Tow Texture?

[Smokey Plainsman]

I’ve noticed two styles of tow fibers. One is neat and combed, like this:



The other is messy with lots of little fibers and junk:



Which is better for cleaning muzzle loading guns?

-Smokey

[Dennis Glazener]

I use the messy one. Works great for me. Not sure the other one is Tow looks like finished flax fibers to me.
Dennis

[Clark Badgett]

I got the messy kind. A tight wad of the stuff around my worm will make quick work of cleaning most of the crud out of the barrel.

[WadePatton]

Tow is the leavings from the process of carding and spinning flax (or hemp) into thread.  The crappy stuff is what pioneers would have been using.  The more you use it and re-use it, the better it gets. 

I think I'll grow some (flax). The seeds are fantastic food supplement (that I eat daily) as well as the source of linseed oil-if you want to make paint or finish.

Either will work, but why pay for fancy? I'd say the waste was plentiful anywhere thread and cloth were spun.

[iloco]

I have both kinds but only use the messy kind in my gun barrels.  The neat and combed kind someone gave to me which I haven't used.
 

[Joe S]

I think I'll grow some (flax).

Flax can be grown in your yard. Hemp can be grown in your neighbor's yard.

[halfstock]

Hey Jose :

[Natureboy]

  I have both kinds, too, but not by choice. I bought both bags from Townsend, and the first one I've almost used up is the "messy" variety, and the recent bag has the movie star wig look. It's a PITA, because it has to be rubbed up a lot to wind up on my worm. It works, but requires some preparation. I like the messy kind, but you don't know what you're getting from on-line descriptions.

[WadePatton]

 

I think I'll grow some (flax).

Flax can be grown in your yard. Hemp can be grown in your neighbor's yard.

[rich pierce]

If anyone wants to grow flax, keep in mind most seed sold is for short flax grown for seed.