Kapok in San Francisco Bay Area?

Dear Doofy,

I don't know if kapok is still available. But being a teacher, I had to respond to this. Did you know that kapok comes from a tree, and that it was used for lifesavers because it can hold thirty times its weight. I used it some sixty years ago to stuff my teddy bears. Polyester fiberfill has pretty much replaced it, although poly is not used for lifesavers that I know of. Is there a reason you want kapok instead of a more available filling?

Teri

More environmentally friendly. It is still used. Commonly used in meditation cushions. I think the poly is kinda expensive too.

Dear Doofy,

In that case, try some professional upholsterers, as it was commonly used for stuffing. If they don't use it, they might still have a source where you can find it.

Teri

Kapok isn't available anywhere sensible I can get it, but if you hunt about you can get poly fiber made from recycled soda bottles, along the lines of the recycled poly polar fleece.

If you need to stuff something really hard, kapok's the man. If you need comfort, poly has a lot more 'bounce'. Kapok tends to clump together in nasty lumps. I remember nothing so nasty as a kapok pillow...

I wanted something that would give me height, and then I'd put something cushy on top of that.

Doofy,

Maybe you need closed-cell foam.

Seems to be more expensive, and commits one to once you start cutting it into certain shapes while trying to come up with prototypes.

Though I just found some less expensive foam at a fabric discounter.

That's why I was looking for kapok.