Anyone else have trouble with threading linen threads on the needle? I'm using Fil au chinois 832 (.45mm I believe) threads on John James 004 needles. I usually pierce the thread two times after the base and when pulling everything together usually one of them snap leaving me with a single strand pierced. Also tends to be really vulnerable to snapping during the stitching phase and I have to be extra careful.
I run the thread through beeswax 5-6x and run it through some cloth which definitely helps but threading the needle always ends up being such an endeavor.
I encountered this more than once, not FAC but other poly and linen threads. But I think first you need to check if your needle went through the exact center of the thread, it will give you strongest hold, and second is when pulling, I grab the part right behind the knots ( not use the needles themselves to pull ). It helped, in my case.
Something else to be taken into consideration, I have noticed some inconsistencies with Fil au Chinois 832. Not every spool seems to be created equal. On one hand I have a spool of yellow thread that hasn't given me any problems whatsoever and that can be threaded like 632 on the other hand I have a spool of green thread that's pretty finicky and I have had to make some adjustments to the way I thread it.
Hey Grant,
The thinnest I will go with FAC is 632. It's still quite fine for smaller irons such as 2.7mm and sometimes even smaller.
In modern times most flax is cultivated and sorted by machine, from what I've heard this has produced staple (fibre) lengths that are shorter than they used to be.
This means with thinner threads, the shorter fibres are more likely to slip past each other and fail, even after the cabling process which adds friction. This is much less of an issue with 632 and above.
By comparison, I have some vintage Barbour's linen thread that is even smaller than 832, yet it is incredibly strong and consistent. This goes back to the days where more hand work created better quality threads (much like leatherwork!).
You may find this interesting:
Yeah, i think this happens to everyone at first.
When you pinch the thread between your fingers to pierce it with the needle, try to twist it counterwise to the thread's twist, this should loosen the individuals strands just a little bit and allow you to pass the needle through. It works for me.
And with Linen, i always pierce the thread thrice. always.