Good morning again clouseau. Its now about 3.30am Kingston time and I
am still tossing and turning about the ticket thing. The thought also 
occurred to me that the answer to this question could well alter my
ticketing requirements.

In which country am I likely to find quality wide rolls of silk at
wholesale prices? (my presumption was India....although it could be
Thailand or elsewhere???)

My 26 old son and his twin sister are both excellent brush Artists.
Both totally different with my son doing mostly large works of modern
art whilst his sister does much smaller works of fine lined traditional
art. Later on in the year the "Family Gallery" will be opening in
Melbourne Australia, and both my children want me to purchase some
silk for the back of their paintings. This is primarially an asethetic
thing to add "quality" to their works and to differen(s)tiate them 
from "run-of-the-mill" stuff.
 
(In due course clouseau please tell me how to get a spell checker 
linked to this Metapad I am now using)

My son's paintings are sometimes up to 10 feet wide; so I will need to
find the largest width rolls of silk available. I also want the best
quality silk available and probably the thickest so that it will last
longer before deteriorating.

The question: Locate for me a country I can fly to from London where
I can purchase quality wide rolls of silk. A complete answer would
actually give me the widths of silk available, and some means of
identifying quality silk from lower grade silk material. We might well
find that purchasing silk wholesale could be almost as difficult as
purchasing cigars! A possible alternative might be a silk/rayon mix
type material which might be less expensive and more durable.
Although knowing my son the way that I do I raher think he will not
want to settle for anything less than pure silk "the-best".

I will leave it with you clouseau and there is no rush for this. Take
your time and squeeze the research in between your bread and butter
research catering for the numerous other ga-clients you have.

Kind regards from Roger

---

Request for Question Clarification by clouseau-ga on 23 May 2003 12:59 PDT

Hello Roger,

Just to qualify to be sure of your desires:

The silk will not be used as a painting surface or replacement for
canvas, but as an aesthetic backing for the finished art.

And I assume you are looking for a neutral color such as raw or white
rather than dyed or printed color.

Do correct me if these assumptions are incorrect.

-=clouseau=-

Hello Roger,

Another interesting search, for which I thank you!

Let's talk a bit about the quality of silk.

An excellent Thai page notes the following on quality:
http://welcome-to.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/silk-quality_thai_silk.htm

"Why Does Good Quality Thai Silk Cost More?

General characteristics of Silk

-Raw silk thread is a very tough texture because of natural mechanism
of the silk worm's cocoon.
-Silks have a natural sheen or luster while other fabrics are
technically improved.
-Silk is not a heat conductor but can adapt well in various climates.
-Silk is easily burnt but will stop burning when it is removed from
the fire. A black fragile granule ash is obtained. The smell is like
burnt bird's feathers.
-Good silk thread will give a smooth, tightly woven texture. The
surface will resist the dirt...

They continue with the refining process and then arrive at some of the
quality differences:

"...Much of the silk from other countries is woven by machine, using
raw silk material (the silk threads have not been previously bleached
and dyed). Then the woven silk fabric is bleached and dyed in a single
process. This results in a woven silk fabric which has both warp and
weft of exactly the same color. This tends to give the fabric a "flat"
appearance, without the depth of color one associates with high
quality Thai silk.

Good quality Thai silk is woven on hand looms (Gee-Gratoog). The warp
and weft are not of the same color, which is what gives Thai silk its
natural sheen and luster, and makes Thai silk so unique in terms of
color tones and blends. If you hold a piece of good Thai silk up to
the light, the overall color tone will change depending on the angle
of the light. However, with machine-woven silk, regardless of what
light angle you hold it at, it looks the same.

There is also the tightness of the weave. Good quality Thai silk
begins with a warp of 2,000 threads for a 1 meter width, which
produces a very tightly woven fabric. Producers of substandard quality
silk may use 1,800 threads in the warp (or even sometimes as low as
1,600) along with poor weft fabric. All of these factors will make for
a looser weave, and also presents problems when the fabric is sewn
into a garment, because the material will tend to pull apart in the
process..."


A link from this page discusses a primer for buying silk in Thailand:
http://welcome-to.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/silk-tsilk.htm

"...SILK is a spun commodity that requires more knowledge and
understanding than most people think, and the types of silk produced
in different parts of the world have their own unique sheens and
textures. If we take silk pieces from the four main world producers
and place them side by side, we immediately see these differences.
Chinese silk tends to be smooth and satiny, while Indian silk tends to
be softer with richer colors and a more crinkly look. Italian silk has
the refined and elegant look of high fashion, and Thai silk projects
the natural blended textures and patterns that are so very Southeast
Asian.

