Nylon or polyester thread

[Dwight]

I use waxed 346 nylon . . . hand stitching . . .  Tippmann Boss . . . or any other leather sewing.

I seldom . . . emphasize seldom . . . use anything else.

May God bless,

Dwight

[RemingtonSteel]

I am surprised that no one has addressed this issue in response to this question. Although what feeds through your machine may have some bearing on making a decision, there is a more important factor to consider. IMHO, the product being made and its intended use should be the major consideration in making that decision. Nylon is an excellent thread, is very strong, has some flex/stretch to it, but is not UV resistant, or as weather resistant as Polyester thread.  Although strong, Polyester thread is not as strong as Nylon (in the same thread size) but has far superior UV and weather resistance than Nylon does.

So, if you are making concealed carry holsters that will rarely see the light of day or be exposed to the elements, and someones life may depend on the strength of the stitching, then Nylon would be the best choice.  If you are making Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) holsters, where the holsters are exposed to sunlight and the elements, you may want to use Polyester for better longevity. If using Polyester, and your are still concerned about strength, you could always use one size heavier thread.

Having said that, I make CAS rigs and use #277 Polyester thread top and bottom with a size 24 needle (I know spec say size 25 but I like the smaller holes) and have never had a problem with the thread feeding through my machine. Nor have I had any issues with thread breaking on my rigs.  If I am overly concerned about strength on a particular rig, such as where the tongue and billets are sewn to the belt, I may (not always) use #346 thread.

Bottom line if your item is going to get a lot of exposure to the sun and elements think Polyester before Nylon thread.

Edited March 6, 2021 by RemingtonSteel

[BruceGibson]

On 3/6/2021 at 12:49 PM, RemingtonSteel said:

I am surprised that no one has addressed this issue in response to this question. Although what feeds through your machine may have some bearing on making a decision, there is a more important factor to consider. IMHO, the product being made and its intended use should be the major consideration in making that decision. Nylon is an excellent thread, is very strong, has some flex/stretch to it, but is not UV resistant, or as weather resistant as Polyester thread.  Although strong, Polyester thread is not as strong as Nylon (in the same thread size) but has far superior UV and weather resistance than Nylon does.

So, if you are making concealed carry holsters that will rarely see the light of day or be exposed to the elements, and someones life may depend on the strength of the stitching, then Nylon would be the best choice.  If you are making Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) holsters, where the holsters are exposed to sunlight and the elements, you may want to use Polyester for better longevity. If using Polyester, and your are still concerned about strength, you could always use one size heavier thread.

Having said that, I make CAS rigs and use #277 Polyester thread top and bottom with a size 24 needle (I know spec say size 25 but I like the smaller holes) and have never had a problem with the thread feeding through my machine. Nor have I had any issues with thread breaking on my rigs.  If I am overly concerned about strength on a particular rig, such as where the tongue and billets are sewn to the belt, I may (not always) use #346 thread.

Bottom line if your item is going to get a lot of exposure to the sun and elements think Polyester before Nylon thread.

I've used both, but the last several years I've gone to polyester exclusively.  For all of the reasons you outlined above, plus more consistent machine performance over nylon.   

[Brazo]

On 2/8/2021 at 4:16 PM, Dwight said:

I use waxed 346 nylon . . . hand stitching . . .  Tippmann Boss . . . or any other leather sewing.

I seldom . . . emphasize seldom . . . use anything else.

May God bless,

Dwight

What’s your source for the waxed nylon thread? Tandy’s thread that specifically says “waxed” doesn’t list the size.  When you say “waxed nylon” do you really mean “bonded nylon“?

Edited July 24, 2021 by Brazo

[Dwight]

No . . . my bad . . . it's braided polyester . . . heavily waxed . . . works great.

hotheart10 is the seller's name on Ebay . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[Constabulary]

https://www.ebay.com/sch/hotheart10/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

[Brazo]

4 hours ago, Dwight said:

No . . . my bad . . . it's braided polyester . . . heavily waxed . . . works great.

hotheart10 is the seller's name on Ebay . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

Thanks, just ordered  a lb spool of 346. I got a Boss this week, your posts on it have been helpful.

Dan

[ButtonLady]

For what it's worth... I use bonded poly exclusively because:

1. My machine seems to like it better.
2. It holds knots a lot better than nylon.

 

[EvilDuckStudios]

On 3/6/2021 at 11:49 AM, RemingtonSteel said:

I am surprised that no one has addressed this issue in response to this question. Although what feeds through your machine may have some bearing on making a decision, there is a more important factor to consider. IMHO, the product being made and its intended use should be the major consideration in making that decision. Nylon is an excellent thread, is very strong, has some flex/stretch to it, but is not UV resistant, or as weather resistant as Polyester thread.  Although strong, Polyester thread is not as strong as Nylon (in the same thread size) but has far superior UV and weather resistance than Nylon does.

So, if you are making concealed carry holsters that will rarely see the light of day or be exposed to the elements, and someones life may depend on the strength of the stitching, then Nylon would be the best choice.  If you are making Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) holsters, where the holsters are exposed to sunlight and the elements, you may want to use Polyester for better longevity. If using Polyester, and your are still concerned about strength, you could always use one size heavier thread.

Having said that, I make CAS rigs and use #277 Polyester thread top and bottom with a size 24 needle (I know spec say size 25 but I like the smaller holes) and have never had a problem with the thread feeding through my machine. Nor have I had any issues with thread breaking on my rigs.  If I am overly concerned about strength on a particular rig, such as where the tongue and billets are sewn to the belt, I may (not always) use #346 thread.

Bottom line if your item is going to get a lot of exposure to the sun and elements think Polyester before Nylon thread.

Exactly what RemingtonSteel said. I use polyester for western/shooting rigs and open carry holsters and nylon for most other things such as wallets, card holders, etc...