Hi everybody. Cork, the thick bark of the cork oak tree, is a remarkable material. It is tough, elastic, buoyant and durable and is suitable for a wide variety of purposes. It is used in everything from traditional wine stoppers to contemporary architecture and fashion applications. You won't believe it when you see how it is harvested. Please subscribe to our channel and like the video. How is the cork harvested? In addition to the season and the requisite rest time, the cork harvest requires a high level of expertise. Skilfulness is of the essence. Cork harvesters must avoid killing the tree by damaging the vessels that provide it with sap. They therefore handle their axes with a lot of care and precision. They often have substantial experience in carrying out this tricky procedure. Throughout its life, a cork oak is harvested several times. Depending on the age of the tree, the cork does not have the same characteristics. The first harvest is carried out on trees between 25 and 30 years old. The second harvest takes places nine years later. The third and following harvests always take place at intervals of at least nine years. Corks were brought to the factory for processing. Part of the process is boiling the cork in water. This way the cells can expand and make it easier to work with. The cork industry is generally considered environmentally friendly. Because the cork tree is not cut down to obtain corks. To collect the cork, only the peel is peeled. The tree continues to live and grow. Cork is a natural material used by humans for over 5,000 years. It has been known since ancient times and was used especially in floating devices and as stoppers for drinks. Although cork’s elasticity is its best-known quality, as a raw material it has other properties that are just as interesting. Watertight, has low permeability to air and gases, rot-proof and health-neutral. Cork sandal production. Only the best natural materials are used in footbed production. Within the footbed, layers of jute, are combined with two different grades of granulated cork, which are bound together with a natural latex milk. These natural products are then topped with a leather lining created from European hides. After the mixture is put into the mold, it is completed by hand. Because even the smallest irregularities in the structure of the cork latex mixture can cause defects. After baking, the footbeds are left to dry for 24 hours. It is then sent to sealing and coating processes to make it hydrophobic. After drying, galvanizing and painting, the finished buckles are sent to the assembly line. After all the processes, all parts come together for final assembly. Then it is checked and the sandal is ready. Process of making cork fabric. All corks arriving at the factory follow the same and very simple process. It must be dried, cooked, cut and sorted. This is to make natural corks for the chipboard industry or cork fabrics. These sheets are selected according to quality and color, and then go through a sanding process to remove the roughness. Finally, the sheets are placed by hand on a fabric base to which they are then glued.
