Strings (thread, cable, etc.)

The Cord section includes thick stringing materials, namely leather, rubber, satin, nylon, waxed linen, and waxed cotton. These strings are used for stringing beads with large holes, making Chinese knots, micro-macrame, stone donut necklaces, and book binding, among other things.

The Elastic section includes springy string such as elasticity and gossamer floss. This kind of string is usually used to make bracelets that do not include a clasp. Gossamer floss is not as strong as elasticity, but it easily fits through small hole beads.

The Monofilament section is where you will find Supplemax. This string is a clear plastic-like material that looks like fishing line. It is our least expensive stringing material. The drawbacks of this material are that when it is tied into a knot, the knot is fairly large, and it can kink as it is handled. It is the ideal string for making twisted multi-strand necklaces.

The Steel Wire section includes the Beadalon and Softflex brands of stranded steel wire coated with nylon. Of these, the ones with more strands are the most flexible, but also the most expensive. If your design needs the string to show, this is the ideal material. It is usually finished with crimp beads, although it is advertised that it can be knotted.

The Thread section includes silk, Fireline, PowerPro, Dandyline, S-Lon nylon, Griffin polyester/nylon, metallic, and Sylamide threads. These threads are used for a wide variety of beading techniques. Silk is most often used with pearls and is knotted between each bead. It's drawback is that it will stretch with time. Fireline and Power Pro are both fishing line made from gel spun polyethelene. They are different in their feel, with Power Pro being softer and more thread-like. They are very strong, and work well with both bead stringing, loom and off-loom beading. (We use Fireline for almost all of our custom stringing projects.) Dandyline is similar to PowerPro and has the same uses. S-Lon nylon thread is preferred for bead embroidery due to its softness and wide color selection. Griffin thread is the thread of choice for a one-necklace project because it is available in such small quantities and comes with a needle attached. Silamide is preferred by many as the thread for off-loom bead weaving with very small beads, as it it very thin thread that will fit through any bead. The same can be said of S-Lon nylon. Choosing a colored thread can enhance the color appearance of pale transparent beads. Metallic thread is used for both stringing and bead embroidery in places where the metallic reflectivity of the thread is going to show in the design.