ll Hodge silk swabs are made from 100% silk and come in performers black, royal blue, burgundy, forest green, deep purple, hot pink and silver. Silk is very absorbent, soaking up water in instruments better than any other natural material on the market, including both cotton and chamois. Most uniquely, silk is also very compressible, making it possible to pull through instruments with large variations in bore size. In addition, silk is lint free.