Here’s a site with listings of
Agave varieties:
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Agavaceae/Agave.htmlIt’s interesting that it says
Agaves were brought to the Mediterranean in the 17th century, so the Balearic slingers must have adopted the fiber since that time.
As to the irritation, I’ve read that many
Agave varieties can cause it, but you would have to look up the exact variety that you have to know for sure.
http://books.google.com/books?id=C8xJE2NfQpIC&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=agave+irrita...This book has a section on
Agave sisalana, the Sisal plant, and it says that it can cause skin irritation.
Agave Americana, commonly called Century Plant, is probably the most common
Agave that I see here in Southern California, and it causes irritation too.
In the San Gabriel Mountains near my home, there are a lot of
Yucca whipplei, or “Our Lord’s Candle”
Yuccas.
Yuccas are in the same family as
Agaves. The leaves from these produce a strong, usable fiber, and they don’t irritate the skin (or at least not my skin). In fact, when rubbed in the hands, the crushed leaves work like soap. I haven’t got around to making a
Yucca fiber sling, but it’s been on my mind for a while.
On a slightly side note, here’s video of Sisal rope production that might be of interest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ztA1Ea03g0&feature=relatedI wish I had one of those handy put-the-leaf-in-take-the-fiber-out machines, or whatever they’re really called.
-Timothy Potter