Noob Question About Hand Sewing Thread

[kelleybean]

The only kind of thread I've used for handstitching so far is that very thick waxed stuff that Tandy sells. It does NOT look good. Since I can't really seem to find a place to get Tiger Thread in the US, I wonder what my other options are.

Is there a particular brand you guys generally like to use? Linen or polyester material? I was wondering if normal heavy duty thread could be used also. I made a small test project last night and used a spool of heavy duty thread, doubled, and I think it turned out looking nice, but I'm not sure if it will be strong enough to hold up. And if I do use normal thread, does it need waxing? Ian Atkinson mentioned in one of his videos that if you're using unwaxed thread you should apply wax, but...why, exactly? I'm not sure what the point of the wax is.

Thank you!

[camano ridge]

If you do a search on these forums for Tiger thread you will find a couple of sources for the Tiger thread. THere are a couple of people that are selling it by the spool here in the US and some one is selling it I think 10m lengths. Check with Electrathon on these forumms I think he was planning on buying a quanity and I think he was planning on reselling.

[chiefjason]

I've been using nylon 346 thread from Tippmann. I bought it to try to get an old Boss up and running. Until then, I've been hand stitching with it. I run it through beeswax before I start. I've been very happy with the results.

[NVLeatherWorx]

@kelleybean: If you are looking to continue the hand-stitching legacy and your immediate source is a local Tandy store then you can use the waxed nylon or waxed linen threads as they are thinner than the stuff you are talking about. They are only available in 25 yard mini-spools but they don't cost a bunch and work real well. You can also spend a bit more to get a bit more and actually buy the spools of sewing awl thread from Tandy. All of these options are specifically designed for immediate hand-stitching use without have to split it down. I use all of these for routine items and find them to be quite easy to work with. I still have several spools of that thicker stuff around but I have been using for decades and have learned how to split it down to the number of strands that I need for any given application. I do all of my sewing by hand as it is still more durable than any machine sewn lock-stitch (although there are some here who would disagree).

[electrathon]

I didn't get enough interest in a group buy so I dropped the idea. If you want I can send a sample to see the difference in how it sews.

Aaron

[J Hayes]

Barbour's linen in nice to use, wax it yourself, but its really nice. I haven't tried thr Tiger thread so I cannot compare.

[Feraud]

I grew to hate the Tandy thread. Currently I am using and enjoy using this-

http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TTE&Category_Code=waxed-thread

[SouthernCross]

I grew to hate the Tandy thread. Currently I am using and enjoy using this-

http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TTE&Category_Code=waxed-thread

What sizes would you recommend for something like a holster?

[Feraud]

SouthernCross, I've not made a holster and only used their #207 & 277 which appears thin for one.

Seems like you'd need one of their larger options.

Maybe someone who has used their larger threads will reply.

[chiefjason]

What sizes would you recommend for something like a holster?

I use some of my thread as part of the design, especially the contrast stitching. 277 is too thin for what I wanted. 346 works very well and stands out nicely on my holsters. I would like to check out 407, but I've got 2 spools of 346 that work well so I probably won't do that. Before this, I had tried most of what Springfield leather had and some from a buddy. I settled on the waxed lined from Hobby Lobby (Silver Creek Leather) until I bought the spools from Tippmann.