I’ve been wondering this for a while, but how does the NCR manufacture their armor, and what materials are used in it’s construction? The NCR’s economy seems largely backed by expansion and the brahmin industry, with a decent manufacturing industry as represented by the Gun Runners, likely using salvage rather than extraction for resources like steel. So that makes me wonder the question then, since the NCR’s trooper (and patrol ranger) armors are clearly produced by the Republic, what textiles do they use to produce these? Additionally, are the armoring over the fatigues steel woven into a carrier, or maybe some kind of layered leather? What do you think?
why doesn’t the ncr just import cotton from south asia? are they stupid?
good point on the new post-war new california ecology though, it’s totally possible their looms run thread from an all-new plant, courtesy of atomic botany. didn’t know that nettles could be used for textiles either. its now my headcanon that during famine NCR civillians raid textile mills and eat the raw nettles.
Haha! I like it! Generally, the greens are what people eat or make tea with though. In WWI, the Germans ended up resorting to wild-harvested nettle fiber for uniforms due to linen shortages.
I made some nettle fiber of the sort that could be used to make textile in the past to see if I could. It’s not that challenging but is time consuming. The process is very similar to processing hemp and flax for fiber:
Cutting and bundling the stalks (ideally without getting stung too many times): However long it takes your Mr. Handy or manual cutting.
Retting, dissolving the pectin that glues the cellulose fibers that you want to the woody lignin bits that you don’t with the help of microbes: “Wet” retting takes about a week of just letting the bundles sit in stagnant water. “Dew” retting is also possible but, due to the lower quantity of moisture takes closer to 2-3 weeks and results in lower quality.
Breaking, the process of breaking up the woody bits to start separating them from the fiber: Can be done very quickly by passing the retted stalks through mechanical rollers
Scutching, removing the woody bits from the fiber: Manually, takes a LOT of effort. Basically, it’s scraping the stalks with a wooden knife. Apparently, a person can be expected to scutch about 6.8kg (15lbs) of fiber per day by hand. Mechanically, it can also be done with metal rollers. Much, much easier.
Heckling/hackling, further removing woody bits and coarse fibers by pulling it through progressively narrower combs (generally made of nails): Manually, more pleasant than scutching but time consuming. Mechanically, can be done on a machine compound it with the previous two steps.
(Optional) Boiling fiber in wood ash solution. The weak alkali helps to break down remaining pectin and soften the fiber.
Then, raw fiber is ready to be spun and sent to a loom to weave into textile.