Tiger Thread Vs Lin Cable Vs ?

[RStevenson]

So I've been reading recently that quite a few people prefer Lin Cable over ritza 25, and some fine leather workers use Lin Cable exclusively. I generally use only Ritza and I'm interested in knowing the pro's and cons of each. I like the look of a spool of Lin Cable quite a bit and I think it looks great in photos with products etc. but I don't think the price point justifies this alone. Isn't polyester the strongest and most wear resistant? Lin Cable is corded and not flat braided? How much length comes in 50g a spool of linen thread?

What do the rest of you guys use for stitching if not these?

[Nuttish]

Sajou cable linen and Ritza tiger are completely different concepts suitable for different projects.

Ritza is braided — it will never lay as flat as an appropriately sized twisted thread. Sajou is twisted burnished yarns. Irish linen is twisted waxed yarns.

If you're looking for an excellent and more accessible alternative to Sajou, check out Crawford's Irish linen. Royalwood has it in a variety of colors and, most importantly, small sizes comparable to those offered by Sajou. I'm not sure for the length you get per $15 spool that it's actually much more cost-effective.

For comparison — a crude sampler

1st row — Ritza nominal .6mm — actual .020"/.5mm

2nd row — Crawford 3 ply — ~.020"/.5mm

3rd row — Sajou 432 — ~.020"/.5mm

4th row — Sajou 532 — ~.017"/.43mm

5th row — Crawford 2 ply — ~.016"/.4mm

6th row — Barbour 4 ply

Keep in mind that these were measured unburnished with a thickness gage. That is not the proper way to measure most thread, but you get the idea.

You could use finer thread and you're not charging enough.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Nuttish

[Matt T]

Linen is more traditional and looks better to me on certain types of items. The reason it is so expensive comes down to the fact that it's been largely replaced by polyester thread; so there are only a handful of companies producing it. It's also a natural fiber which costs more to process than polyester ( which is an oil product; basically made from plastic, melted and extruded into fine strands). Linen fibers are not created equal, and they need to be combed until only the longest fibers remain. You have a lot of waste material from this, whereas with polyester you could just remelt damaged or short strands.

Linen thread doesn't have as much stretch as polyester, and will break before polyester thread of the same size. Some high end manufacturers prefer linen because of this - If you are making something from an expensive leather, you would prefer that the thread break before the leather tears.

[RStevenson]

Ritza is braided — it will never lay as flat as an appropriately sized twisted thread.

My understanding is that it is flat braided like a tube so it always lays flat no matter what

[Matt T]

Amman thread company sent me a sample of their Serabraid thread, which is a braided polyester that has a round profile. It did not lay flat and wouldn't lay flat even with hammering. The ritza style threads are braided into a flat shape as you say, and they lay flat.

[Nuttish]

Look for yourself. I put up a pic comparing them. It doesn't remotely lay flat compared to twisted linen of approximately the same diameter.

[RStevenson]

It looks really big for the SPI you're using and does not resemble the 0.6mm ritza that I have it looks more like 1mm+. It could also be because its not pulled tight because the leather is too thin.

Here are some images of some of my stitches with 0.8mm Ritza:

http://imgur.com/a/jpD0m

Edited June 2, 2015 by RStevenson

[simontuntelder]

So you want to switch because the spools will look good in pictures and because Hermes uses it? :-D

[DavidL]

hermes uses barbours and I think gutterman sewing machine thread too for watch straps.

3:00

Selling something for 5 grand a piece, having the best thread isn't too much of a cost. Selling a piece for 50 the thread starts to become unnecessary especially if you need 5 different colours in different sizes. Fil au chinois thread is great thread but Barbours linen hand sewing thread will be my next thread I get, from what I hear it is great.

Edited June 3, 2015 by DavidL

[YinTx]

I just picked up a bunch of Cambell's Satin Laid Linen thread, in a variety of colors and weights. To me, it seems slightly better than Barbours, and not quite as tightly wound as Fil Au Chinois. But this is pretty subjective, I don't have information in front of me like tensile strength, etc. I like each of them, and will use them depending on the item I am making. I have stitched with Tiger also, and it is a different animal than Linen. Tiger does not have any thread smaller than 0.6mm that I know of, and most of the linens I have seen do not get into the larger diameters like the Tiger thread does. I like having the variety available to suit whichever item I am making, and thread, although expensive, is not the most expensive part of your project. However, done well or poorly it can make or break a project, in my humble opinion.

To answer your questions on lengths, it really depends on the weight (diameter) of the thread. Most of the 50 gram linen spools seem to have about 250 meters of thread on them.

YinTx

[retiredff]

On 6/2/2015 at 5:05 PM, RStevenson said:

It looks really big for the SPI you're using and does not resemble the 0.6mm ritza that I have it looks more like 1mm+. It could also be because its not pulled tight because the leather is too thin.

Here are some images of some of my stitches with 0.8mm Ritza:

http://imgur.com/a/jpD0m

Your stitching is beautiful. What are the items you stitched in the pics? I just ordered some Tiger thread and I'm researching what size thread to use for different projects like wallets, knife sheaths etc. Mostly small items.

 

[ke6cvh]

Hello group,  I just received some size 415 braided that is available in either waxed or bonded sold by J&S thread supply but I got it from a pack goat web site.  From J&S it is $38.95 a pound.  It is either brown/black/white/tan.  I got the black and it is shiny and really sews well in a size 27 need 214x1 on a 45k1 and looks incredible.  I also got size 277 but it is not as noticeably flat as the 415.  I will get tan next.  This stuff is USA made   I'm sold on it  !!!!  I'm considering in investing in a compound feed machine even though I'm only doing heavy waxed canvas with the thread now I like the idea of a machine that can do it all.  I'm considering a double needle shuttle hook but I think it is allot more expensive.  Is that un-necessary with a drop down roller foot like on the Cowboy cb-4500 for a clean double row of stitches on a pocket?  My concern is the roller guide not working right on pocket attachment and a double needle that could also work single as more appropriate....sorry to shift from the thread top to also machines after adding the thread info.  Back to Amman that braided thread confuses me as the J&S is available from 207 in all the steps up to 415.  This Amman site is nothing short of confusing on their smallest size which I think is about 415 (and it is round not flat)  Best regards, Mike