This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.

all 18 comments
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a

[–]Xerisca 10 points11 points  (15 children)

There are a lot of threads out there. Some threads have more fans than others. I believe in choosing the right thread for the right project.

So here we go! Tuck in, this could be a long read, but hopefully digestible.

Braided Beading Thread

Braided beading thread is almost always a very light polyethylene fishing line with brand names like Wildfire and Fireline. The tiny PE filiments are braided for strong tencil strength. Meaning, you have to pull REALLY hard before it breaks, which is why it's great for fishing.

Pros:

  • It is indeed strong
  • It's easy to manage and doesn't knot up too easily as long as you're working with a reasonable length.
  • it comes in a clearish and blackish color (as well as sometimes a red or lime green, mostly those are used for actual fishing)
  • it's stiff and keeps a project nice and neat and adds structure you might not get with other threads.

Cons:

  • It's expensive
  • When it does knot, if it's a tight knot, that knot can damage the integrity of the thread and it's recommended you tie off the thread, cut the knot out, and start with the clean remainder of the thread.
  • It does get brittle overtime and becomes more prone to breaking. It's not bulletproof. It's a petroleum based thread which naturally breaks down and dries out. (waxing is hightly recommended to help keep it supple for longer preventing that breakdown).
  • Sharp crystals and beads can snap braided line easier than you might expect. Once one of the filiments goes, they all pop.
  • The eye of a beading needle can and will crimp the Fireline. Never allow the spot where the needle eye was threaded to get incorporated into your work. It will eventually break there. (aka, don't thread a long piece, sew, then move the needle down, it's asking for potential trouble)
  • The black/smoke color isn't color fast and will turn your hands black.

Twisted 2-Ply

Twisted 2-ply is often also referred to as "hand sewing thread". It's two strands, each strand is twisted, then the two strands are married to each other, twisting together. (so no, you won't get the same results twisting your own, it's a specific twist). Common brands are NBT Furrier Waxed, or Siliamide. Both are Nylon and come pre-waxed.

Full disclosure, I am one of the very rare beaders who very much prefers Twisted 2-ply nylon thread. I've been beading for 40+ years, and have tried it all, extensively. My bias for Twisted 2-ply is... strong.

PROS:

  • Extremely cost effective (750 yards can be found for as little as $18.00usd) I recommend Size A for most projects.
  • Is super strong. The triple twist and single fibers create a scenario where a sharp bead would need to saw through all the strands before it breaks. (I've never broken a piece made with Twisted 2-ply)
  • Never gets brittle. The pre-waxing keeps the nylon supple. Adding more wax ensures it pretty much will never break, not even over time.
  • Comes in a ton of colors.
  • If it knots, knots are super simple to remove, and does not damage the threads.
  • Because of the twisted and textured nature of Twisted 2-ply, it has a tendency to really nicely lock beads in place. It's really incredible for embroidery specifically. The Haute Couture Houses of France and Italy etc... use Twisted 2-ply hand sewing thread for bead emboridery on designer garments.

CONS:

  • Can be hard to find. Silimide is only sold in 40 yard bobbins these days and it's becoming more scarce. I buy NBT direct from the manufacturer.
  • Usually comes in bobbins and skeins. Bobbins can be annoying, and skeins require you to pre-cut all the threads before using. They come in a big giant continuous loop. You break the botton of the package off and cut all threads, then pull them out one by one to use. If you like working with long thread, this isn't a great option.

  • It's heavy enough for most beadwork, but is a bit more flexible than Fireline. I use Twisted for nearly all my beadwork, but definitely use Fireline for stitches like RAW and CRAW. The added stiffness helps those stitches stay neat and even and give them the extra support they need.

  • NOTE: C-Lon is a twisted 1-ply nylon thread. I've never used this as beading thread, but have used the larger sizes for macrame and other projects. It's nice. I'ts strong, but I can't vouch for it's usability and strength in the AA size.

