Why Bamboo For Socks

It is perhaps not immediately noticed by someone putting on a bamboo sock for the first time that, apart from the smooth softness, you can hold the sock by the top hem and pull it onto your foot in one smooth movement until it is fully in place and there it stays. Most other sock types have to be almost ‘threaded’ onto your foot in several stages. Also, in principle, many people wash their socks daily because traditionally, this was the right thing to do. However, with the natural anti-bacterial properties of bamboo fibre, we have had reports from campers and hikers that after wearing the socks for even up to a week straight without washing, they still smell fresh.

How is Bamboo Textile Fibre made?

The bamboo forests in China have largely been cultivated there for many hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of years. Every year, in spring and summer, new poles (called culms), grow from a shoot underground. One shoot of the larger timber varieties of bamboo weighs between 2-4 kg when it is less than 30cm high. At this stage it is quite soft and can easily be cut with a knife. If left to grow, this shoot reaches its full height of say 20 metres in an incredible 3 months, (height depending on variety). When mature, the timber is extraordinarily resilient and strong. It has a tensile strength quite similar to mild steel.

Bamboo textile fibre is made from bamboo timber which has matured in the forest for at least 4 years. Even in remote areas of China bamboo forests are highly valued and carefully tended and managed. When harvested they are taken to mills where they are crushed and submersed in a strong solution of sodium hydroxide which dissolves the bamboo cellulose. With the addition of carbon disulfide it renders the mix ready to regenerate fibres which are then drawn off, washed and bleached to a bright white colour and dried. The resultant fluff is very long in staple and visibly finer than other fibres. Then they are spun into yarn, like any other textile fibre. The longer staple and higher tensile strength is what makes a tough, soft yarn – which is not as susceptible to wearing and fraying as many other yarns. This is what gives bamboo fabrics excellent durability. The hollowness of the fibre contributes to its very high level of absorbency. But it also takes longer to dry on a clothesline. The hollowness of the fibre also enables it to hold dyes and pigments more readily and permanently, thus making it much more colourfast.

The two main chemicals used in the process are sodium hydroxide and carbon disufide.

It was discovered that carbon disulfide was a nerve poison after many years of exposure at high concentrations by factory workers in Italy in the 1930s and 40s, however with adequate ventilation it is not a problem and it breaks down when in contact with the natural elements. Neither carbon nor sulfur are poisonous elements.

Sodium hydroxide is also known as caustic soda, and it is true that it is strongly alkaline and will react with many substances. However, it is not toxic at all and is used extensively in cooking.

The benefits of bamboo socks are extraordinary, especially for Diabetics!

·         Moisture Control - Keeps Feet Dry

·         Odour Control - Helps Fight Foot Odour

·         Helps Prevent Blisters since the fibres are smoother than most others

·         Green - Made of Bamboo, Biodegradable Eco-Friendly Socks

·         Thermo-Regulating - Keeps You Warm in the Winter and Cool in the Summer

·         Cushioning in Key Areas - Provides Maximum Comfort

Bamboo Socks are currently on sale from various large retailers online and in store. 100bamboo.com will be launching their range of Adult and Baby Bamboo Socks in December. Just in time for those stocking fillers.