Many visitors to Chiangmai and the North are under informed about the
various silk types. Some expect to see the Chinese type because that's
what they're used to. Others are not familiar with the material types
at all and have to rely on the advice of others when buying. Neither
of these is really acceptable when looking for the fine silk of
Thailand. It will help to know what silk is, how it's made, what kind
of price ranges one should be looking for and some simple material
tests that every consumer can apply themselves while in the process of
buying...."

This site is a treasure of information. As you will note above, and
since this silk will not be used in clothing, your son and daughter
may have to make an aesthetic decision on which "look" is appropriate
for their art backings. Though Thai silk appears to be very high
quality, perhaps the "crinkly look" of Chinese might be desirable.
However, if you are going to travel personally to purchase, I would
like to see you avoid China at this point in time.

They continue:

"...Recognizing Real Silk

The question is, "how can you be sure that the silk fabric item you
wish to buy is actuary 100 percent Thai silk and not the imitation,
which is made of polyester?" There are five basic guidelines for
determining the answer to this question. Consider the price, the
weave, the lusters, and the print and what we call the Burn Test...

...The weave is another area which will allow the shopper to
immediately see the difference between the real silk and the
imitation. The real silk weave is completely handmade of a natural
fibre and thus clearly shows small flaws or joins in the thread along
the warp and the weft. The imitation polyester, on the other hand, is
a machine-made fabric and has a perfect surface with no flaws or
bumps. This aspect can be most important to the unknowledgeable
shopper in that what appears to be perfect in polyester is actually
the imitation of real silk.

Luster is the third guideline feature, and a small light test shows
whether a fabric is real or imitation. The 100-percent Thai silk is
made with one color for the warp and one color for the weft. This is
what gives Thai silk its natural sheen and luster and it's what makes
Thai silk so unique in terms of color tones and blends. Thus, when you
hold a piece of 100-percent silk up to the light the overall color
tone will change depending on the angle of light. With the Imitation,
regardless of what light angle You hold it in, it shines white.

Whether a fabric is real silk or imitation is also easy to determine
by looking carefully at the print. A 100-percent Thai silk piece will
have the printed pattern on one side with only an outline of the print
on the reverse side When both sides are held up to the light, only the
full print side will change color. The colors are not evident on the
reverse side. With an imitation print, the pattern print and colors
can be seen on one side while a plain color can be seen on the reverse
side; and, both sides shine white when held to the light.

The final feature here is the Burn Test. If you take a thread or two
of 100-percent Thai silk and light them with a flame, it will leave a
fine ash and smell like burnt hair. As soon as the flame is taken away
the threads will stop burning. When the imitation silk is lit, on the
other hand, it will drip, it will burn black smoke, and it continues
to burn after the flame is taken away . This Burn test is really
unnecessary if you're familiar with the other features discussed
above. It is, however, a certain way to determine authenticity when in
doubt..."


Another site offers a little more information on burn testing:
http://www.srfabrics.com/linens/linen.htm
Silk Road

"Want to know what that fabric is? The Burn Test is a quick way to
determine the fiber content of an unknown fabric:

In a well-ventilated area, and away from flammable materials, unravel
a few threads of the fabric in question. Lighting a match or lighter,
move the sample slowly first up to the flame and then into it,
watching carefully. Remove it from the flame, still watching it and
extinguish it if necessary.
 
Linen fibers won't shrink from the flame, will burn with a yellow
flame while in it, continues to burn when the flame is removed, and
smells like burning paper. There is a little grey ash residue after
extinguishing. Cotton reacts much the same, because they are both
cellulose, but cotton has much shorter, limper fibers. Practice with a
little of each known fiber to get a feel for the difference..."

And this site has an excellent chart on the burn qualities of
different fibers:
http://www.lindrix.com/fabcontent.html

"How to determine fabric content by using the burn test.

Snip a piece of fabric equivalent to 1" square.  Using a butane
lighter and holding the fabric with a pair of tweezers ignite the
fabric over a non-flammable surface in a well ventilated area.

Examine the quality and color of the flame, the odor produced, and the
 quality of the resulting ash or cinder.  Use this table to help
determine your fabric's content."



