Hemp is strong and soft.
The fiber is one of the most valuable parts of the hemp plant. It is commonly called bast, which refers to the fibers which grow on the outside of the plant’s stalk. Bast fibers give the plants strength. Hemp fibers can be between approximately 0.91 m (3 ft) and 4.6 m (15 ft) long, running the length of the plant.
The length of the hemp fiber is the main contributor to strength of yarn. A pleasant byproduct of having a longer fibre is softness. Because less fibers are required to spin hemp yarn, there are fewer ends of fiber to cause discomfort to skin.
Hemp requires minimal resources to grow.
Hemp can grow in any agronomic system, in any climate, and requires no herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or insecticides to grow well. Hemp is its own fertilizer, its own herbicide (it is a weed), and its own pesticide. Hemp plants only need 10-13 inches of water, 1/3 of the amount which cotton requires, to grow to 8-12 feet in 3-4 months.
Hemp replenishes soil.
Falling leaves and shrubs not used in processing fall to the ground and replenish the soil with nutrients, nitrogen, and oxygen. This rich organic mulch promotes the development of fertile grassland. Some of the carbon which is "breathed" in by the plant in the form of CO2 is left in the roots and crop residues in the field. The CO2 is broken down by photosynthesis into carbon and oxygen, with oxygen being aspirated back into the atmosphere. With each season more CO2 is reduced from the air and added to the soil.
Hemp roots absorb and dissipate the energy of rain and runoff, which protects fertilizer, soil, and keeps seeds in place. Hemp plants slow down the velocity of runoff by absorbing moisture. By creating shade, hemp plants moderate extreme variations in temperatures, which conserves moisture in the soil. Hemp plants reduce the loss of topsoil in windy conditions. Hemp plants also loosen the earth for subsequent crops
Hemp plants can even pull nuclear toxins from the soil. In fact hemp was planted near and around the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site to pull radioactive elements from the ground. The process is called phyto-remediation, which means using plants (phyto) to clean up polluted sites. Phyto-remediation can be used to remove nuclear elements, and to clean up metals, pesticides, solvents, crude oil, and other toxins from landfills. Hemp breaks down pollutants and stabilizes metal contaminants by acting as a filter. Hemp is proving to be one of the best phyto-remediative plants found.
The minimum benefit of a hemp crop is in its use as a rotation crop. Since hemp stabilizes and enriches the soil farmers grow crops on, and provides them with weed-free fields, without cost of herbicides, it has value even if no part of the plant is being harvested and used. Any industry or monetary benefit beyond this value is a bonus. Rotating hemp with soy reduces cyst nematodes, a soy-decimating soil parasite, without any chemical input. Hemp could be grown as a rotation crop and not compete with any other food crops for the most productive farmland. Marginal lands make fine soil for hemp, or hemp can be grown in between growing seasons.
Hemp has been proven to be naturally antimicrobial based on formal studies.
Hemp fabric was tested against two bacteria strains, Staphylococcus Aureus (staph) and Klebsiella Pneumoniae (pneumonia). The fabric tested was a hemp blend, 60% hemp and 40% rayon. The staph test sample was already 98.5% bacteria free during the first measurement of the testing, while the pneumonia fabric sample was 65.1% bacteria free. These results, even prior to the tests completion, clearly display the fabrics unique capability at killing bacteria and reducing their spread.
For infrared testing, the same hemp blend was analyzed resulting in a test result of 0.893, or nearly 90% resistant. Different blended fabrics have the potential to increase the percentage of this initial test, especially fabrics with a higher percentage of hemp.
Hemp Series BJJ gi SGS fiber analysis reports
Our gis are of SGS certified 100% long fiber hemp twill and canvas construction.
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Sources
Lab Testing Reveals EnviroTextile's Hemp Fabric Stops the Spread of Staph Bacteria
Survival of Enterococci and Staphylococci on Hospital Fabrics and Plastic
2 comments
First ever jujitsu practice in hemp couldn’t have been more perfect. Bill said he had one extra that didn’t fit him if I wanted to buy it I could try it out. Just so happens that I’ve built walls with Hempcrete and believe very strongly in using hemp for more of what we need — less plastics and unnatural fibers. Stoked to have this as my first gi.
I wish hemp wasn’t so taboo. It’s been unfairly associated with marrijuanna and it’s drug using hippie counter culture which us unfortunate. There isn’t anything more helpful for countering the environmental impact man has had on this planet then the cultivation of hemp. It regenerates soil nutrients, prevents top soil erosion, absorbs harmful chemicals in the ground and provides us with a textile that’s not harmful for the soil as much as cotton is. Hemp just doesn’t get a fair shake, culturally and politically.