A traditional hand tool or mechanical device consisting of a heavy wooden blade that drops into a grooved base. It is used during the processing of flax or hemp to crush and break the brittle, woody core of the plant stems so the soft inner fibers can be separated.
Heard on the job
After the flax has finished retting and drying, run it through the brake to shatter the boon before we scutch it.
Also heard as
- flax brake