Back to the Silk Road site, and important for you to note:

"Width: Silk is seldom wider than 45". All our silk is 45" wide unless
noted otherwise."

I am finding that common widths are 41" to 54". If this is a show
stopper for the needs of your family, do let me know and we will look
into other fabrics. But don't give up hope just yet. I have not begun
to search the wholesale availability of wider widths.

This page continues to talk about the different varieties of silk:
http://www.srfabrics.com/silks/silk.htm

100% silk charmeuse: Satiny and drapey, it puts the 'silk' in silky 

100% silk dupioni: Iridescent, with slight natural slubs. Best suited
for tailored garments

100% silk 4-Ply silks - a medium to heavy weight crepe, lustrous with
a pebbled finish

100% silk noil - Light and nubby 

Silk velvet (silk/rayon blend) - simply the best 

Burnout Silk velvet (silk/rayon blend) - Same as above with peek-a-boo
viewing ports

100% silk organza (white) - 42" wide 

100% silk gauze (white) - 42" wide 

100% silk chiffon 

On the 'Other Silks' page:
 
Embroidered silk (white base) 

100% silk broadcloth (white) 

Silk brocades (Chinese patterns, silk/rayon blend)
 
100% silk crepe 

100% silk crepe de Chine 

100% silk Peau de Soie (duchess satin) 

100% China silk 

Very unusual: silk / metal tissue 

100% silk 8 mm habati 

I read through the individual pages and would surmise that the
following  would most likely be the better choices for your
application:

"Dupioni (sometimes spelled 'douppioni' or 'dupion'), is a lustrous
silk often woven from two different colors of threads, so that it
shimmers or changes color in the light. Dupioni is made from an
irregular, rough silk reeled from double cocoons or cocoons spun
side-by-side which are interlocked, making it necessary to reel them
together. Usually brightly colored, it has a moderately crisp drape,
fairly reflective luster, and a nubby texture. It is crisp to the
touch and doesn't wrinkle badly or hold a crease well. It is
reversible, not particularly stretchy, and relatively easy to sew.

General Uses

Dupioni is most often used for loose fitting blouses, jackets, suits,
skirts, dresses, bridal gowns and draperies for home decoration. White
dupioni often used for bridal gowns due to its lustrous sheen and
relatively low cost. That is a good choice, as we often have matching
beaded dupioni in the same shades, perfect for a contrasting bodice.
Avoid tight fitting garments as seams may pull apart due to the weave.
Sews relatively easily, but pins leave marks, so pin carefully."

And...

"Silk Noil (sometimes incorrectly called raw silk) has a nubby feel
and a low sheen. Noil somewhat resembles cotton in surface texture,
and sews easily. The nubby texture of noil comes from the use of very
short fibers (called, appropriately, 'silk noils') to weave the
fabric. When these short fibers are spun into yarns, the resulting
yarns have occasional slubs and loose ends. Nubs vary between
different weaves. Noil which has not been completely de-gummed (had
the natural sericin removed), may easily attract dirt and odors. Wash
before sewing up.

General uses

Noil is a bit bulky to use for gathered construction, but it has a
gentle drape. It is durable, travels well and resists wrinkles. It is
best suited for loose to moderately fitted pants, skirts, slacks,
dresses, and jackets. Also used for Men's suits. Silk noil is very
easy to sew, doesn't show pin holes, but does tend to unravel."


You will find a number of other types of silk on this page:
http://www.srfabrics.com/silks/othersilks.htm


It is also useful to know how silk thicknesses are measured:
http://www.raincitypublishing.com/silkyardage.html

"Some silk fabrics are sold by momme weight, a Japanese unit of
measure. Momme is abbreviated mm and appears on the fabric bolt as 5mm
or 16mm. A 1mm fabric weighs 3.62 grams per square yard. The bigger
the number, the heavier the fabric. A 5-8mm fabric is very
lightweight, such as chiffon, habutai or organza. 12-16mm is medium
weight, typical of charmeuse and crepe de Chine. Heavy fabrics such as
suiting, tussah and tweed are sold by gram weight or without a weight
designation..."


 
At this point, let's see what we can find on silk widths available as
this may present a problem. As noted above, 54" seems to be a standard
large width. The largest I have so far found is an Indian company with
270 CM widths (8.85'):
http://www.indiamart.com/nidhiexports/

Since I think we might be leaning toward Thai silk, I investigated
this page which notes:
http://www.bangkok-thailand.com/about-thai-silk.htm

"What is smooth Thai silk?

