Attributes of Linen thread

[Mungo]

I ‘ve never used linen thread but I may try it on a project in the near future. Why would you use linen instead of nylon or polyester? Does it have benefits over the newer man-made threads?

[fredk]

afaik the man-made threads can be affected by UV light rays but linen is not. Linen goes slack when it gets wet, this may be beneficial in that leather swells when wet, so the linen thread wont cut into the leather whereas the man-made thread will

Also its more 'traditional' so that be important to some people

I have a queue building up of around 400 steering wheels to recover. A lot of them have the threads broken or weakened due to UV light and not  wear & tear 

[DJole]

What is the project? Knowing how and where it will be used is information that makes a difference for thread choice. 

[TomE]

Also linen has a unique look compared to synthetics that are twisted or braided.  I like how it feels when hand sewing but rarely use it for horse tack.

[tsunkasapa]

I use linen and hemp for the simple reason I refuse to use synthetics in any form whenever I can. I do not wear clothing made from synthetics, I do not sew with them. 

[jcuk]

3 hours ago, TomE said:

Also linen has a unique look compared to synthetics that are twisted or braided.  I like how it feels when hand sewing but rarely use it for horse tack.

I use linen thread on all my tack work was taught which size thread to use where and when, the only time i will use tiger thread is when i am attaching girth billets to the saddle webbing only because it usually synthetic webbing and feel it may be bit abrasive on linen thread, that said have used linen thread in the past for girth billets 18/6 doubled and have had no problems with it. I think nylon thread is the work of the devil horrible stuff, do use polyester through my machines if i need to use them.

Hope this helps

JCUK

[Mungo]

I was thinking about making a western holster as authentic as possible so linen would probably be the best thread. Thanks for the replies.

[Mungo]

Do you use wax on linen thread? Thanks 

[Mablung]

Yep. There are some threads (no pun intended) around here about making hand sewing wax. 

[fredk]

11 hours ago, Mungo said:

Do you use wax on linen thread? Thanks 

Yes and use plenty. Tie one end of the thread to something and, holding the other end, pull it tight, run your wax up and down the thread