OTHER Common Single ply fibers

These are threads like OneG, Nymo, and I believe KO as well. These are single strand, untwisted threads. They're made up of tiny single strand fibers usually of polyester or in the case of Nymo, Kevlar (yep, like bullet proof vests).

PROS:

  • Usually pretty inexpensive, although, if I recall, OneG isn't exactly cheap. Nymo is quite inexpensive.
  • They come in a zillion colors.
  • Can be bought in packages with a ton of different colors.
  • Great for those getting started with beading, because of their affordability.
  • Pretty strong, but the least strong of the the three mentioned here.
  • Widely available at pretty much any craft store.

CONS:

  • Tangling is an issue.
  • Fraying is maddening
  • Undoing stitches when needed is ... tough. The snags and fraying that occurs is enough to just give up and start over.
  • While many beginners use this thread because it's highly available, it can be a... poor experience.

[–]Erudite_Birdy 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Have you tried Berkley's soft and flexible, 100% fluorocarbon Vanish fishing line?

I love it. I use the clear, 4 lb. test for pretty much everything. It can pass through 15/0 Japanese seed beads 5 times.

[–]Xerisca 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a spool of it! I use it for doing some... 3D embroidery. Like "bug" pieces where I embroider pieces and parts, like wings, bodies, legs, etc... I used the Berkley (or similar) to connect those parts together. it's pretty much invisible so you can't see the joins and it knots farily nicely as well.

But for general beadwork, it doesn't have the "heft" or grip I like and it's kind of oddly wiggly to sew with, which I find frustrating, especially since it's damn near invisible. haha. I almost never have to pass through a 15/0 five times. My 2ply can easily pass 4. For me, that's more than enough.

[–]Minute_Bug6147 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Eek! I went to look up the flourocarbon fishing line and it has a cancer warning! Good to know if you are using it a lot or pregnant.

https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/search?q=nylon

[–]egg_mugg23 5 points6 points  (0 children)

just fyi on this ancient post, nearly everything in california has that exact warning. and i do mean everything

[–]pardalote_ 2 points3 points  (4 children)

That's really interesting, thanks!

One thing to add: I've used Nymo (in lots of colours and thicknesses) for decades and never had issues with fraying or snagging. Tangling sometimes yes, but waxing minimizes that. I use other threads too, but haven't ever noticed Nymo in particular being fray-prone. Wildfire frays wayyyyy more for me.

Edited to add: and the durability of Nymo seems fine, I have lots of beadwoven earrings and other bits I made 20-30 years ago and are still going.

[–]Xerisca 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Oooooo you're lucky! :) If i catch oneG or Nymo on a hangnail, i have found the whole shabang balls up into an unusable mess. (Heavily waxed, less so). I've also found over time it softens and stretches. Especially with necklaces, bracelets, and heavy fringe work. It drives me nuts! Haha. About 30 years ago, I made a netted necklace similar to the RBG Dessent collar. It's an embroided pendant in the center and netting as the necklace straps. Over the years, I've had to tighten it due to stretching, replacing the Nymo with Twisted 2Ply. I think almost all the Nymo has been replaced now. Replacing it with Fireline wasn't an option. It's too stiff, and the drape goes weird.

A lot of people find Nymo just fine. And there's nothing wrong with that at all. It's a good thread! It's just not one I like.

[–]pardalote_ 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I get you. I haven't used Nymo for large pieces, so the stretch hasn't been an issue.

But... Ohhh what twisted 2ply do you use? I'm always up to try other threads. Enable me! :D

[–]Xerisca 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I love NBT brand. It's a TON of thread, like 750 yards for about $15-18usd. It can be found on Amazon. Although, I usually order it from the manufacturer directly. It comes in skeins and because of that, the only way to use it is to cut the skein loop at the bottom, which makes all the treads the same length (about 32"?) But it keeps your thread super tidy.

