how can you tell if something is made of real silk from silk worms? so many cheap things are labelled 100% silk on ebay. but i have no idea how expensive silk realistically can be.
How Can You Tell if Something Is Made of Real Silk from Silk Worms?
bargain huntress on 20/12/2019 - 17:22
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lol that sounds like testing if someone was a witch.
but i guess that works if i can pull a thread off?
Sounds better than dissolving the silk in solution!
"16 grams Copper Sulphate
8 grams Glycerine
1 tablespoon caustic soda
150 cc of water"it doesn't sound that hard… i could mix up a batch and make myself a little test kit with a test tube and a dropper bottle… pull off a thread, stick it in there, drop solution in, see what happens.
highanddry's link just doesn't say how long it takes.
burning would be fast. and i could make a burn test kit with an ash tray and a lighter.
Sort of like QA testing for matches. :)
Put it close and slightly brush on your face and if you think ‘mmmm silky’ it must be
artificial fibres can be pretty silky nowadays
If you can't tell and it was cheap does it really matter?
fair point
i think it does if i pay a lot of money for it
price
so what should i expect to pay for silk?
Well, you may pay for more than you think as baby moths LoooVE silk and it will have little holes in no time. So before you buy it, google some info' about storing silk. I learnt the hard way.
oooo thank you - i knew they are after my wool, i didn't realise they want my silk too.
how do you store yours?
@bargain huntress: Yeah moth larvae will chew on pretty much any type of natural fibers, it's only synthetic fibers that they don't like. Actually, this might be another way (albeit impractical) to test whether it's real silk? 😄
Wardrobes can be a bit too easy for moths to get into because of the gaps in the sliding doors, drawers are usually better. If you want to be absolutely sure, airtight containers like those big plastic crates with fitted lids.
Also, wash your silk on delicate cycle only, and with shampoo instead of laundry detergent. Its composition is not much different from hair, so it'll start breaking down sooner if treated harshly.
@bargain huntress: I unfortunately don't buy it any more. I have never ever had issues with clothes and didn't know better, and I was kept some silk tops I purchased for a special occasion, but when the occasion came I noticed the tiny holes, and so that's the end of silk experiment for me. :(
Try burning it. If it just melts, it was synthetic. If it actually burns up, it used to be real silk.
/I kid but only kind of:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Silk…