Smooth Thai silk has a shiny, satin-like finish. It's suitable for all
purposes, particularly clothing and interior decorating. The
"standard" width is about 37 inches/94 centimeters and is available in
2-ply and sometimes 4-ply. All colors and designs are available.
Starting in 2003, our weavers are being to produce silk at a standard
width of 40 inches..

So, we may have to look at machine woven silk to find the wider
widths.

Lets look at the four main world regions for silk once more and then
inquire of specific manufacturers or wholesalers:

Thai silk is well described above. Apparently, since it is hand
loomed, which appears desirable, this also limits the width to under
54".


Indian Silk:

Trade-India.com has a list of manufacturers / exporters of silk at
this page. I looked at their sites and found a few that show promise:
http://www.trade-india.com/dyn/gdh/eyp/Textiles_and_Leather_Products/Silk_Silk_Fabric/

http://www.universaltextile.com/ for example.

Unfortunately, they also note:

"The width of the fabric usually varies from 90 cms to 150 cms but the
most widely used width is 110 cms/44" and 135 cms/54"

There was little company information on many of these listings, so I
emailed a few dozen and await their replies on available widths of
silk bolts available. I will post any promising replies as comments as
they are received.

Krishti Silks
http://www.ksrishti.com/dupion.asp

Shows an excellent selection with widths up to 60", a slight
improvement. I have emailed them for availability of wider widths.

This company looks promising and email has been sent:
Khemchand Bros 
http://www.businessonlineindia.com/listings/khemchand.htm

Manufacturers of Dupion and Taffetta Silk any weight and width, We
have our own manufacturing unit and specialise in printing. We even
manufacture Cushion Covers, Scarves and Sarongs both in silk as well
as Art silk.

Address: 126, Devatha Market, Chickpet, Bnagalore - 560 053 Karnataka,
India
 
All in all, I have about 30 inquiries out to Indian Silk
manufacturers.



Italian silk:  

What an introduction to Italian silk I found on my first hit!
http://www.setificiofiorentino.it/english/sezione.htm

There is a place where

... fabrics, in sparkling silk, for interior decoration are created

...the interiors of the Kremlin, The Quirinale, The Royal Palaces of
Stockholm and Copenhagen were produced

…the most famous contemporary architects choose fabrics, woven on
ancient looms dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, for their
projects

…modern and tradition are melted together

...and where you can make your dreams come true 

This place is l’Antico Setificio Fiorentino 

Hmmm. Their presentation of fabrics looks very interesting, albeit
with not enough description to know if they meet your needs. I have
sent email, but arrrgh, their mailbox is full and the mail has been
bounced. Perhaps you might like to call them, Roger?

Antico Setificio Fiorentino S.P.A. 
Via L. Bartolini, 4 50124 Firenze
Tel +39 055 213861 Fax +39 055 218174 


I checked a few additional sites and was duly impressed with what I
have seen of Italian silk quality. though no one yet mentions widths
of wider than 140 cm, I have sent email inquiries none-the-less. I am
hoping Italy may provide your answer and it somehow seems to coincide
with the purpose of backing fine art with a fine Italian product.


Focusing on Italian silk for the moment, I noticed that this site
makes interesting comments:

http://www.fabrics.net/newslist/news.asp?NewsID=8

"...Doupioni [doo-pee-ohn-ee] is reeled from double (silk) cocoons
nested together. The threads are uneven and irregular. Italian
Doupioni is the finest, followed by Chinese Doupioni and Indian
Doupioni. Doupioni is also seen in man-made fibers such as polyester,
acetate and referred to as doupionni. Silk Doupioni is most often
found in men's and women's fine suits and also dresses in lighter
weight silk Doupioni..."

And...
http://www.fabrics.net/outlet/momme.asp

"...but the FINEST SILK FABRIC comes from Italy and France. China has
come a long way from its earlier silk fabric manufacturing to become
today a supplier of quality silk fabric for the most part. But not
every supplier out of China produces silk of equal value in beauty and
durability. As the weight of the silk goes up, so does the price and
the durability. A duchesse silk satin from China does not have the
same value/beauty as a duchesse silk satin from Italy for instance.
Although it is a nice silk, it is not comparable to the silk fabric of
Italy and France. But of course, it is less expensive..."

