PURPOSE: To prevent a warp yarn from being nipped between a sley and a reed without deteriorating the operating efficiency in installing the reed in the sley.

CONSTITUTION: This apparatus for holding warp yarns in a loom is obtained by securing a nipping tool 4 to a need frame 2-3 on the upper side of a modified reed 2 and the nipping tool 4 comprises a base frame 4-1 fitted onto a reed frame 2-3, a screw 4-2 for tightening and fixing the base frame 4-1 to the reed frame 2-3, a bolt 4-3 screwed into the base frame 4-1, a pair of nipping pieces 4-4 and 4-5, made of leaf springs and tightening with the bolt 4-3 and a spacer 4-6 interposed between both nipping pieces 4-4 and 4-5. The spacer 4-6 is capable of regulating the interval between both nipping pieces 4-4 and 4-5. Thereby, the tips of the warp yarns Te for trimmed selvedges are held between both nipping pieces 4-4 and 4-5.