As a hobby weaver or semi-professional hand weaver, you may be wondering which material is best for your reed. Here is a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of Wood - and Metal reeds.
If you are urgently looking for a weaving comb, please visit our shop: Berliner Webstuhl Manufaktur . In particular, our individually made Stainless steel reeds We want to recommend this to you.
In brief: As a hobby weaver, the choice of material for the weaving comb is usually not important. For most projects, you can use weaving combs made of wood or stainless steel. The dimensions of the comb and the fineness (dpi) are more important.
Wooden reeds: light and tend to be inexpensive
Wooden reeds are ideal for traditional craft work and simpler weaving projects, for example on a loom such as the Emilia by Glimakra . They are lightweight, which makes weaving less tiring, and offer a certain flexibility, which is particularly beneficial when working with delicate or irregular threads.
- Recommended projects : loose weaves, fine fabrics, traditional weaving, experimental patterns, loom work.
- Advantage : Light, mostly cheaper, nice aesthetics.
- Disadvantage : Less robust, can wear out faster with intensive use, less suitable for high weaving widths.
Metal reeds: precise and durable
Metal reeds – especially those made of (stainless) steel – are the better choice for larger and more intensive projects. Especially if you are working on a loom with a large weaving width. They are extremely durable and offer high precision, especially with dense fabrics.
- Recommended projects : Dense weaves, heavy fabrics, long-lasting weaving projects, strong, compact weave structures.
- Advantage : High stability and durability, even with intensive use.
- Disadvantage : Heavier than wood, more expensive to produce.
What about plastic reeds?
For simple weaving frames, e.g. a School weaving looms can also be used without any problem with plastic reeds. For anything beyond that, however, we recommend wood or metal. Plastic is usually not durable and tends to be rather unaesthetic.
What are gate combs?
When someone talks about "reeds", they typically also mean reeds. However, this refers to weaving with a reed loom. You can find a whole article about this here: Reed loom
Conclusion: Make the right choice
For fine and light fabrics where flexibility is required, Wooden reeds ideal. If you produce larger, denser fabrics or want durability, it is better to use a Steel reed . We advise against using plastic reeds .
At the Buying a reed pay attention to the density and the right dimensions for your loom. Regarding the correct density, we have an article here: Understanding weaving combs and choosing them correctly
If you are looking for a weaving comb, take a look at our shop Berliner Webstuhl Manufaktur . We have a large selection of weaving combs made of wood, but we also make individual weaving combs made of stainless steel.
