hackling

Hackling is a textile fiber preparation process in which fibers are combed and aligned while impurities and short fibers are removed. It is most closely associated with flax (linen) production but is also used with other bast fibers such as hemp and jute, and in certain wool processing for worsted yarns. The goal is to produce a uniform, parallel mass of long fibers suitable for spinning, improving strength, luster, and evenness.

The process uses hackles, which are frames or machines fitted with rows of sharp pins or teeth. In flax hackling, the fiber—after retting and scutching—is drawn through a succession of hackle surfaces, typically from coarser to finer. Short fibers and impurities are torn away or caught on the teeth, while longer fibers are pulled through to form a continuous, aligned sliver. The operation often subdivides the output into tow (shorter fibers) and line (longer fibers), with line yielding finer, stronger yarns and tow used for coarser products. In wool, hackling is part of the combing stage that removes short fibers and kemp and aligns the remainder for worsted spinning.

Equipment and variation: hackling can be performed on traditional hand-operated frames or modern mechanized systems that feed fiber under tension across multiple hackle plates. The technique emphasizes fiber straightness and uniform thickness, reducing breakage and improving spinning quality.

Today, hackling remains essential in high-quality linen production and in worsted wool processing, though mechanization has increased throughput and consistency in industrial settings.