I'm Trying An Alternate To Tiger Thread

[Jaymack]

I am just about out of my spool of Tiger thread. I have a source a couple hours away at $60+ a spool. I wasn't driving that direction, so I searched on Ebay. I bought spool from a Hong Kong supplier for $8 delivered.

I was very surprised when it arrived and I tried it for the first time. It is a braided thread just like Tigers. I will be using this thread from now on. I can't tell any difference between the 2.

In my opinion, If Tiger thread is a 10, then this stuff is a 9+.

I'm not able to copy the ebay link, but the description is "Black 240yd Flat Heavy Duty waxed thread for leather tent fabric hand sewing New"

[Northmount]

Here is the current link on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XBlack+240yd+Flat+Heavy+Duty+waxed+thread+for+leather+tent+fabric+hand+sewing+Ne&_nkw=Black+240yd+Flat+Heavy+Duty+waxed+thread+for+leather+tent+fabric+hand+sewing+New&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Tom

[Jaymack]

Thanks Tom...That's it. I'm interested in others opinions who have tried this thread.

[cem]

I've tried it and it stretches a lot more than Tiger and I've been able to snap a few threads at a time when it separates by giving a swift tug to the thread when pulling the needles through ie it separates a lot easier than Tiger. To be honest I wouldn't trust it on products for large animals such as horses or even large dog breeds but for anything else though it would be fine.

I still use it for decorative sewing at times and it does come in some nice colours.

[Jaymack]

I have not had any of those issues, but I'm also not making saddles with it. I'm a pretty strong guy. I haven't noticed any more stretching than tiger thread, and I often pull my thread too tight.

For $8, it works for me.

[dcobranding]

http://www.ludlowleather.com our of Michigan, USA carries Tiger thread 500m spools for $45 free shipping. FYI.

[LTC]

http://www.ludlowleather.com our of Michigan, USA carries Tiger thread 500m spools for $45 free shipping. FYI.

Not in black in 0.8mm they don't. Sounded like it would be several weeks at least until they had that in stock again...just to save anyone else from having to enquire about that.

[St8LineGunsmith]

I ordered a spool in black to try out

[billybopp]

I've used this stuff, and it's not bad. It's not as heavily waxed as tiger thread, which makes it slightly more difficult to use. That said, less wax also means it's less shiny which is a good thing for some projects! It's worth buying, and the price is right even if the wait for its arrival isn't easy.

[barehandcustoms]

I am currently going through a roll on that and have been pretty impressed. I am used to heavy waxed thread so this stuff felt like it was going to break at first. I was worried it may not be tough enough for the pouches I use this thread on. I sewed up a piece of leather and gave it several hard yanks. The leather started to rip before the thread did.

My only dislike is that it doesn't come with enough wax on it. The thread wants to loosen and back out until you get several holes ahead of it. This is easily fixed by just waxing it before sewing though.

With that said I still prefer tiger thread but this is an excellent alternative.

Edited June 24, 2014 by barehandcustoms

[Reegesc]

Just giving this "thread" a bump to the present day and adding my two cents.

The Chinese Poly Braided thread is an exceptional value but it is not quite as good as Tiger Thread. It gets reasonably close, however, for around one tenth the cost.

Because I like Tiger Thread so much, I don't mind having to pay their monopolistic prices for a single spool. $65 for a 500M spool of 1mm white lasts me a long time (been about one year on the same spool) but it sure would be nice to have it in multiple colors. That’s when you start looking for alternatives because $65 x 10 colors ain’t happening. Sure, you can buy smaller quantities wrapped around squares of cardboard from Etsy and eBay vendors. I went that route and didn’t care for it because I ran out too quickly. I like having a big spool of whatever color I have stock and not be concerned about running out midway through a project which happened on several occasions.

That’s where the Chinese thread comes in. At $4 a spool (260M), you can have 20 colors and not break the bank.

The two major differences as best I can tell is the Chinese thread is not as thick as Tiger Thread and is not as heavily waxed. You can add wax yourself, but it’s not not quite the same as thread that has been saturated in wax as part of the manufacturing process and where the wax is evenly distributed throughout the fibers yielding a nice plump waxy thread. Not a biggee for some, but it is a noticeable difference to me.

I closely examined the threads under a magnifying glass and they appear to be flat braided exactly the same way with neither one being a looser braid than the other. I frayed the ends and splayed out the threads -- both appear to be similar gauge threads. They are tiny little buggers so don’t hold me to an exact count but the Chinese looked to be approx 16 thread count whereas the Tiger Thread was approx 24 thread count. That would certainly explain the difference in thickness between the two. All things equal, a higher thread count would yield a stronger thread, but the Chinese thread appears plenty strong as is.

