rob d
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Reviewed October 19, 2012
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This area of Chiang Mai is famous for handcrafted and painted umbrellas and fans, as well as the making of a handmade paper called saa paper. This factory was visited by HRH Princess Diana in 1988 alongside the famous Shinawatra Thai Silk factory nearby.
The ladies who handcraft the umbrellas produce some beautifully coloured works of art, as well as fans (Chinese-style hand fans that is). The artwork is beautiful and fascinating to watch. I would plan to spend 1-2 hours here, watching, learning and then shopping for souvenirs.
Saa paper starts as the bark of the mulberry tree, common across Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. This plant (Broussonetia Papyrifera Vent) is a common, rapidly growing, and non-cultured flora that rapidly fills untended environments. The material of this plant is perfectly sustainable as it is essentially a weed, replacing itself
The mulberry bark is soaked in clean water for about a day until it is softer and more pliable. It is then boiled in a salt water solution for a couple of hours to break down the internal strength of the plant cellulose. After boiling, the salt solution is rinsed away from the fibre, resulting in the basic raw fibre which makes up the essence of the paper.
Handmade paper is actually the second main use of the mulberry tree. Silkworms can only produce quality silk while keeping to a diet of mulberry leaves. As the bushes mature, the leaves are no longer appetizing to the silkworm. At that point the bark and leaves are stripped (and ultimately grow back) for use in making Saa Paper.
Saa paper now begins its real transformation. The raw material has been groomed and selected for consistent texture and color. This step is crucial in the final texture and feel of the paper. In preparation for its coloring, the paper is now immersed in cold water and agitated repeatedly through a blunt thresher to create a granular pulp. The Saa paper pulp is then allowed to sit for a few minutes after the agitator is removed from the pulping bin. The ground, dyed fibers then rise to the top and are collected on a light screen that draws out even layers of pulp for the final drying process.
The ladies who handcraft the umbrellas produce some beautifully coloured works of art, as well as fans (Chinese-style hand fans that is). The artwork is beautiful and fascinating to watch. I would plan to spend 1-2 hours here, watching, learning and then shopping for souvenirs.
Saa paper starts as the bark of the mulberry tree, common across Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. This plant (Broussonetia Papyrifera Vent) is a common, rapidly growing, and non-cultured flora that rapidly fills untended environments. The material of this plant is perfectly sustainable as it is essentially a weed, replacing itself
The mulberry bark is soaked in clean water for about a day until it is softer and more pliable. It is then boiled in a salt water solution for a couple of hours to break down the internal strength of the plant cellulose. After boiling, the salt solution is rinsed away from the fibre, resulting in the basic raw fibre which makes up the essence of the paper.
Handmade paper is actually the second main use of the mulberry tree. Silkworms can only produce quality silk while keeping to a diet of mulberry leaves. As the bushes mature, the leaves are no longer appetizing to the silkworm. At that point the bark and leaves are stripped (and ultimately grow back) for use in making Saa Paper.
Saa paper now begins its real transformation. The raw material has been groomed and selected for consistent texture and color. This step is crucial in the final texture and feel of the paper. In preparation for its coloring, the paper is now immersed in cold water and agitated repeatedly through a blunt thresher to create a granular pulp. The Saa paper pulp is then allowed to sit for a few minutes after the agitator is removed from the pulping bin. The ground, dyed fibers then rise to the top and are collected on a light screen that draws out even layers of pulp for the final drying process.
Individual Gift Boxes
Price: from $6 to $12
Mulberry Paper Square
Gift Box Sets
Price: $49
Mulberry Paper Gift
Rectangular Box Sets
Price: $49
Hexagon Saa Paper
Gift Box Sets
Price: from $19 to $35
HOW TO MAKE SAA PAPER
How Saa paper is made
Saa paper starts as the bark of the mulberry tree, common across Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. This plant (Broussonetia Papyrifera Vent) is a common, rapidly growing, and non-cultured flora that rapidly fills untended environments. The material of this plant is perfectly sustainable as it is essentially a weed, replacing itself faster than it can be used.
Mulberry bush used for Saa paper
Mulberry tree bark is harvested
Handmade paper is actually the second main use of the mulberry tree. Silkworms can only produce quality silk while keeping to a diet of mulberry leaves. As the bushes mature, the leaves are no longer appetizing to the silkworm. At that point the bark and leaves are stripped (and ultimately grow back) for use in making Saa paper.
Handmade craft paper is made from the naturally fast growing mulberry tree bark
Natural paper material is boiled
The mulberry bark is soaked in clean water for about a day until it is softer and more pliable. It is then boiled in a salt water solution for a couple of hours to break down the internal strength of the plant cellulose. After boiling, the salt solution is rinsed away from the fiber, resulting in the basic raw fiber which makes up the essence of the paper.
The bark is soaked and boiled to make it easier to work into paper
Mulberry strips are whitened for uniform color
Handmade paper has to be a uniform color in order to consistently hold any dye added further in the paper making process. Salt treated in a chlorine solution is used to remove the color inconsistencies in the raw material. The whitening agent is then thoroughly rinsed away to prevent it from interfering in additional coloration.
Mulberry bark is treated with a sodium agent to lighten color inconsistency
Raw material is sorted for quality
After the raw bark is soaked, cleaned, and treated for uniform color there still remain natural variations. The low-impact, handmade processing means that even after a few days of handling the material can still be grouped by hue and roughness. The most delicate and regular-hued segments are chosen for paper, while rougher and darker segments are destined for rope or thicker boards.
