Q:  What beading wire should I use for my project? 

A:  Beading wire is generally constructed of multiple strands of stainless steel twisted together and covered with a nylon coating.  Many of you know that we are big fans of Soft Flex (TM) line of beading wire.  Soft Flex offers a variety of wire that allows you to tailor your beading wire to your project so i'm going to refer mostly to the Soft Flex products that we carry.  There are other beading wire manufacturers and everybody has their favorite.  One rule:  Don’t buy beading wire based solely on its price.  Be certain the beading wire you choose is durable and complements your project!

There a couple, three considerations in mind when choosing wire for a project:  diameter, drape and finish.  Diameter refers to the thickness of the wire.  From a diameter of .010 to a diameter of .024, you should be able to find the perfect wire for the beads and stringing techniques you are using in your project.  Drape refers to the softness and flexibility of the wire.  Pearls might be strung on wire that has a softer drape than wire used to string heavy gemstones.  Finish refers to the look of the beading wire.  There is a wonderful variety of wire available these days and the finish of your choice of beading wire can be an important element in the overall design.

Often, the label on the spool of beading wire will refer to “test strength.”  This is the amount of shock or sudden impact a line can withstand before it reaches the breaking point.  The amount of force is measured in pounds.  A test strength of “26 lbs“ means that, in lab testing, the wire did not break until a force equal to 26 pounds was quickly applied.  Not a slow consistent pull but a quick jerk like what might happen if we catch a bracelet on a doorknob and keep running to that meeting we’re late for - again.  Hopefully the wire breaks instead of us being pulled off our feet and hung up on the doorknob like an oversized May basket!