Nov 5, 2018 1 min read

Flax heckle

A flax heckle or hackle is a bed of nails that is bolted to a work surface and was used to comb flax – the main fiber used in weaving during the earliest American settlements – into spinnable fibers. Heckling, the last step in the process, was done by a flax dresser who would flip the fiber through a series of combs from course to fine. A flax dresser who was able to produce the most spinnable fiber was a highly paid tradesperson.

The process, from planting to making linen shirts and sheets, could take up to two years. Because flax fibers are long (up to three feet), the cloth wears much better than short, one-inch cotton fibers.

The flax heckle pictured was donated by the Harry M. Thompson family of Washington County.

Linda Zelch is a volunteer for the Washington County Historical Society and a member of the antiquities committee.