YLI Corporation 200 m 100 Weight Silk Thread, Black

It's really helpful that Amazon has high-quality materials available online like this. Where I live, there's practically no craft stores left and none of them sell anything nice anymore. The best I can do is get quilting-grade cotton. I live in a "cultural desert" of strip malls, strip clubs, and stripped-out stores. I use Amazon, as well as some other online specialty stores, to be able to keep traditional crafts alive despite living in a big-box car-centric hell. I love this silk thread because it's as-described and really good quality. In case you're new to buying silk, there's two types: spun and reeled. Most people have only purchased Gutermann's spun silk thread from their craft stores. The spun stuff is not the best. This thread, as in the thread this review is for, is reeled. Reeling means that the silk is a continuous filament unwound from the silk cocoon. Reeled silk is higher quality and smoother, while also being stronger. WWII parachutes were made from the stuff. This thread is also exceptionally fine and perfect for small, nearly invisible stitches. Because the thread is reeled, it won't snag nearly as much and you can do fine but still strong work. The value is immeasurable because having this available, with fast shipping and Amazon's customer support backing it, is invaluable. I would have no other option than to buy through the manufacturer themselves. As for the price on Amazon, it's still less than what a store would sell this for - you know, in the New York garment district, LA, or Miami. The color is good and doesn't seem to run or stain. The silk also doesn't seem weakened by the dyeing, which is a common issue with cheap silk. I don't know if this thread meets conservation standards but it definitely beats most of what is used even in modern high-end/luxury manufacturing. I prefer to wax all my thread, especially thread this fine. It's most likely that your material will be the coarse thing snagging and not the thread, so waxing is still recommended for fine work. I also use this with hand sewing and not with a machine. I would imagine that a machine would need a very fine needle and the tension settings would need to be perfect. You'll also need a good machine that has consistent tension every cycle of the mechanism. A modern, low-cost machine can cause problems most people blame on the thread. If you're using a machine, clean it and wipe down all the running surfaces. Go slow and make sure the tension is perfectly matched to the stitch length. Use a properly sized needle from a reputable manufacturer. If your needle is bent or has micro-burrs on it, then you will run into issues with silk. For hand sewing, I've had luck with whatever the higher-end of needle was that my local store sold. Finer needles work better.

Nice silk, bright colour but not very strong. Not for salmon fly dressing but is suitable for clasdic trout patterns. Pearsalls is a superiir product.

This thread is a pleasure to sew with. I used it to sew' a 'Celtic Knot' pattern of black bias tape on a cushion. For this type of project it is 100% better then cotton thread. Thank you for having it on the 'prime' list.

very disappointed in the strength. snaps very easily

Superb product for tying salmon flies.