Nepalese Papers are made from the inner bark fibre of lokta plants that grow in the high altitude forests of the Himalayan foothills. Lokta (daphne bholua) grows above 3000 metres and produces a strong durable paper. These fibres are a renewable resource. Plants are cropped above ground level and re-grow from the radial root. They can be reharvested after 3 to 4 years.
The stripped bark is boiled in an alkali solution which breaks down the lignin in the cell walls allowing the fibres to separate. Traditionally a lye of ashes was used for this purpose, formed by dripping water through a basket of hardwood ashes. In the last 20 to 30 years this has been replaced throughout Nepal by caustic soda. Caustic soda, however, damages the fibres producing paper that lacks the strength and durability of traditional Nepalese papers. Khadi lokta papers are the only papers produced in Nepal using soda ash instead of caustic soda. This does not harm the fibres and results in papers of a quality not seen in Nepal for a generation. The run-off can also be used as a fertiliser.
Khadi mountain papers are made on a traditional Nepalese paper mould which is a wooden frame with a thin cotton cloth stretched over its surface. The paper is dried on the frame which is propped up and angled towards the sun. This is the most primitive way of making paper, unchanged for over 1000 years.
