The article discusses the qualities of present-day flax fiber paper and those of linen and cotton rag papers of Renaissance Europe, summarizing the whole cycle of fiber preparation from cultivation to pulping. Comparisons are drawn between linen and cotton fibers, including individual characteristics, morphology, chemical composition, differences in fiber extraction, and qualities of resulting papers. The author also compares the processing of the flax fiber to that done by the Japanese hand papermaking industry with their own bast fibers. A final section covers the problems in present-day hand papermaking: the substitution of flax fiber for worn linen rags, and the under and over processing of the flax fiber. The author re-examines the early work of linen manufacturers, launderers, beggars, and paper makers, and suggests combining these techniques with those of the Japanese hand papermaking industry in order to achieve a quality that parallels early rag paper. Finally, the article stresses that high quality paper can only be achieved from a sensitively processed pulp that retains the characteristics of the original fiber by careful cooking, rinsing, and pulping. -- AATA