When I was growing up and woven fabric was generally all that was available it was always ripped. Remember the little machines on the edge of the counter at the store that the clerk ran the edge of the fabric through to measure it and then when they got to the correct measurement pushed down the lever which snipped the edge of the fabric so they could then rip it?
My mother was an wonderful seamstress and paid close attention to grain of fabric so garments hung correctly. When she got fabric home she would examine how the threads in the fabric ran and also hold up the fabric by the fold and look at the torn ends which were torn with the grain. If they were askew then she would take two opposite corners of the fabric (across the bias) give one to me and she would take the other and we would stretch the fabric back into square. Worked every time.
Wide backings are difficult to roll on the bolt and if they are cut then they are going to be off because they are no rolled on the bolt with the true grain. I would only buy wide cotton quilt weight fabric that has been torn so I know I'm getting the amount I need. I go to one quilt shop where they measure all the fabric with a yard stick, add a smidgen more and then tear the fabric. I always know there I'm getting usable amount of fabric that I requested and paid for. When I get home I fold it with the ripped grain matching and cut away the torn edge to start measuring for my pieces.

Yes! I was small, but I remember going with my grandma to places that had that. It was called "material", though, not "fabric"! Other stores just snipped with scissors and ripped across.

I want to say I remember fabric being sold at places like JC Penney too, but I'm not sure if that's right. Some kind of department store in So. Cal in the late 70's/early 80's, anyway...

Sewnoma,
JC Penney,Sears and some of the other department stores sold fabric. I lived in southern CA during that time frame.
Sharon

There we go! It was probably JC Penney that I'm remembering, Grandma liked Penney's. :)

My Mom and I used to buy fabric at a Ben Franklins store. Don't remember if they had the meter that measured the amount of yardage but the tiny country store in my home town did.