what's your favorite and why?

i am trying to find something durable that isn't overly thick and isn't hard to work with. i've tried wire and it usually doesn't end up working. i've tried that fishing line type cord and i can never knot it well. i wish there was something about the thickness of embroidery floss that was much more enduring. i've used cotton twist cord from Hobby Lobby for necklaces but it's fairly thick for smaller sized beads; don't know if there's a thinner version.

please share your knowledge...thank you!
-Shannon

Depends on what you're stringing. For beadwork, I use size D Nymo or one of these days I'm going to experiment with silamide. I wouldn't use cotton because it will eventually deteriorate. For regular stringing I use beadalon (or it's other variations) which is basically stainless steel coated in nylon.

thanks for the input :)
anyone else?
-S

I use fishing line, but it is absolutely impossible to knot. I use crimps (little silver things that you squash onto the thread with pliers, thus securing your stuff). Wire never sits the way I want it to, and cotton always seems to stretch or slip for me.

soft-flex is the best stuff on earth. it is just so great. like beadalon, it is tiny wire strands coated in nylon and it is extra durable without being stiff or thick. it comes in different sizes and there is a thin size that is knottable, but i use crimp beads. crimp beads tend to cut through silamide and other floss, but it will not cut through soft-flex. don't use fishing line! it'll rot in a few years....

I'm not sure about how quickly it rots, but I tend to use upholstery thread for beading, it is thicker and stronger than ordinary thread, but without the problems that come from using wire/plastic e.g. you can knot it more easily etc.

I use the Beadalon 27 strand stuff, but I hear that Softflex and SoftTouch are the best. Crimps are easy to use (you can get them cheap at Hobby Lobby), all you need is a regular pair of needle nose pliers ($3 at WalMart). Just put a crimp where you want it, smush it with the wide, flat part of the pliers, and turn it over and smush from the bottom. They're much easier to place precisely than knots, and provide a very secure hold.