This section is from the "A Complete Dictionary of Dry Goods" book, by George S. Cole. Also available from Amazon: A complete dictionary of dry goods and history of silk, cotton, linen, wool and other fibrous substances,: Including a full explanation of the modern processes ... together with various useful tables.
Pile Weaving. A process of weaving in which a third thread is introduced, and formed into loops by weaving it over wires laid across the entire breadth of the cloth. The wires are then drawn out leaving the loops standing, or the loops may be cut so as to form a cut pile, as in velvet and plush. The pile wire is used only in pile-weaving. In the manufacture of cut-pile fabrics grooved pile-wires are used, laid with the grooves facing the tops of the loops. In cutting the pile-threads, the knife slides edge upward through the groove or channel of the wire, thus making the cutting uniform, without danger of injuring the warp or weft. [See Velvet].
 
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