Here is an interesting article from Italy Weekly:
http://www.italydaily.it/Italian_life/Suzy_Menkes/giugno/textiles.shtml

"It all starts with the best textiles

By Suzy Menkes - fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune  
Tuesday, June 25, 2002

Artisanal roots nurture industry built on integration 
MILAN Highly fragmented, intensely specialized and still largely owned
by the same families that started the businesses, Italy's textiles
industry remains the most important component in fashion worldwide,
supplying top designers with quality materials. But its continuing
success may depend on whether it can resist the modern business mantra
that says market economics, consolidation and vertical integration are
essential to survive in a global marketplace.
Known as la filiera, which roughly describes the entire fashion chain
from thread to the garment sold in a shop, the industry is one of
Italy's most important. According to Carlo Rivelli, head of the data
department at the textiles trade association, Associazione
Nobilitazione Tessile, it had total sales of E47.8 billion ($46.2
billion) in 2001, a 1.6 percent rise from the year before. He believes
the most important feature of the industry is its integration. "All
the elements of the production chain are present in Italy," he said.
"The fact that they are often to be found together in the same
geographical area means that production is fast and flexible, which
gives it an advantage over countries where this is not the case."
 
"...Moritz Mantero, the chairman of the Como-based silk fabric
manufacturer Mantero, says that there are 10,000 companies in the
Italian textile-to-fashion production chain. ."In world markets, you
need to be big to survive," he says. "But in Italy numerous small
companies are competing with each other to produce something better
than each other. Together they are big enough to compete globally."
.Mantero, with 1,000 workers and annual sales of E160 million, is
hardly a giant. And yet it is the leading silk fabric producer in
Europe and supplies all the top designers in the world. "I do not
believe there is another silk manufacturer as big as us anywhere
else," Mantero says...."

Italy sounds more and more promising.

DolceVita says this:
http://www.dolcevita.com/travel/como/musei/silk.htm

"Italy produces 91% of all the silk produced in Europe . The city of
Como covers 78,8%.of this amount all by itself. Its annual production
totals 3,200 tons of silk, (broken down into material for clothing,
upholstery, decorator fabrics, scarves, ties and shawls). In economic
terms, exports around Lit. 2,000 billion per year.

It's a huge business and there are two huge presences which stand out
in any study of the silk industry in the 20th-century: Antonio Ratti
and the Mantero family, still the most prominent influences in the
market, produce their own textiles as well as custom fabrics for the
big names in fashion design. Among the famous fashion houses who
commission silk materials from Ratti are Versace, Valentino, Dolce &
Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferré, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, Romeo
Gigli, Loewe, Bulgari, Gucci and Paloma Picasso. Mantero's clientele
includes Kenzo, Yves Saint Laurent, Ungaro, Nina Ricci, Trussardi and
Lonchamp.

The Museo Didattico della Seta (Silk Museum) was opened in 1990 to
document an accurate account of the history of the silk industry in
Como. It is provides physical evidence, from past to present, of an
industry that still operates a veritible world-wide monopoly..."

Do read this article. Shall we book a ticket to Italy??

CUGNASCA - MANTERO SETA S.p.A. (Silk) 
Via Rosales 4, 22100 Como, Tel: 031 574 703, Fax: 031 571465 


Chinese silk:

As mentioned, probably not the ideal destination at this time in world
history and probably the most difficult suppliers to communicate with.
That being said, I have sent email inquiries but have not found
anything yet compelling enough to recommend. I do have a number of
email inquiries in the pipeline and will report should China become a
compelling source of supply.




So, let's summarize a bit.

There are four major silk producing regions in the world: Italy,
India, Thailand and China. I think we would like to avoid China as a
destination. Thailand has excellent quality, but since production is
primarily on hand looms, the widths will rarely exceed 54". If quality
is a higher priority than width, Thailand might be my first choice. If
width is more important, then India should be the target. If pattern
and artful quality is the focus, I would be trotting off to Italy.
Perhaps a single seam with two pieces of 60" wide would suit the need?

Hopefully, I will have email replies back to confirm the widths
mentioned on the above pages and 60"-106" silk should be available.

I have also searched for "exotic fabrics" but nothing except antique
brocades caught my eye for your purpose. Since they have no
predictable supply, I have excluded these from my search.

Should width be the primary requirement, we might want to search
further for other fabrics. Do let me know if your son and daughter
would like this to be pursued.

At this point, I think I will let you digest this research and make a
few decisions. I'll append any replies of note and await further
direction on width, fabric, colors or patterns or anything pertinent
that will assist in finding the best choices for you. I am so tempted
to just recommend a trip to Como, Italy where I am confident you would
find something of excellence to meet your needs.

