Looms
The Julia loom
About the Standard and Ideal loom
The Glimakra Standard
The Glimakra Ideal
The Victoria Table Loom
The Emila Portable Rigid Heddle Loom
Susanna Rigid Heddle Loom
The Band Loom with 2 treadles
Freja Tapestry Frame
The Bohus loom
About Glimakra Looms
Price List (pdf)
The Julia Loom
The new Julia loom is Glimakra's latest floor loom addition to their line of fine floor looms. It weaves 26 inches wide. It comes with a DVD and written instructions so that you can learn to weave on your own. It can be ordered with two shafts or four shafts. It includes a reed, 500 heddles, 24 beaming sticks, lease sticks, shaft holders and sley hook.
Although Julia is a small loom, it has advantages over other small looms.
Julia is comfortable for weaving because the treadling is easy, even when barefoot. The shafts move easily in response to your treadling. The hanging beater is easier on your hands and shoulders and it hangs back, out of the way. A beater cradle is provided so that you can advance the beater, so you don't have to advance the warp so frequently. The high breast beam gives more leg space and comfort for treadling and treadle tie-up.
Julia produces a high quality weave. You can tighten the warp threads for better sheds. The warp threads stay tight for easier shuttle throwing, without skipped threads. And, the hanging beater makes it easier to get an even beat.
Julia is compact and sturdy. It goes through a doorway and is light weight for easy moving. The loom stays stable and there are no wing nuts which can loosen as you weave. It is easy to take apart and stores in a small space when apart.
Julia is comfortable for warping. The reed is easy to remove from the beater; there are no bolts to remove or wing nuts to loosen. The beater is easy to remove from the loom; just lift it off. It is easy to add heddles or to remove them, even during threading, since the shafts have open sides and are easy to access. You never need to count heddles. Texsolv tie-up cord is adjustable and you can tie up the treadles to the height you like. The Texsolv plastic pins mean that there are no knots to tie. You can sit in comfort to thread the heddles and sley the reed.
Retail $787 Flat fee shipping by FedEx of $50.
The Standard and The Ideal
There are two larger models of floor looms. The largest loom is called the "Standard" and the smaller loom is called the "Ideal". Both looms are made with the same quality workmanship, size being the major difference. Both the Glimakra Standard and the Ideal loom can be ordered as counterbalance, countermarch or both counterbalance and countermarch. The assembly is almost intuitive. Wedges hold the major components and few bolts or screws are needed. The instruction booklet shows all the parts that are included, assembly, warping and tie up. There are attachments available, a warping frame to attach to the back of the loom, a double warp beam, a sectional beam and even a drawloom. The looms come with the bench, a reed of your choice, 1,000 Texsolv heddles, complete Texsolv tie-up kit, warp sticks, lease sticks, shaft holders, shaft pins and rubber feet. We include a very comprehensive DVD. For countermarch looms, we include a copy of the book, Tying up the Countermarch Loom. We will give you any help you may need by mail, email or telephone.
The Glimakra Standard
There are three weaving widths: 120 centimeters (47") 150 centimeters (59") and 160 centimeters (63"). All three sizes are in stock and can be delivered in two weeks. The Standard loom is the larger of the two and is a 'standard' sized floor loom. It's greater depth makes it a better choice for weaving rugs and linen warps. It's wider weaving width makes it suitable for weaving wide, but it will weave narrow warps as well. Many accessories and attachments are available, such as sectional beams, second warp beams or fly shuttles.
The Glimakra Ideal
This loom comes in two weaving widths: 100 centimeters (39+") and 70 centimeters (27+"). Though the Ideal loom is the smaller of the two sizes it is a fully capable floor loom and is a good choice if you have less space for a loom. Like the Standard loom, there are accessories and attachments for the Ideal. It is available with up to 10 shafts.
The Victoria Table Loom
The Victoria loom is the perfect loom where a small loom is needed. Easy to take to workshops, this loom can be a table loom, or it can have legs and treadles added. It has four shafts, 27
inch (70 cm) weaving width, and it comes with 500 Texsolv heddles, lease sticks, 24 warp sticks, Texsolv tie up kit and
instructions.
