Polyester thread, waxed or non-waxed?

Hengelo_77

Basic Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2006
Messages
5,959
I'm looking to get new thread for hand stiching.
I'm leaning towards polyester because it is strong, durable, holds it's colour and is affordable.
(or am I wrong there?)

It is available waxed and non-waxed.

So wich one to get and why?
What does the wax do?

I finish my last stitch by tying both ends on to eachother between the layers of leather.
If I want to secure that knot with a drop of super glue, is the thread best non-waxed, as no glue will hold on something waxed?
 
The wax locks the stitch in place. I use a lighter to seal the the end after back stitching a few. You could also use a soldering iron to be more precise. Those 284 yd spools for like 9 bucks is what I use. 1mm flat poly or nylon thread. Still needs a bit more wax by hand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The wax helps with knot tying, and keeping the stitching from soaking in water. I say get a spool of each and test it out for yourself and find which one you like best and just get that when you need more.
 
agreed 100% on the waxed thread.

After stitching with both, and experiencing the difference between the two, its a no brainer. Unwaxed thread has a habit of loosening while your stitching. Its a maddening thing, not impossible to do but very frustrating.
 
The wax also lubricates the thread, reducing wear from being pulled through the leather multiple times.
 
What I use takes a little more time to get set up, but from what I read it makes for a better product. I buy Barbour's linen natural unwaxed thread. I use 5 cord right twist since I only do hand stitching. I can dye the thread whatever color I want using the leather dye I already have. I usually use the same color I am using on my edges. Then I wax the thread myself using coad or "sticky wax". It is a mix of neetsfoot oil, beeswax and pitch or rosin (like you use on a violin bow). It gets even stickier than just wax. Old cobblers would use it. Apparently you could sew 2 pieces of leather together, then cut the cross pieces of thread off the top and bottom of the leather and just the 2 pieces of thread running through the leather pieces would hold the leather together. So, doing it this way plus gluing the pieces together first, there are 3 different holding layers to hold the sheath together.
 
I prefer nylon thread, but have used polyester. I don't use waxed. I had some Tandy waxed thread and it grabbed dye from the leather and loose leather threads.

Also didn't like the wax it left on my hands.

I took a thin piece of round steel and hammered it flat at the tip to melt the ends of the snipped thread to seal them. I bought a watch makers pin vise to hold the steel piece and the flat tip leaves a clean finish. Heat it up with a lighter and run it over the thread tip.

DON
 
Back
Top