Waxed Cotton

“The concept of waxed cotton was originally developed in the early 15th century by sailors. Scottish North Sea herring fleets operating from east coast ports began treating flax sailcloth with fish oils and grease in an attempt to waterproof their sails, keeping them light and efficient. Remnants of these sails were used as capes to withstand the high winds and sea spray, keeping the sailors warm and dry”

The Baltic Works site in Dundee has been manufacturing textiles since 1864, beginning life as a Jute mill and soon evolving into Dyeing and Finishing. Halley Stevensons have pioneered the development of waxed cotton to this day, with their first patent being awarded in 1910 for ‘cleaning and water- proofing textiles’. With over a 150 years of experience, they create many thousands of meters of waxed cotton every year, with each roll produced to custom specifications.

Today, the many modern developments in machinery and raw materials available help Halley Stevensons produce quality fabrics, with the high tradition of skill and fabric development imposed by their original guildsmen still being their benchmark standards of honest workmanship.