Best regards,

-=clouseau=-


Search strategies:

quality of silk 
silk +manufacturer OR wholesaler OR distributor
silk roll OR bolt +width
"silk fabric"+manufacturer OR wholesaler OR distributor +china OR
India OR italy
italy OR italian +"silk fabric" +wholesale OR manufacture
"silk manufacturer" +italy OR italian
"silk manufacturer" +france OR french

---

Request for Answer Clarification by bwll77-ga on 25 May 2003 05:33 PDT

Good morning clouseau,
It was with a "heavy" head that I switched my beloved lap-top on this
lovely (rainy) Sunday morning. In just a matter of moments the thought
occurred to me that I dont have to apply myself to my tasks every
single
solartry day. I am retired and my time is my own.

So I have made a decision I will return in 24 hours. I do hope you are
having a pleasant long weekend and enjoying yourself in the company of
your loved ones clouseau. I will catch up with you (on this) tomorrow
or Tuesday maybe. Till then ADios from Roger
even.

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 25 May 2003 09:20 PDT

Good for you! A day away from the computer is often a mini-vacation
for me, so I can easily releate.

Do enjoy your day, Roger. I'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

-=clouseau=-

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 26 May 2003 09:36 PDT

Morning Roger,

A few brief updates for this holiday Monday morning:

1. Silk

A half dozen or so of the 30 or 40 inquiries I have made on wide silk
have returned my emails so far. Most tell me that their maximum is 54"
EXCEPT this one that confirms they are unique at 270cm!

" You might be familiar that Varanasi is known as "Silk City" in
India. We are
in the trade from last two decades and have our own Power looms and
Hand
looms and the work is carried out by expert designers and skilled
labours.
We have our own comprehensive designs and can develop design as per
customer
aspiration.

Our expertise in Computerized embroidery with imported machineries,
Hand
embroidery, Aari embroidery, Zig embroidery and In-house Production of
270
cms. (3 Mtr. wide) wide Organza, Linen, Patola and  Jacquard fabrics
makes
us incomparable  to others in the trade.

Due to In-house production we have full control over the Quality,
Designs,
Colors, Delivery Schedules and Of course!!!  provide down to earth
prices.

We solicit for a chance to offer our services to your eminent
organization.
Please feel free to revert us with any query.

We are anticipating your response & look forward to establish long
term
business relation with your esteemed organization. Also please send us
the
detail, your terms and conditions. We will be happy to shake hands
with you
to promote the business.

Thanking You

With Best Regards,

Kanta Modi
Nidhi Exports
D.54/155, Sri Nagar Colony, Gurubagh,
Varanasi-221010 Uttar Pradesh, India

Phone   : +(91)-(542)-2390423 / 2404399
Fax      : +(91)-(542)-2356466
E-Mail  :  n_ex@satyam.net.in

So, if width becomes the most prized criteria, we have a source in
India.


This reply had valuable information:

"Thank you for your email.
 
Our widest silks are 53-54".
 
You might want to try a search on www.fabrics.net
 
Sincerely,
JB Silks"

At fabrics.net, you can register and post a desire to purchase.
Vendors will reply if they can meet your needs. It may be a good
resource for you.

2. DUB

The company in Germany seems to not be taking my request for 1 each of
every vinyl Dub album up to 1,001 seriously. The discussion boards are
suggesting an email to each of the dozen or so labels asking for one
each of their vinyl dub catalog at wholesale (see the list in comments
below). It may be the most efficient method of building this
collection and can then be "filled in" by the UK retailers.

As always, I shall return with any updates of interest.

Best,

-=clouseau=-

Five brightly lit stars and a ten dollar tip!
Thank you for the great answer clouseau-ga

Roger,

Regarding the identification of true silk, I found this interesting
bit of info:

"To identify silk, you must burn some yarn. It is very important that
a few threads from the warp, a few threads from weft and the zari
thread stripped of the metal are individually checked by burning.
Since human hair also burns like silk, it would be easier to learn by
burning some hair! Hold a strand between tweezers and burn. Observe
carefully how it burns. When it stops burning, a very tiny (pinhead
size) ash ball will be left behind. Rub it between your fingers and
smell the powdered ash. The smell of burnt hair, silk, wool and
leather is identified and the way it burns forming an ash ball, will
also be the same. If the fiber is cotton or rayon, it will quickly
flare up in flames and will not form any ash ball nor will it smell
like burnt hair. If the yarn tested is a petroleum product like nylon
or polyester, it will burn forming a tiny, hard, glasslike bead."

