Canvas has been used for hundreds of years for powering ships and providing shelter. Yet it still plays an important role in today's modern high-tech society, nothing else offers the combination of properties and value provided by canvas.

Waterproof Fabric:

Men who worked at sea a hundred years ago were at the mercy of the rain, wind and waves and often their fragile craft offered little protection from the elements.

Often survival was dependent on good clothing. If a man were soaked on deck, the icy waters could render his limbs heavy and slow his return journey to the shore. These early sea-farers devised a way of weather proofing their crude canvas smocks. These garments, which were usually made from the remains of wind torn sails, were rubbed with linseed oil. They found that when the oil had penetrated the cloth it kept the biting winds and harsh sprays from reaching their skin. This idea of applying finishes to a base fabric was the beginning of generations of waterproof and water resistant fabrics.

People may be surprised to see similar clothing being worn as a fashion item by the well heeled in the streets of capital cities and country villages around the world today.

Waterproof and water resistant fabrics have retained their popularity during the decades from 1880. The demand for A.K.Industrial Fabrics is greater than ever and the skills of this family company have been passed through generations to meet the requirements of the clothing industry worldwide.

Today, A.K.Industrial Fabrics is a major supplier of technical textiles. Producing apparel, canvas, medical, military, marine, industrial and sports fabrics.