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A Bolt is a commercial unit of length primarily used for measuring rolls of cloth or fabric. Unlike standardized units like the meter or yard, the length of a bolt is not fixed and can vary significantly depending on the type of material, the manufacturer, the country of origin, and trade customs.

Common lengths often associated with a bolt include:

• 40 yards (approximately 36.58 meters) - Frequently cited, especially for cottons and silks in the US.
• 100 yards (approximately 91.44 meters) - Often used for heavier fabrics like canvas.
• Other lengths such as 30, 50, 60, or 120 yards may also be encountered.

The bolt represents a quantity convenient for wholesale trade, manufacturing, and inventory management rather than a precise scientific measurement.

The concept of the bolt emerged from the practical needs of the textile industry. As cloth production scaled up, manufacturers and merchants needed a standardized way to handle, store, and trade large quantities of fabric. Winding cloth onto a roll or board (the "bolt") provided a convenient package.

The length associated with a bolt likely developed through trade customs specific to different types of fabric and regions. There was never a universal legal standard defining its length, leading to the wide variations seen historically and currently. While retail sales shifted towards measurement by the yard or meter, the bolt remained a useful unit in wholesale and industrial contexts. Even with the global adoption of the metric system, the term "bolt" persists in the textile trade as a reference to a full roll of fabric, though the exact length is usually specified separately in yards or meters.

The bolt is almost exclusively used within the textile industry:

• Wholesale Trade: Fabric manufacturers sell cloth to distributors or large buyers in bolts.
• Manufacturing: Clothing and upholstery manufacturers purchase fabric by the bolt for production runs.
• Inventory Management: Textile mills, warehouses, and large retailers manage stock using bolts as units.
• Industrial Fabrics: Suppliers of canvas, vinyl, and other industrial textiles often sell material by the bolt.

It is generally not used for retail sales to consumers, where fabric is typically measured and cut to specific lengths (yards or meters) from the bolt.