All in all I rate the Chinese Poly Braid an 8 (Silver Medal) as compared to Tiger Thread at 10 (Gold Medal).

There are a number of sellers on eBay all selling the same product. Search “260M Sewing Leather Waxed Thread” and you’ll find multiple listings. Although this link won’t last long, this is who I bought from - sanheshun - @ $4.15/spool for 1mm thread and that included shipping (two weeks shipping time).

[rickdroid]

Order Tiger Thread from Abbey England. I just ordered 4 rolls of 0.8mm for the equivalent of $96.77. Shipping will add some but it sure wont be $60 a roll.

Here is a partial copy of my order

Product Range Product Code Product Name Options Quantity Unit Price Amount TAX

DKT01 DKT0807 Tiger Polyester Braided Thread Waxed diam. / length:0.8mm 500m
colour:Mid Brown JK7 1 16.73 (£16.73) 16.73 (£16.73) 0.00 %

DKT01 DKT0811 Tiger Polyester Braided Thread Waxed diam. / length:0.8mm 500m
colour:Green JK11 1 16.73 (£16.73) 16.73 (£16.73) 0.00 %

DKT01 DKT0877 Tiger Polyester Braided Thread Waxed diam. / length:0.8mm 500m
colour:Havanna Cigar JK77 1 16.73 (£16.73) 16.73 (£16.73) 0.00 %

DKT01 DKT0814 Tiger Polyester Braided Thread Waxed diam. / length:0.8mm 500m
colour:Navy Blue JK14 1 16.73 (£16.73) 16.73 (£16.73) 0.00 %

Subtotal GBP 66.92 (£66.92) Total Incl. Tax GBP 66.92 (£66.92)

Total Number Of Units: 4

Here is their main link http://www.abbeyengland.com/

and the link to the Tiger Thread is http://www.abbeyengland.com/Store/tabid/77/CategoryID/202/Category2ID/27/List/1/Level/2/ProductID/68933/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

If it matters £16.73 is $24.16 a roll for the 0.8mm.

0.6mm is £42.93 a roll which is $62.00. High but still not the $99.00 that so many places on the internet charge.

Hope this might help.

Edited February 16, 2016 by rickdroid

[Reegesc]

Yeah that does help. $25/spool is a terrific price.

[rickdroid]

Yeah that does help. $25/spool is a terrific price.

Dont forget to check the exchange rate, it is pretty stable but you might save a few bucks by waiting a day or three.

[Reegesc]

I'm glad I brought this thread back to life. A site buddy of mine, MonicaJacobson, recommends

TWIN EAGLE THREAD

She said "it seems almost exactly like Tiger Thread". Man I tell you what, judging by this picture, I'd say it's EXACTLY like Tiger Thread and it's just $30 for a 930m spool -- that's almost twice as much thread as the standard 500m Tiger spool and almost four times the 260m Chinese spool. Twin Eagle is only offered in one size, however, 1.1mm, which is fine by me being a 1mm guy.

So let’s break these three threads down by pricing on a per unit basis, $/meter.

rickdroid provided some very favorable pricing @ $25/spool with Abbey England, but that was for .8mm thread. I tried to get 1mm spool pricing, but Abby England hasn’t yet “approved” my application for customership, which of course is required to see their triple top secret pricing. No wonder the Brits lost their Empire. The best pricing I could find on eBay for a full spool of Tiger Thread was $58 (Ukraine seller, same one I bought from before at $65 a year ago). So, using $58/500m for Tiger Thread, $30/930m spool for Twin Eagle, and $4/260m for the Chinese thread, it breaks down thusly:

$/Meter

=======

Tiger Thread 11.2¢

Twin Eagle 3.2¢

Chinese 1.5¢

I just ordered two rolls of Twin Eagle. Thx for the tip Monica. ;-)

Edited February 16, 2016 by cseeger

[Troy I]

I have and have been using Twin Eagle thread...Tiger Thread is still better, in my opinion...the Eagle Thread does not have as much wax on it and the ends seam to fray more easily, when trying to thread a needle...but for the price, it is good.

[Wicked Welts]

Thanks for the update, I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on multiple rolls for restock and this helps a lot. One last thing that's still causing a bit of head scratching for me is getting the size right when switching to a flat profile thread. I've seen references to size comparisons that go every which way on apples to apples so if you could elaborate on this it would be a great help. I'm currently choosing between .75mm, .8mm, .9mm (advertised at .030", .033" and .035") depending on my project so 1mm or 1.1mm thread would seem way too large for me if it were round thread.

