A week ago, we looked at the difference between two types of silk gimp – the new silk gimp from Access Commodities and the silk gimp from Pipers Silks.

These are two completely different types of silk thread that share the same name.

So what is gimp, anyway? Gimp, in textile talk, is often a trim of some sort. If you look up “gimp trim” for sale today, you’ll generally find narrow individual cords or flat ribbon-like trim with a cord that runs through it in a decorative way.

In lace-making, gimp is the trim that outlines a lace element, and it can be tube-like looking (not actually a tube, but a smooth cording) or twisted, with a fine rope-like look. Gimp often has some sort of core running through it that helps “stiffen” it in a way. The core is wrapped or twisted with an outer thread. Sometimes (in the more heavy duty gimps), the core is a flexible wire, so that the gimp retains its shape when bent and manipulated. Sometimes, the core is another thread or cord. And some gimps are not made with a core.

So we can see that gimp in thread talk, when taken generally, can mean different things.