Anyone use silk bandanas?

Shotgun

Shotgun

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Feb 3, 2006
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I've been looking for 3 foot bandanas to bridge the gap between the standard small ones and my shemagh. The small ones are a little small and the quilting on the shemagh makes it bulky. Anyway, I was looking into them and I found these silk ones and was wondering if anyone uses them or if any of you guys have any general comments? The ones I'm looking at are halfway down, I'll post a pic as well.
http://www.riverjunction.com/catalog/mensfurn/bandanas.html
silk-bandana-blue-thb.jpg
 
cotton I know silk is tough just I feel cotton is more durable...at least from my experience...and its cheaper..
 
I recently picked up an awesome silk aviator-style scarf. It's about 15 inches wide and six feet long. I got it for motorcycling (keeps neck from chafing and keeps the draft out of my collar), but it has a thousand and one uses. The tight weave really keeps the wind out and it packs up really small when not in use. I'm told it's great to wear wet in hot weather too.
 
Shotgun:

Like you, I had to do quite a search for the "cowboy" size bandanas. Both cotton and silk have unique qualities, and so, while I generally carry a cotton version, I add a silk version for cool/colder weather. No problem that I've had with the silk being "fragile".

Hasselof: where are you finding the hemp versions ?

Doc
 
I love silk bandanas. They work great at keeping my neck warm on the motorcycle in cool weather and if you soak them they'll cool you off in warm weather. There are lots of real cowboys (who spend a lot of time outdoors) where I live and they all use silk as well. I've never seen any of them use cotton except to blow their nose. ;) The local western store sells 34" square ones in solid color for around $10 each.
 
i have heard that silk does a better job of wicking moisture and then having it evaporate whereas in my experience cotton wicks... then stays soaked. silk will dry faster and i am under the impression as well that its fibers are stronger than cotton.
 
docgra said:
Hasselof: where are you finding the hemp versions?
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I bought online from these hippies. It's great quality stuff, made in Transylvania for a company called ecolution.

I have a feeling it will never wear out. It handles deet, wringing out, tieing knots, kitchen duty... it's waay stronger than plain cotton. I've had mine since 2006 and although the printed color pattern is wearing off, there is no wear at all in the weave. It's very soft after a first washing. I've never thrown it in the dryer, never will. The size is perfect for tying around the neck on wearing on top.
 
I've bought silk and cotton 35" bandanas from these guys. They had to discontinue the cotton but still have silk. Good quality. I prefer silk when on horseback. More versitile, stronger, lighter and warmer (cooler in summer) around the neck than cotton.

http://www.jinglebobs.com/
 
Maybe try a cloth/craft store in your area. You can buy material by the yard and cut it to whatever size you want.
 
Hassilov said:
I bought online from these hippies. It's great quality stuff, made in Transylvania for a company called ecolution.

I have a feeling it will never wear out. It handles deet, wringing out, tieing knots, kitchen duty... it's waay stronger than plain cotton. I've had mine since 2006 and although the printed color pattern is wearing off, there is no wear at all in the weave. It's very soft after a first washing. I've never thrown it in the dryer, never will. The size is perfect for tying around the neck on wearing on top.
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I've got a couple of these (I also picked them up at a local hippie store called the Hemporium :D) and they're amazing. Super tough, and a decent bit larger than a standard bandanna. I wouldn't want to use anything else at this point. :cool:
 
Just for perspective, Teddy Roosevelt notes in "Huntig Trips of a Ranchman" that SILK bandanas were standard to the western cowboy's attire in the late 1800s. In addition to the properties that make silk superior to cotton in most regards, if it is tough enough for men in hard climates doing hard work, silk is probably as tough as one needs.
 
I use raw silk "kramas" which are Cambodian scarves, they are used and worn very similarly to Palestinian "keffiyeh". These can be used for sun protection, as towels, sarongs, slings, carry bags, insulation, or pretty much anything. They are about 15"x60" in size.

Silk and especially raw silk has properties which make them stronger, lighter and better insulators than cotton, wool or any man-made materials.

If you can find raw silk materials, they will hold up better than shiny spun silk.
 
Yeah, I mostly use my bandana as a substitute hand towel, or a sweat wicking headband and I think plain old cotton beats silk for those uses.
 
CWL said:
I use raw silk "kramas" which are Cambodian scarves, they are used and worn very similarly to Palestinian "keffiyeh". These can be used for sun protection, as towels, sarongs, slings, carry bags, insulation, or pretty much anything. They are about 15"x60" in size.

Silk and especially raw silk has properties which make them stronger, lighter and better insulators than cotton, wool or any man-made materials.

If you can find raw silk materials, they will hold up better than shiny spun silk.
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Where do you get them? I Googled and found descriptions and discussions, but no places to buy them.
 
I wish I could have found larger bandannas when I was a wild land fire fighter, they're so useful.

Cotton was plenty tough for me, though silk might have worked better.
 
Shotgun said:
Anyone use silk bandanas?
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Yes, a sand washed silk "wild" rag from Horsewright clothing.

http://www.horsewrightclothing.com/

The sand washed silk has an earth tone, matte finish and a smooth texture which is good for gripping and insulation.

As Blackhills has mentioned, this is authentic cow poke gear. For the Sonoran desert, the silk is far superior to cheap cotton for wicking.

I wore mine as a scarf for a week in the mountains last December (elk hunt). It lasted well, and did not become foul.
 
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