Who can tell you what's right for you! If you already have a favorite - then why change?? I say don't change - but be willing to try something new! Now, with so many products and brands on the market, it's getting more and more confusing especially if you're just starting your jewelry making endeavor. When I suggested this topic, I had no idea there were so many choices and even as I write, I know there will be even more by the time you read this. I see them when I shop, but because I have my favorites, I tend to look past most of the other choices. If we don't look outside our "box", how will we ever improve our techniques.
So, I'll start with stringing wire:
The most popular brands are Soft Flex, Beadalon, Acculon, Accuflex, and Griffin. Stringing wire is the re-invention of old-fashioned Tiger Tail with lots of improvements. All of these brands have created a strong but flexible wire that's made up of many tiny wires and then coated in nylon. These flexible wires now come in so many colors to match your every beading project, start with your favorites and branch out as grow!

It wouldn't be fair to tell you which brand is better, but I can say the truth is in the #'s. Which numbers? There are SO many. Three of the numbers on the spools are important to learn now. That way you won't grab the wrong spool in a hurry, get home and realize that's not what you wanted! The diameter is a little obvious - it describes the width of the wire. This number also can give you an idea of what project it would be good for, the wider the wire the stronger the test weight. Just like fishing, the manufacturer gives us a test weight number which is similar to the diameter, in that the bigger the number, the stronger it is for projects. And another number that is my all time favorite, the # of strands per wire. This number tells you how many individual strands of wire are inside the nylon coating. Why is this my favorite? Not everybody knows, but in many cases - the more wires inside the more flexible and supple the jewelry piece will be when finished. Understanding these three numbers can really help when picking the right wire for your next project and as always, you get what you pay for. If you're creating a piece that you hope will have long-lasting durability and strength, don't cheat yourself on wire!

Other stringing supplies include:
PowerPro, FireLine, Silk Cord, Nymo, Illusion Cord, Silamide and many others.
Nymo, Silamide, Kevlar, and C-Lon threads are basic beading threads. These threads are like very thin long ribbons. The ribbons are made up of long strands of fibers. And fibers fray easily, so you always want to wax your thread, even if the product says "pre-waxed'.
Fire Line, PowerPro and C-Thru and Woven Translucent Bead Cord, are used like threads, but they are really what we call a hybrid cable thread. These are a hybrid between threads and cable wires. These are threads that are braided together and encased in a nylon coating. Fire Line is made of the world's strongest fiber called Dyneema. While waxing is not suggested for these threads, it is always an added benifit when working with long threads to prevent tangling. These hybrid cable threads are not meant to show in your piece and are almost transparent to the unknowing eye!

If you want your stringing material to show, you'd choose a bead cord. Again, so many choices - waxed cotton, leather, woven round cord, PowerCord, rayon, silk, ribbons, rubber, elastic, faux suede and many more. Cords could be appropriate for knotting projects with beads and pearls when you'd like to accent the beads with delicate knots, hanging a single pendant, layering with fibers, braiding, crocheting, and on and on and on!

When you find a new favorite stringing material, let everybody know! Share your thoughts and ideas on blogs and forums so that anybody who hasn't already tried will know why they need it! Manufacturers will take notice and keep bringing us new materials to work with and want us to respond with our buying power.