Sunday, January 20, 2013

Comparison between Settanyl Brazilian Waxed Polyester and C-Lon Bead Cord


Dawn Standera

What's the differences between Settanyl Brazilian Waxed Polyester and C-Lon Bead Cord?

Nylon versus Polyester
Nylon is made out of continuous filament fibers. It imitates filament silk. Polyester is made of shorter fibers, spun together the same way as cotton and linen. 
Expect more stretching with polyester. Nylon after an initial stretch has minimal stretching. 

2 Ply versus 3 Ply
C-Lon is a 3-ply cord. Settanyl is a 2-ply cord. 3 ply construction makes a rounder cord. 2-ply construction makes a cord that can be more easily flattened. 

Bond versus Wax Coating
Bond is an applied coat to the cord after it has been extruded, spun and plied. It is similar to a resin coat that's applied, then dried in an oven. Tack is also often applied to cord when it is wound on spools. It kelps the spools from unraveling. Bond sometimes whitens over time when exposed to changes of temperature or heavy handling. Rubbing alcohol applied to the cord surface restores the transparency of the bond. 

Wax is applied after the cord has been plied. Wax is not a permanent finish. Over time the wax coating gets thinner, leaving the cord more susceptible to wear and tear. 

Size
The Settanyl Brazilian Waxed Polyester is about 1mm in diameter, just a tad thicker than C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord, the heavier cord of C-Lon. 


Wash & Wear
Both types of cord can be washed. Both will fade with long exposure to sunlight. 

Learning Curve
Bonded nylon is a bit harder to knot. Waxed polyester is easier to knot as the first half of the knot holds itself better as the wax creates a form of adhesion. Undoing knots is easier with bonded nylon and much harder with waxed polyester without damaging the cord. 

Personal Preferences
In the end it is all about personal preferences. Many types of knotting lend themselves to waxed fibers. Some artists, experts and beginners alike, will love the availability of this cord.

My recommendation 
Personally I would get a few spools to test if I could. Unfortunately, I have a major skin sensitivity to the wax coating on this thread, so I will leave this thread to other to play around and experiment with!



 >> Go to KnotMore.com


3 comments:

  1. I recently ordered Settanyl cord and I think it it very similar also to waxed Irish linen. I had a convo with Knotmore and there are definite advantages of Settanyl over waxed Irish linen: significantly less expensive, more color choices, waterproof, less tendency to fray, brighter/fade-resistant color, and easier to unknot; just to name a few...

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    Replies
    1. Where did you get your cords from, if you don't mind sharing.

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  2. From KnotMore.com - I don't advertise on my blog. The KnotMore picture was placed at no charge. Ultimately I want everyone to be able to find the cord they are looking for, so they can create fabulous new works!

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