Weaving hemp to link the Navy’s past and future

The authenticity of the pants went beyond the weave. Previous attempts to source fabrics for Constitution uniforms had relied on materials from China. Tuscarora pushed instead to use European spun hemp yarn from Italian manufacturer Linificio, and domestic organic cotton woven in Pennsylvania, an approach far more aligned with the spirit of the ship and its legacy.

That detail also underscored a deeper point: the strategic value of re-establishing domestic bast fiber supply chains. 

“Natural fibers like hemp and flax offer real alternatives to plastic fabrics covered in PFAS ‘forever chemistry’ that the DOD depends upon today,” Cook said. “If hemp worked so well in the past, what is stopping us from using it today to outfit the modern warrior?”

Lessons from the past

The Navy contract was small by industrial standards, but Cook believes its significance is far greater. The project highlighted how bast fibers can deliver high-performance textiles that are durable, breathable, and safe—while supporting local supply chains.

“This brought into focus the opportunities for incorporating 100% long-line hemp yarn and fabrics into the national security discussion,” Cook said. “Reimagining the domestic bast fiber textile supply chain for national security needs certainly seems in line with the DOD’s push to move quickly away from toxic plastic fibers, fabrics, and finishes against the skin of our sailors and soldiers.”

The crew of the USS Constitution has yet to weigh in publicly, but Cook noted that feedback from the Navy’s contractor was glowing. “We heard the new dungarees are beautiful and that the Navy was very happy with the finished product,” he said.

Proof of concept

For Tuscarora Mills, the Constitution dungarees represent more than a historic reproduction—they’re a proof of concept for hemp textiles in modern defense and civilian markets. That message aligns with Cook’s broader advocacy for hemp textiles: Demand, innovation and investment are needed to re-establish hemp-specific textile processing and spinning infrastructure in the U.S., he said.

While foreign spinners in China, India, Pakistan, and Europe remain active in the U.S. market, Cook stressed that America has the potential to rebuild its own bast fiber ecosystem. “Imported textile products are not cheap at all, but indeed carry huge environmental, health, economic and national security costs,” Cook said.

Today, hemp fiber accounts for only 0.2% of worldwide textile fiber production, according to Textile Exchange, a nonprofit that tracks sustainability practices across the textile industries. In the U.S., most hemp fiber processing caters to non-woven markets such as composites, filters, and consumer products. Spinning long-line fiber into high-quality yarn remains a challenge—but one Cook believes is solvable.

“Transforming American hemp into short staple length ‘cottonized’ fiber and spinning blended hemp-cotton yarn has been a long-term goal,” he noted. “These challenges will be overcome, as they have in China and Europe.”

Pennsylvania legacy

Pennsylvania, once a global leader in natural textiles, is regaining momentum, with groups like the Pennsylvania Fibershed, the Pennsylvania Flax Project, and the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council pushing initiatives forward. The state secured a $1 million National Science Foundation grant in 2023 to develop the Pennsylvania Industrial Hemp Engine. Tuscarora is a key part of this ecosystem, working with local partners to produce 100% hemp yarn and fabrics.

Cook sees the Constitution project as a symbolic bridge. “We are always open to serving the past and history with traditional uses of hemp in textiles and reproductions,” he said. “But our real focus is looking forward and working to reintroduce the public and the Department of Defense to the significant opportunities hemp and flax offer in quality, value, utility and performance to home, industry, and our national security.”