Fil Au Chinois 100% Linen Threads
Sourced from Maison Sajou in Versailles, France. These wonderful waxed linen threads are now available in 3 weights and a selection of tempting colours. Originally developed as a thread suitable for stitching leather, they are also perfect for bookbinding projects. The 40/3 30 metre bobbins are perfect for general stitching of signatures and lighter weight papers. We also offer 24/3 which is a stronger grade in several colours and a heavier cable weight on 10 metre cards suitable for Coptic and Japanese style bindings and leather.
The name Fil au Chinois, dates back to a period in France when anything Oriental was extremely fashionable. This interest for the Orient became very popular after an expedition to Egypt in 1798, by Bonaparte (the future Napoléon), Algeria’s conquest by France (1830) and twenty-five years later the opening up of China and Japan only served to reinforce this fascination. The beginning of the brand Au Chinois was at the heart of this cultural movement. The creation of an easily identifiable character who is now legendary was born.
The brand was registered in 1847, by Francois-Philibert Vrau who founded his company in Lille twenty years beforehand. This was to protect an innovative method to present threads; spools with a label and placed in boxes.
Fil au Chinois really took off in the 1850’s with the arrival of Philibert Vrau, the director’s son. This remarkable person lead an unusual life. Single by choice, Philibert Vrau (1829-1905) never ceased to successfully run his company and donated all profits towards social causes. An important figure amongst Lillois businessmen, he was the main founder of ICAM, a Catholic Engineering School.
After a period of decline brought on by the onset of industrialisation and incompatibiity with seing machines, Fil Au Chinois thread could have been in danger of disappearing had it not been for two, determined industrialists, Olivier and Bruno Toulemonde.In charge of Ets Toulemonde, one of the last remaining French thread manufacturers, the two brothers realised the importance of reviving and prolonging the history of Fil Au Chinois.
In 2007, Olivier and Bruno Toulemonde, determined to revive Fil Au Chinois and bring it back to its former glory, bought the branded product having overcome various difficulties amongst them putting machines back into working order, some dating back to 1890.
The present Maison Sajou was relaunched in 2005 by Frederique CRESTIN-BILLET, following a career in publication where she edited and created numerous illustrated books. Frederique started collecting vintage haberdashery at a very young age, especially colour charts, thread boxes and the famous little Sajou albums.
