"Selvedge" is a characteristic of Japanese denim fabrics as said "Japanese denim = Selvedge".

"Selvedge" is edges of fabrics, and many of you guys are aware of it because it is easily recognized by the color of the warp yarns (basically lines on a white background).

Selvedge is often thought to be unique to denim fabrics because of well-known "red ear", but in fact, it is common to almost all fabrics.

So what is the difference between those with selvedge and those without?

It is because the difference in the weaving machine.

A textile is composed of a combination of warp and weft yarns.

Weft yarns pass between the warp yarns, which go up and down, to create the structure for weaving.

Shuttle looms are a loom that use a device called a "shuttle", equipped with a bobbin with yarns spun on it when threading weft yarns, and the yarns go through on the left and right sides of the loom.

Shuttle: Equip a bobbin with yarns in the center, it is struck with a hammer and move left and right between the warp yarns.

There are selvedges in the fabrics that woven with shuttle looms.

Basically it is the same structure as the hand weaving looms.

In contrast, there is also a shuttleless (innovative) loom.

Shuttle loom

Shuttleless loom

Instead of a relatively heavy shuttle, this loom uses light and small parts, air, water, etc... to carry the weft yarns.

Unlike a shuttle loom, the weft yarns are not connected to each other because only yarns are moved, and the weft yarns are cut off at both ends, like fringes, so there is no selvedge!

This is why selvedge denim can only be woven with shuttle looms.

Shuttleless loom, which can send the weft yarn farther and faster than the shuttle loom due to lightweight, has dramatically increased production efficiency compared to earlier looms.

Denim woven with a shuttle loom has a fabric width of approximately 80 cm, while the shuttleless loom has a width of 150 cm.

Production speed is 2.5 to 3 times faster than before, fabric width is about double, and shuttle looms are being replaced by shuttleless looms.

Naturally, selvedge denim also disappeared.

However, as you know, selvedge denim still exists today.

Why?

We will tell you about the fascination of selvedge denim which still exists today, along with an explanation of the production process.

Look forward to it!