Product knowledge
Grosgrain and satin cost about the same and sit next to each other on the shelf. They behave nothing alike — and the difference only shows up after the ribbon is tied.
A thick yarn runs across the ribbon, and thin yarns pass over it. That makes the thick yarn sit up as a small ridge. Run your thumb along it and you can feel them — about 42 ridges in every inch. Everything else about grosgrain comes from those ridges: the flat, non-shiny look, the firmness, and the grip.
Satin slips. Grosgrain grips. A bow tied in it is still tied at the end of a school day. That is why hair-clip makers will not swap it for anything cheaper.
The front and the back look exactly the same, so your worker never has to check which side is up. That saves real time when one person is tying 400 bows an hour.
Cut it with a hot knife and the end seals flat, with no hard lump. Cut it with scissors and it barely frays. Either way there is less cleaning up afterwards.
Our certificate is OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Class II. That is the class for material worn against the skin, and it means the ribbon has been tested against a published list of harmful chemicals. A copy travels with the invoice, so your buyer's auditor has it before they ask.
If the ribbon has to hold a knot, go through a wash, or be tied by hand, use grosgrain. If it only has to look shiny on a shelf, use satin. We make both, and we will tell you if satin is the better choice for you.
Standard range
Everything in this table is a normal, everyday order. Any other width needs the loom set up specially, which we do from 3,000 m.
| Quality | Fibre | Width range | Weight | Hand | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard grosgrain | 100% cotton | 3 – 75 mm | 7 g/m | Crisp | Hair bows, gift wrap, packaging |
| Petersham | 100% cotton | 10 – 50 mm | 11 g/m | Firm, shapeable | Millinery hat bands, waistbands |
Width can vary by ±0.3 mm and weight by ±5%. Normal packing is 100 m per roll on a paper core. We can also wind 25 m or 50 m spools for retail sale — no extra charge, just ask.
Where it ends up
We do not take every ribbon enquiry that comes to us. These five are the ones our looms and our dyeing are really set up for.
Where it is used
The same ribbon does very different jobs depending on how it is woven. Here is where each of our two qualities usually ends up, so you can pick without guessing.
Standard grosgrain
Petersham
Packing and despatch
Also from the same mill
This site covers one product. The same factory also makes:
Ask the sales desk and one enquiry can cover more than one product.
Our ribbon, up close
Photographs of the ribbon itself, and what each one tells you before you place an order.
Run your thumb across the ribbon and you feel small ridges. A thick yarn runs across it and thin yarns pass over the top — that is the rib. It is what gives grosgrain its flat, non-shiny look and its firm body.
We do not keep colours in stock. Every order is dyed to the shade you give us — a Pantone number, or a piece of ribbon you post to us. The full order is dyed together, so the last metre matches the first.
The widths we set up most often are 6, 10, 16, 22, 25, 38 and 50 mm. Anything else is a fresh loom set-up, which we do from 3,000 m. Tell us the width you actually need instead of picking the nearest one.
Two things that look alike and behave differently. Petersham has the scalloped edge and bends into a curve when it is steamed, which is why hat makers use it. Grosgrain stays flat and crisp, and costs about 40% less.
The edge is closed on the loom, not slit from a wide roll of fabric. That is why it does not fray when you cut a length off, and why the width stays the same all the way down the roll.
Wound flat and even on a paper core. A roll wound like this feeds straight into your machine without twisting, and it holds its shape instead of slumping when it sits on a shelf.
This is the thing you are paying for. Grosgrain grips itself, so a bow tied in it stands up and keeps its shape. Satin costs about the same and sits next to it on the shelf, but a satin bow slips and goes flat.
Every lot is looked over by hand — the width, the colour against the approved shade, and the edge along the full length. If a roll does not pass, it does not go into the carton.
Hat bands, jacket trim, waistband facing, uniform edging. Cotton grosgrain lies flat against cloth and does not shine under light, which is why tailors keep coming back to it.
The colour runs right through and both faces are woven alike. A bow or a loop looks the same from every angle, so nobody on your line has to check which side is facing up.
How an order runs
Nothing is hidden. One person looks after your order on WhatsApp, and you get an update at each of these five stages.
Width, quality, colour, and what you will use it for. Not sure? Post us the ribbon you use today and we will copy it.
We match your colour from a Pantone number or from your own sample, and send 2 m for you to try. Five working days.
You get a proforma invoice with the rate, quantity, delivery date and GST. We start the order once the 50% advance is paid.
We book the looms, dye the whole order in one batch, then wind it to your roll length.
We check the width and the colour on every roll, put the QC sheet in the carton, and raise the e-way bill the same day.
We will match the ridges, the width and the colour, give you a price for it, and post 2 m of ours so you can compare it on your own machine. No obligation.
