Even today Colombian HAMACA hammocks are still largely traditionally handmade. A dozen individual operations are required to make a high quality HAMACA hammock. Most work steps are so demanding that they can only be completed by an adult with many years of training and experience. Despite this fact we have continuous controls to ensure that no children are involved in the local production. Many people have secure jobs thanks to the production of HAMACA hammocks in Colombia.
1. We go to a lot of effort in selecting the correct threads. This includes stability, colour fastness but also lab tests to ensure they are free of harmful substances. To ensure environmental respsonsibility, we use recycled cotton in our Colombian hammocks.
2. In the first work step these threads must be wound around the beam of the weaving loom in the correct pattern.
3. At the same time the correct colour threads are wound around the spindles for the woof threads.
4. Now comes the hardest part: The weaving master, a highly esteemed professional, sets up the weaving loom. Up to 6000 warp threads must be precisely knotted by hand: this takes him a whole day.
5. Now the weaving can start: A good weaver can produce 5 to 20 hammocks a day on a weaving loom. The high number of threads and the “thrusting power” of the weaving loom determine the density of the hammock and thus its stability.
6. In the mean time supporting threads in the same cotton threads are woven in the traditional crocheting device. We use slightly more material than usual resulting in extra thick threads and making HAMACA hammocks particularly tear-proof.
7. After 1 to 2 weeks a whole role of hammock material has been woven and can be cut into the correct lengths. Continuous hammock clew ropes are now added and secured with extra strong quadruple stitching. This crossover to the ropes is the most crucial area!
8. Carefully handywork ropes of the correct length are tied to the almost completed hammocks and the suspension loops are reinforced.
9. For some models a veranda fringe will be sewn on.
10. Another work step is still required for our family hammocks: A hand device is used to weave an additional woven strip between the ropes as decoration and to increase the expansion stability.
11. In the meanwhile the seamstresses have completed the bags.
12. A final control to ensure that the hammock is clean and free of defects, then it is folded up and is ready to travel into the wide world.
