Short Flax Fibres Pressed Into Curved Furniture Parts

When flax is harvested, the long fibres go to linen. The short ones are often left over. Belgian wood-bending company G-Desmet now presses those short flax fibres, and hemp, into curved furniture parts.

The family firm in Menen bends plywood, felt and solid wood for furniture makers and designers. Natural fibres are now its third route, next to wood and felt. Furniture and interior clients increasingly ask for materials with a smaller impact, the company says, and for a supplier who can show where the raw material comes from.

Fibre Mats Pressed Into a Mould

The process starts with mats of natural fibre. Workers position the mats, coat them with glue and press them under high pressure in a mould. The result is a solid, curved element that holds its shape. The surface stays fibrous and warm brown, with single strands still visible.

How the fibres are placed matters. Flax fibres are long and wide, so their position decides whether a curve holds or cracks. G-Desmet says this allows tighter shapes than wood, which cracks once it is bent too far. Flax can keep its natural look, or get a lacquer or a top layer that also changes the colour. The finish can also use residues of the flax itself.

Hemp for Tighter Curves

Hemp is even easier to mould. According to the company, it suits more complex and tighter shapes, and today everything G-Desmet bends in felt it can also bend in hemp. The fibre withstands the weather and keeps its natural colour longer. That makes it a candidate for seat shells, backrests and other parts that are now often made of felt or plywood.

The source does not name the glue used for the fibre parts. Earlier this year, G-Desmet presented G-Bioglue, a formaldehyde-free biobased adhesive for wood bending. Its felt parts are made from recycled felt.

Made to Order

The fibre elements are not a catalogue product. G-Desmet develops each part with the client, from mould to finish, in its factories in Belgium and Romania. Designers can contact the company in Menen to start a project in flax or hemp.

Source & images: G-Desmet