Handmade processing leaves too much variation to use for paper making directly, so the material is chosen for quality.
Handmade paper pulp
Saa paper now begins its real transformation. The raw material has been groomed and selected for consistent texture and color. This step is crucial in the final texture and feel of the paper. In preparation for its coloring, the paper is now immersed in cold water and agitated repeatedly through a blunt thresher to create a granular pulp.
The natural fibers are now rendered in cold water for uniform consistency.
Handmade paper coloring
As the fibers are being crushed and separated, traditional dyes are added into the cold water solution. The color is therefore dyeing the pulp as it is ground into a mash of cellulose so fine that the rich colors come through as close to true and with minimal dilution and variation in the final paper.
The color is added in the same step the paper pulp is ground, fixing the coloring at the smallest particle.
Paper making revealed
The Saa paper pulp is then allowed to sit for a few minutes after the agitator is removed from the pulping bin. The ground, dyed fibers then rise to the top and are collected on a light screen that draws out even layers of pulp for the final drying process.
The pulp is spread evenly over a screen to make a single sheet. The smooth and evenly-layered pulp is now essentially dissolved cellulose amalgam. The sun, while drying the pulp, evaporates the water in the solution as the trays are exposed on alternating sides, fixing the pulp together into sheets with the natural adhesive that was formed in the pulping process.
The Saa Paper is used in making gift boxes and greeting cards and is very interesting to watch being made and then drying in the sun.
Excellent memories of Chiang Mai thanks to the people of Borsang.
Price: from $6 to $12
Mulberry Paper Square
Gift Box Sets
Price: $49
Mulberry Paper Gift
Rectangular Box Sets
Price: $49
Hexagon Saa Paper
Gift Box Sets
Price: from $19 to $35
HOW TO MAKE SAA PAPER
How Saa paper is made
Saa paper starts as the bark of the mulberry tree, common across Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. This plant (Broussonetia Papyrifera Vent) is a common, rapidly growing, and non-cultured flora that rapidly fills untended environments. The material of this plant is perfectly sustainable as it is essentially a weed, replacing itself faster than it can be used.
Mulberry bush used for Saa paper
Mulberry tree bark is harvested
Handmade paper is actually the second main use of the mulberry tree. Silkworms can only produce quality silk while keeping to a diet of mulberry leaves. As the bushes mature, the leaves are no longer appetizing to the silkworm. At that point the bark and leaves are stripped (and ultimately grow back) for use in making Saa paper.
Handmade craft paper is made from the naturally fast growing mulberry tree bark
Natural paper material is boiled
The mulberry bark is soaked in clean water for about a day until it is softer and more pliable. It is then boiled in a salt water solution for a couple of hours to break down the internal strength of the plant cellulose. After boiling, the salt solution is rinsed away from the fiber, resulting in the basic raw fiber which makes up the essence of the paper.
The bark is soaked and boiled to make it easier to work into paper
Mulberry strips are whitened for uniform color
Handmade paper has to be a uniform color in order to consistently hold any dye added further in the paper making process. Salt treated in a chlorine solution is used to remove the color inconsistencies in the raw material. The whitening agent is then thoroughly rinsed away to prevent it from interfering in additional coloration.
Mulberry bark is treated with a sodium agent to lighten color inconsistency
Raw material is sorted for quality
After the raw bark is soaked, cleaned, and treated for uniform color there still remain natural variations. The low-impact, handmade processing means that even after a few days of handling the material can still be grouped by hue and roughness. The most delicate and regular-hued segments are chosen for paper, while rougher and darker segments are destined for rope or thicker boards.
Handmade processing leaves too much variation to use for paper making directly, so the material is chosen for quality.
Handmade paper pulp
Saa paper now begins its real transformation. The raw material has been groomed and selected for consistent texture and color. This step is crucial in the final texture and feel of the paper. In preparation for its coloring, the paper is now immersed in cold water and agitated repeatedly through a blunt thresher to create a granular pulp.
The natural fibers are now rendered in cold water for uniform consistency.
Handmade paper coloring
As the fibers are being crushed and separated, traditional dyes are added into the cold water solution. The color is therefore dyeing the pulp as it is ground into a mash of cellulose so fine that the rich colors come through as close to true and with minimal dilution and variation in the final paper.
The color is added in the same step the paper pulp is ground, fixing the coloring at the smallest particle.
Paper making revealed
The Saa paper pulp is then allowed to sit for a few minutes after the agitator is removed from the pulping bin. The ground, dyed fibers then rise to the top and are collected on a light screen that draws out even layers of pulp for the final drying process.
The pulp is spread evenly over a screen to make a single sheet. The smooth and evenly-layered pulp is now essentially dissolved cellulose amalgam. The sun, while drying the pulp, evaporates the water in the solution as the trays are exposed on alternating sides, fixing the pulp together into sheets with the natural adhesive that was formed in the pulping process.
The Saa Paper is used in making gift boxes and greeting cards and is very interesting to watch being made and then drying in the sun.
Excellent memories of Chiang Mai thanks to the people of Borsang.
Visited November 2011
Ranked #1 of 2 attractions in San Kamphaeng
29 Reviews
Type: Neighborhoods, Specialty Shops
35 visitor photos
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