A short historical article on the spun silk industry and its shift from hand spinning to mechanical spinning. It separates reeling (filature) of raw silk from spun silk made from waste and unreelable cocoons, and traces hand combing and spinning in Italy, Switzerland and France. It then covers the adaptation of cotton and wool machinery, the first mechanical plant near Basle in 1824, the mechanical comb of 1851, and the start of American production around 1850. Illustrations show hand combing of silk and a spinning wheel scene.