http://www.jivdaya.org/story_of_silk_beauty_without_cruelty.htm

Thanks for that Pinky. Very Interesting. In so much as I dont smoke
and I have in my possession a brand new Cigar Lighter I will be
fully armed to do the "ash-test" once I arrive in the land of silk.
Kind regards from Roger
P.S. I'm still wanting to get some "mug" shots done but have been
too busy to get around to it. In due course I will eventually get
around to posting a special artistic assignment especially for you.

Good morning Roger,

So many different areas to comment on this morning:

1. Dub records

I am still going back and forth with this supplier in Hamburg.
Communication has been a bit less than smooth, but we make progress
daily. Hopefully I will know the extent that they can serve you in a
day or two and will post. If they are unable or seem to be less than
first class service, we will be back to sourcing from the numerous UK
vendors piecemeal.

I did receive a posting from one of the dub boards:

"i know that dub is almost forgotten in jamaica nowadays. i was once
told to go to london when asking for dub at augustus pablo's record
store in downtown kingston...

...i'd suggest to check the dub labels listed on my links page for a
wholesale price on everything dubby in their catalog or ask a big
distributor like Ernie B's the same question..."

The links page is actually excellent:
http://www.interruptor.ch/links.html

ErnieB's appeared in my original answer, but here is the link once
again:
http://www.ebreggae.com/

 
2: Travel

So sorry I was unable to provide the answers for you here. I was truly
surprised that the online services wanted origins from the states or
would not even quote Cuba or, in some cases Jamaican flights online.
and as noted by Travelocity, unless you are ready to make immediate
online purchases, the data may not be valid the next time you check.

With the travel you do, I think you need a personal travel agent. I
have taken the liberty to contact one who I have used in the past. She
currently only has one client (by choice) and I have contacted her to
see if she would like another. I expect an answer today or tomorrow.
If she would accept a new client, you will find her to provide
extremely personal and timely service and may be the beginnings of
solving these kind of problems for you from here on out. You can do
all of your transactions through email, if you choose. I shall let you
know and provide contact details for you if she is agreeable.

3. Spell Checker

The spell checker I recommended does not work with Windows XP, 2000 or
ME and that might be your problem? If you are using 98, install the
program and simple hit F-12 in Metapad and it will work seamlessly. If
not, then FreeSpell may be your better choice:
http://hcidesign.com/freespell/ 


4. Gambling

I had no idea that a single 0 roulette game existed! How interesting.
Is BadenBaden in Wiesbaden? A lovely area of the world, if so. I have
not been back to Germany since 1989, unfortunately but always enjoyed
my time there. Actually spent a year and a half as a musician touring
Germany in my early days. and you could always find me at the
Augustiner tent at Ocktoberfest :)


5. Silk

I will be working on the silk question this weekend. I have several
personal resources (one with 3 masters degrees in art) to consult and
look forward to your latest challenge. Thanks so much for asking for
me to research this for you.

Hmmm. Have I covered it all for today? I have an nagging feeling I
have missed addressing something. I shall post again if it occurs to
me.

All for now.

Kind regards,

-=clouseau=-

Roger,

Just to consolidate for you, the above mentioned board on Dub lists
these contacts as record labels supplying dub. Several did not appear
in my original answer:


Blood and Fire Dub + Roots reissues (Steve Barrow) 
http://www.bloodandfire.co.uk/

Pressure Sounds Dub + Roots label 
http://www.pressure.co.uk/

Ariwa Mad Professor's label 
http://www.ariwa.com/

On-U Adrian Sherwood's label 
http://www.obsolete.com/on-u/

Tanty Records Label in London - Home of the Dub Funk Association 
http://www.tantyrecord.com/

Different Drummer Home of Rocker's Hi-Fi / Online record label &
store, promoting underground electronic dub
http://www.diffdrum.co.uk/

Echo Beach Dub & Neo-Dub label in Germany 
http://www.echobeach.de/

Flora & Fauna Just in case you didn't know that there are wickeder
tracks coming from Sweden than "Waterloo" and "Joyride" - check it!
http://hem.passagen.se/bdl/

Subversion Records Dub label in Ravensburg 
http://www.subversion.de/


-=clouseau=-