Hi all. Quick and blunt question. Fil au Chinois. The best leather saddle stitching thread? What has been your experience and what do you recommend. :)
I have used Tiger thread/Ritza, Fil au Chinois and Vinymo MBT. I like all three for different reasons and different types uses. I use Tiger thread in .8 mm size for more rustic/rugged products, like duffle bags and tool bags. I use Fil au Chinois for “finer” goods like clutches, jewelry (cuffs) and handbags. In last 6 months I’ve started using Vinymo as my to go thread for most projects. I believe it combines the best attributes of Tiger thread (ease of use and durability) and Fil au Chinois (for lack of better terms - prettiness) into one thread. Vinymo sews great (minimal tangles and pierced thread) and comes in a broad range of colors. My only negative is that it looks a little shiny against some leathers.
I use mainly Fil au Chinois 432 and I don't think its weak. I don't have to be carefull to avoid it breaking. Unless there is some imperfection in the thread it will not break. if you use thinner thread like 632 then you can break it you still need to force it.
Fi Au Chinois is cabled linen thread which is a natural fiber. It looks nice but i question its strength. If your not careful you can snap the thread while stitching. Personally I like the waxed Cabled Nylon braided polyester threads (not to be confused with tiger thread/Ritza which is a flat thread rather than cabled). Currently, I'm using WUTA thread which is a Chinese brand that seems to be very strong and produces a nice looking stitch. The nylon threads are way cheaper by the way...personal preference I would say. Philip talks about this in depth on instagram and his masterclass on stitching. By the way watch out for the knock off linen threads coming from china as well...they are not the same quality and probably not real linen. If your going with linen stick with the big names like Chinois.
I have used Tiger thread/Ritza, Fil au Chinois and Vinymo MBT. I like all three for different reasons and different types uses. I use Tiger thread in .8 mm size for more rustic/rugged products, like duffle bags and tool bags. I use Fil au Chinois for “finer” goods like clutches, jewelry (cuffs) and handbags. In last 6 months I’ve started using Vinymo as my to go thread for most projects. I believe it combines the best attributes of Tiger thread (ease of use and durability) and Fil au Chinois (for lack of better terms - prettiness) into one thread. Vinymo sews great (minimal tangles and pierced thread) and comes in a broad range of colors. My only negative is that it looks a little shiny against some leathers.
I use mainly Fil au Chinois 432 and I don't think its weak. I don't have to be carefull to avoid it breaking. Unless there is some imperfection in the thread it will not break. if you use thinner thread like 632 then you can break it you still need to force it.
Fi Au Chinois is cabled linen thread which is a natural fiber. It looks nice but i question its strength. If your not careful you can snap the thread while stitching. Personally I like the waxed Cabled Nylon braided polyester threads (not to be confused with tiger thread/Ritza which is a flat thread rather than cabled). Currently, I'm using WUTA thread which is a Chinese brand that seems to be very strong and produces a nice looking stitch. The nylon threads are way cheaper by the way...personal preference I would say. Philip talks about this in depth on instagram and his masterclass on stitching. By the way watch out for the knock off linen threads coming from china as well...they are not the same quality and probably not real linen. If your going with linen stick with the big names like Chinois.