Casa Solid Satin Twill Fabric for Dark Cloth

[rdeloe]

I’ve never found a need to use blackout cloth. I suppose if it’s really lightweight, why not. For decades I’ve been using home made dark cloths of two plies of light cotton fabric with curtain weights (the leaded string kind) stitched into the periphery. As long as most light is excluded I’ve done fine.

My current dark cloth is an embarrassment to large format photographers everywhere. It's just a rectangle of black fabric. No weights, no water proofing, not even a miserable scrap of Velcro or some elastic! I made it a couple decades ago as a temporary solution.

(This could easily degenerate into one of those Four Yorkshiremen situations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE "Your dark cloth is made of fabric? When I was a boy, we used dark cloths made out of sewn together scraps of chicken skin. You had chicken skin! We...." )

[BrianShaw]

I have one like that too! I only told you about the fancy one.

[Daniel Stone]

Roger, you can buy Gore-Tex fabric by the yard online from dealers like RockyWoods at: http://www.rockywoods.com/FABRICS/Ac...abrics?show=48

Seattle Fabrics also has some really interesting fabric that can be bought by the yard or foot, including a Blackout cloth they promote as useful for photography, at https://www.seattlefabrics.com/Fabric_c_1.html

Then there's Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics. See post #23 from five years ago where Jim F. and I discussed their Taffeta with Silver Metallic Coating, at https://www.largeformatphotography.i...t-Target/page3

Outdoor Wilderness has modernized their website since that post was originally made, as well as their purchasing procedures.

Request a sample swatch from any of these dealers and they'll send one to you.

Hi Mike,

Having spoken directly with Gore(as I would gladly implement their fabrics in my own lineup of Stone Photo Gear products if it they were simpler to source than I explained), I questioned them about various vendors selling yardage. "Those are most likely leftover rolls purchased at wholesale auction, when factories close(or are foreclosed upon)" was their reply.

So yes, those might very well be actual Gore fabric products being sold, but they would not be warrantied/supported by Gore unless they had the paperwork/lineage I explained in my original reply.

Just explaining since I've been down this road before

-Dan

[Mike in NY]

Thanks for the clarification Dan; that's helpful to know.

[Mike in NY]

Thanks Mike, ordered some blk Powershield, couldn’t find the Casa Satin Twill at my local Joann’s.

Roger

Roger, I'm glad you found something. Let us know how well you like it!

[Mike in NY]

"Your dark cloth is made of fabric? When I was a boy, we used dark cloths made out of sewn together scraps of chicken skin. You had chicken skin! We...." )

Rob, which do you find to be more opaque, the double fried, or the rotisserie?

[Roger Thoms]

Roger, I'm glad you found something. Let us know how well you like it!

I’ll definitely report back once I receive the fabric.

Also want to say that Discovery Trekking Outfitters has been a pleasure to deal with. My credit card company flagged the purchase as fraudulent and DTO was very helpful in resolving issue.

Roger