Immediately before the cocoon stage, pupae were killed by immersion in an acid bath. Their bodies were opened and the thread which was intended to build the cocoon, was removed from their silk glands. This 'gut' was once favoured by surgeons for stitching and by anglers for lines. World Silk Production World silk production has roughly doubled during the last 30 years in spite of the availability of man-made fibres. China and Japan have been the main silk producers, together manufacturing more than half of the world production each year.
Chinese silk is highly prized throughout the world.
Since 1949 silk making methods have been modernized and silk is of better quality. World silk production in 1940 was 59 million kg. By 1950 it had dropped to 19 million kg. By the mid-1980s it had climbed to about 68 million kg. Figures - World Raw Silk Production Say No to Silk Silk is used for suits, coats, trousers, jackets, shirts, ties, lingerie, hosiery, gloves, lace, curtains, linings and handbags.