The two major differences as best I can tell is the Chinese thread is not as thick as Tiger Thread and is not as heavily waxed.

So, this brings the question on how this stuff looks as it is presented to the eye in a finished stitch line. The advertised size/diameter is not important, the way it lays out and looks when done is. In other words, if the Eagle 1.1mm lays flat and looks just like round .035" or better yet, if the Chinese .8 flat looks just like .033" round does, then it would be full steam ahead for me. Does that make sense?

[MonicaJacobson]

Twin Eagle also seems to be flatter - maybe that's just the 1.1m sample I got, but I like it a lot better than the heavily waxed Maine Thread I've used. That said, since it's 1.1m, I haven't made a project with it, because my preference is .8mm thread, which they don't carry. If they sold .8 mm or .6mm I'd be all over it. As it is, I'm going to try the Chinese route for some color variation.

For Cream or Black, I still buy straight from Abbey England. I heard from another US based Abbey England customer who had to pay extra import fees. I have never had to, but I have never paid more than $150 at a time.

[Reegesc]

So, this brings the question on how this stuff looks as it is presented to the eye in a finished stitch line. The advertised size/diameter is not important, the way it lays out and looks when done is. In other words, if the Eagle 1.1mm lays flat and looks just like round .035" or better yet, if the Chinese .8 flat looks just like .033" round does, then it would be full steam ahead for me. Does that make sense?

Yes it does make sense but I can't answer it. I use 1mm exclusively and don't think in terms of other sizes, inches or millimeters. But I tell ya what, PM me with your address and I will send you a generous sample of each -- the Chinese and the Twin Eagle (the Twin should be in a couple days). Seriously, take me up on it. Happy to help.

[Wicked Welts]

PM sent - thanks. Hopefully this will stop my head from spinning!

[rickdroid]

For the cost comparison you are doing, a 500 meter roll of 1.0 mm white Tiger thread is BP 22.71 or $32.53. Go ahead and register with them, they don't send out spam and you can check the prices of every thing they sell.

Also, my latest shipment just came in today by DHL. The total cost, including shipping was $119.00. I placed the order on Feb. 11, so not too bad. Im happy with the price and the service so I'll keep on using this process. I don't know if there is some limit where import taxes kick in but if there is I haven't hit it yet.

Maybe this info will help someone save some money.

rick

[Reegesc]

500 meter roll of 1.0 mm white Tiger thread is BP 22.71 or $32.53.

That is a good deal. Thx

[Reegesc]

It's been over a month now and I've had plenty of experience using the Twin Eagle thread and the Chinese thread, that's in addition to having used Tiger Thread for over a year or so.  The headline is I like them ALL!  I don't think any of them is superior to the other.  I really don't.  Both the Chinese and Twin Eagle threads have less wax than Tiger thread but that doesn't mean they don't have enough.  I think it just means that Tiger has an overkill amount of wax.  I particularly like the size of the Twin Eagle at 1.2 mm.  I'm just partial to big ol' fat thread I guess and it has become my go to thread. Check out these shoes I made.  

 

The Desert Chukka (the one with the plain front) was stitched using the 1.2 mm Twin Eagle Thread, even for the fine stitching.   The Trek Chukka (The middle seam front) was stitched using 1 mm Chinese thread.  You tell me....does either one look like second rate thread to you?   No way.  It's good stuff all the way around.

 

[nrk]

On 3/25/2016 at 0:37 PM, cseeger said:

It's been over a month now and I've had plenty of experience using the Twin Eagle thread and the Chinese thread, that's in addition to having used Tiger Thread for over a year or so.  The headline is I like them ALL!  I don't think any of them is superior to the other.  I really don't.  Both the Chinese and Twin Eagle threads have less wax than Tiger thread but that doesn't mean they don't have enough.  I think it just means that Tiger has an overkill amount of wax.  I particularly like the size of the Twin Eagle at 1.2 mm.  I'm just partial to big ol' fat thread I guess and it has become my go to thread. Check out these shoes I made.  

 

The Desert Chukka (the one with the plain front) was stitched using the 1.2 mm Twin Eagle Thread, even for the fine stitching.   The Trek Chukka (The middle seam front) was stitched using 1 mm Chinese thread.  You tell me....does either one look like second rate thread to you?   No way.  It's good stuff all the way around.

 

check out lekoza - they got a new italian threads, which look pretty good. haven't tried yet, but will order soon )

[Wicked Welts]

Love those chukkas there Seeg and I agree, that Double Dong thread is awesome too!