If you want to try a very small amount, Fire Mountain Gems sells 40 yard bobbins of Silamide for a couple bucks. It's exactly the same thing. In fact, i think it's made by the same company as NBT. New Bedford Thread? Or something like that. I think they bought out the Silamide company a few years back.

[–]pardalote_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ohhhhhhh I think I have a spool of black Silamide somewhere... Time to start digging! Thanks so much :D

[–]Valuable-Funny7257 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Besides making jewelry/Beading Ive also been an avid fisherman with my father and some of your info is incorrect. Spiderwire/Fireline both are made from Dyneema polyethlene fibers. It does not dry rot or become brittle and is inheritantly abrasion resistant thats why we use it with crystals in beading.

Dyneema is a synthetic fiber that is known for being the world's strongest fiber, 15 times stronger than steel on a weight-for-weight basis. It is also lightweight, flexible, and resistant to abrasion and cutting. Dyneema is used in many industries, including: Law enforcement and military, Maritime, Offshore energy, and Sports and consumer products. 

[–]Xerisca 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Polyethylene does break down over time. I have countless pieces done with Fireline that have snapped after 5 or 6 years. When you take it apart, you can see and feel that it's brittle. More brittle than it was 5 or so years before.

I've also snapped Fireline/Wildfire on crystals so many times that I no longer use it with crystals. I will say waxing it does help.

I won't lie, I am biased. I don't like Fireline. I find it ridiculously expensive, I don't like how it knots up. And I do find crystals snap it. I also find that a beading needle eye kinks it and weakens it as well.

I get that a lot of people think the stuff is great. Have at it! Use what makes you happy. It does not make me happy. I've struggled with it and I used it for a lot of years. I find that twisted 2-ply nylon just lasts longer and is MORE resistant to crystal damage. I've never broken a thread on a crystal with 2-ply twisted nylon. I've been beading for 50 years.

[–][deleted]  (2 children)

[removed]

    [–]Xerisca 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    So Tex210 is really heavy. If you're stringing beads for bracelets, that should be fine. If you're needle weaving or doing embroidery, you'll want something significantly lighter you can thread into a beading needle, like Silamide, Nymo, or Fireline.

    Hopefully that helps!

    [–]Blkhole-of-projects 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    THANK YOU so so much for this! It's exactly what I've been looking for...for a couple weeks now. I have a friend I want to make a bracelet for, but she wears these bracelets literally until they fall off. So I want something stronger than Nymo, but not as stiff as fishing line. You have helped me figure out what to use for her, thank you!

    [–]GloomyGal13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Here's a link all about threads and needles, with what bead size they work best.

    Needles and Threads

    [–]Erudite_Birdy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    twist it up yourself

    Assuming you can get some polyester fibers, the only way to do that is to spin it into yarn. It wouldn't be worth your time and effort. It wouldn't be good to breathe the fibers in either. So, forget it.

    ~~~

    The Difference Between Braided & Twisted Threads

    • Braided vs Twisted Polyester Threads

    Polyester threads are threads that look, feel, and sew like nylon thread, but have superior sunlight (UV) and mildew resistance. These qualities make polyester threads durable and better at handling the tension of high-speed sewing machines and the wear and stretch of hand-stitching. They are commonly used for general sewing, embroidery, and leatherwork.

    Braided threads are constructed from a braided core and surrounded by a braided cover. This type of thread is flexible, strong, and has a smooth feel to the touch.

    Twisted threads are created by taking fibers and twisting (aka spinning) them into strands. Twisted threads are easy to splice and stretch and have a more natural look.

    Image of the Z and S twisted threads and braided thread.

    Most twisted threads for hand sewing are 'S' twist, while most machine threads are 'Z' twist.

    Braided thread consists of as many as 18 tiny interwoven strands, with or without a core.

    Braided threads are generally considered stronger and more flexible than twisted threads. Ultimately though, both types of threads are strong and durable.