One reference work describes the technique used to make sheets of writing material from the stems of this plant as follows: “Stems, sometimes ten feet [3 m] long, were peeled and cut into narrow strips which in their turn were pasted to one another in layers, the grain in these layers going first one way and then the other; these sheets were then beaten with a wooden mallet and finally smoothed with a scraper. ”
Üks teatmeteos kirjeldab papüürusest kirjutusmaterjali valmistamist järgmiselt: „Varred, mis võisid olla isegi kolm meetrit pikad, kooriti, lõigati peenikesteks ribadeks ja laoti ristamisi üksteise peale; seejärel klopiti neid puuvasaraga ning lõpuks siluti konarused kaabitsaga. ”