The Emilia Folding Rigid Heddle Loom
The Emilia is a portable, folding rigid heddle loom that weaves 13 inches wide. Rigid heddle looms are a good easy way to learn to weave. This incredible new loom is made of birch, is lightweight and folds for portability. It includes a 10 dent heddle, shuttle, warping peg, two clamps, sley hook and a threader. The heddle is held by brackets, so it is secure for easier weaving and will not topple over when you are weaving. The ingenius locking of the loom frame provides a tensioning device which always give you even tension on your warp. Sturdy metal ratchets, with many teeth give you the tension you need. With the written instructions, you can be weaving in a short time. There is a double heddle kit and 8 and 12 dent heddles are also available.
Susanna Rigid Heddle Loom
Rigid heddles looms are a good easy way to learn to weave. The Susanna currently weaves up to 31" and many different things can be woven on it. It comes with lease sticks, two long flat shuttles, 15 beaming sticks, and the heddle. Included are a warping frame on the back of the loom and two clamps if you wish to secure the Susanna to a table top. Heddles are available in 8,12 and 10 dents with a second heddle kit option. A floor stand is also available.
The Band Loom with 2 treadles NEW design
Bands are fun and easy to weave, especially with a loom that is comfortable to sit at. Two treadles open the shed for you so that your hands are free to weave. You can weave on this loom as a two shaft loom with the Texsolv heddles, or set it up as an inkle loom. This loom is very portable and perfect for taking outside or for demonstrations.
The band loom is fun to use and children like it too. You'll be surprised at the speed and ease of weaving up to 5 inches wide using the two treadle band loom. Some will set up the band loom with cards for card weaving and the possibilities are enormous. The pricing on the band loom is remarkably low as well.
Pull a seat up to the two treadle band loom and catch yourself smiling at the ease and fun of it all. Band looms are easy to assemble or disassemble and are light to carry about.
Freja Tapestry Frame
A nice tapestry frame loom, named after Freja, the sheep dog of Montana City. The Freja comes with a built in tension adjustment, "legs" to hold the frame at a slight angle on a table top, and accessories like tapestry bobbins are available.
The Freja is not only good for tapestry weavers but is useful in teaching situations and workshops. You'll find that the built in tensioner is very functional.
Tapestry beater forks and wooden tapestry bobbins are also available and shown in the photo.
The Bohus loom
The Bohus loom is a very well made yet simple two shaft loom. It is especially easy to use for children or the elderly. In Sweden, the Bohus found great use in situations such as assisted living and rehabilitation centers. The shed is opened and held open by a heavy top handle which leaves both hands free to manipulate the weaving and shuttle.
The Bohus is very sturdy and made of birch. It comes with a flat shuttle, reed, 300 heddles and cord and beaming sticks. It will weave about 14 inches wide and has a 'footprint' of about 30 inches by 20 inches.
About Glimakra Looms
The Glimakra loom factory is located in Oxberg Sweden. It is a town known for many centuries for making beautiful and functional looms and reeds. It is also an area of forests which provide the wood for the looms. The weaving traditions are very strong in this area and looms have been made here for many centuries. Here weaving traditions have never been broken and the knowledge of the past has been continually passed on in the families and communities.
The company started as a reed making business and then became a loom making company. Their looms are made with all the fine craftsmanship and features of traditional Swedish looms. Swedish pine and birch trees are specially chosen for each part of the loom. Only the lower bole of the tree is used and the factory rejects about 90% plus of the wood as they select the best pieces. Birch is well known as a fine hard wood. The Swedish pine which grows in this area of Sweden has very close growth rings, making it a very hard, strong wood. Pine is the traditional wood used in Sweden for making the frames of the looms. The wood is very carefully finished with a fine film lacquer to give a smooth surface, which is necessary for the movement of threads on the beams.
The company used refined woodworking techniques and modern (CNC) computerized equipment to assure perfect fit, finish and function. If you are in the area of Sweden be sure to arrange a visit with Jan-Olav.
For a description of the frame and features of the Glimakra loom, see Swedish Looms
