ABACA COMES IN A RICH PALETTE OF NATURAL COLOURS FROM SILVER, THROUGH PLATINUM, GOLD, TOBACCO AND ALL THE WAY TO EBONY
Abaca is harvested from a species of banana plant called ‘Musa Textilis’ (whence our brand name ‘Musett’) The fibres are extracted by hand from the centre of the plant’s ‘trunk’ in a centuries-old process. We only use the finest quality Abaca which grows in the Philippines whose warm, wet climate and volcanic soil provide the perfect growing conditions. We never use inferior Abaca fibres such as that grown in Central and South America.
Our Abaca is extra strong and for centuries has been used to make ropes tough enough to secure a modern day supertanker and it is this quality that makes it THE perfect choice for weaving beautiful natural fibre rugs and carpets that are hard-wearing and long-lasting – way more so than other material like coir, hemp, sisal or jute.
We like to call it the ‘Rolls Royce’ of plant fibres because in addition to its great physical qualities, it produces yarn which is smooth with a silky sheen, and which can be dyed to any PANTONE shade you can think of. Superbly engineered by nature with a matchless quality finish and available in any colour under the sun and like the cars, instantly recognizable!
ABACA: NATURALLY THE BEST
Abaca gives back to nature and society. Unlike its foreign cousins, it is native to the Philippines and grows without the aid of artificial chemicals or fertilizer giving it outstanding sustainability credentials. The local climate takes care of its need for water and no man-made irrigation systems are required. Interplanting Abaca with other species, especially coconut palms, helps prevent soil erosion, land-slips and marine contamination caused by soil sliding into the sea. These mechanical advantages mean it plays an important role in guarding against landslides and floods – both of which are endemic to the Philippines.
But not everything is left to nature. Once the fibres are dried in the final stage of the harvesting process, they are scientifically graded according to an internationally-recognized quality scale.
