The papermaking process.
100% recycled stock, no chemicals or dyes are used in the production of these beautiful sheets of handmade of paper.
Our beaters are based on the Hollander Beater used in the 1600s in Holland. They are loaded with hot water and industry waste paper which we source from the printing industry. We only use good quality papers which are clean and have no print. This would otherwise end up as cardboard or landfill.
Making the pulp
Paper for recycling is fed into the beater. Once beaten, the paper again becomes a pulp.
Pulling a sheet
This pulp is suspended in a vat of water, stirred and the time honoured mold and deckle is used to evenly draw up a screen of wet pulp which will become a sheet of paper.
Couching
Each sheet is then "couched" by rolling the mold onto an absorbent pad. This takes considerable skill to evenly deposit the sheet on the pad, getting rid of air bubbles, maintaining its form and preserving the individuality of each sheet.
Pressing
The post of wet sheets is then placed in a press to get rid of the water.
Stacking
The sheet is now damp rather than wet and the fibres will hold the sheet in its form. At this stage sheets are stacked being "peeled" handlessly from the bed.
Resting
Here 50 new and individual sheets of paper wait on a stack, being protected and insulated by woollen sheets, until there are sufficient sheets to fill the dryer.
Drying
900 sheets are stacked into the drying process. Sheets are under pressure are dried by fan forced cool air. After 4 days the sheets are dry and flat.