh air. This gives the Loden the opportunity to exhale the moisture absorbed during fulling or dyeing slowly.
• The Rauen is still made with cardoons, to prevent electrostatic charging.
• On the warping machine projecting fibers are cut to a smooth and fine surface to obtain.
• After walking the Loden is wet ironed and geblattlt after drying. Blattln is the process when the finished Loden is finally flattened.
• By decatizers machine is the gloss, the Loden has received the Blattln, refined.

Modern Loden types

Depending on the application, the following thin Loden ways:

Trivia

In the area of ​​Dresden an anecdote is widespread, according to a certain August Loden in his shop in Dresden (then Loebtau ) is said to have developed named after him loden coat in the 19th century. The spread on the Internet story was picked up in 2008 by the Saxon newspaper in 2013 but refuted in the Dresden Latest News. In scientific research, the inventor Saxon history does not matter.