The final step in the process of preparing flax for spinning, before weaving into linen. Handfuls of flax fibres secured in clamps are manually fed into hackling frames: the flax is pulled through hackling combs of varying fine-ness that split, straighten and clean the fibres. This produces short fibres, tow, or higher grade longer strands, refined line flax, or rove that are then spun into yarn.
