Canvas bags, especially totes, are famous, and the fabric used for these bags is, of course, canvas.
The canvas in question is called No. XX canvas, and the ``No. XX'' is used to describe various types of canvas. We will explore the true nature of this!
Also, what exactly is canvas? I did some research on that topic as well.

What is canvas? I looked it up on Wikipedia.

What is Canvas?

Until modern times, large ships used for transporting goods were generally sailing ships, which sailed with sails set high and caught the wind, and this cloth was originally made as a thick, durable material for the sails.

From Wikipedia Canvas
It seems that it is.

But I decided to dig a little deeper. I can't stop here.

Canvas has been used since the Edo period

Canvas is a thick cloth made from a plain weave of cotton or linen.
Apparently it was originally used as a sail for a ship.

Hence the name canvas (sail cloth).
Nowadays, thick plain woven cotton fabric is mainly called canvas.
This seems to have been the case after the Meiji period.

I've also heard that it was originally imported from America as duck fabric, and that it was then woven in imitation of the Japanese style.
I've heard that too.

Well, there are a lot of different things.

What is No. XX canvas?

Canvas has been getting a lot of attention recently, but have you ever heard of the term "No. XX canvas"?
The number inside the 〇〇 ranges from 1 to 11, and the number of twisted threads that make up the canvas varies depending on the number.
Canvas is mainly made using No. 10 single thread; for example, No. 8 canvas is made using three No. 10 threads twisted together, while No. 1 canvas is made by twisting together eight threads.

The smaller the canvas size number, the thicker the canvas will be, and the higher the number, the less thick the canvas will be.
Therefore, the smaller the number, the more twisted the thread used to make the canvas is (thicker), and the larger the number, the less twisted the thread is (thinner).

The bags we usually use are size 6, 8, 10, 11, and sometimes size 4.

Want to know more?

LL Bean tote

Now, as for the popular LL Bean tote, it is well known that this tote was originally made to carry ice.
I think LL Bean totes can carry water as well as ice.
I tried to think up my own reasons for this.

Usually, bags are sewn in a way that "connects" fabrics together.
However, the way LL Bean totes are sewn is by "layering" fabric over fabric in every part.
I think that's the secret behind LL Bean's tote bag, which can even carry water.

LL Bean has an entire factory dedicated to making totes. Check out the video.

Thank you for reading to the end.

As the title of today's topic suggests, the true nature of No. XX canvas depends on the thickness of the thread.
A small number, such as No. 4 canvas, means that the canvas is quite sturdy.

The popular L.L. Bean tote is made from 24-ounce fabric, which is roughly the same as No. 6 canvas.
So I hope this will be helpful when you shop online.

It ended up looking like an advertisement for LL Bean, but I'm not an LL Bean shill. If you buy it on Amazon, I'll get some money, but I'm linking it so I can use the image!

Naturally, I would like you to buy our products and Kawanishi Kaban STORES products! lol

Well, even so, I still want to be a creator who can say that good products are good.

It was Kawanishikaban ( @kawanishikaban ).