Not Being Political - Just Ranting

I was looking for some thread for rigging about a year or so ago, and tried both Michaels and JoAnns craft stores. I complained to someone in one of the stores- forget which- about the poor selection.

She said the hobby of sewing is dropping way off.  Sewing is not the hobby or neccessity it was years ago, so the selection of threads has gone down accordingly.  It is becoming much more of a niche market, favoring those countries that make lower volume (more hand work) production.

I find I get a much better selection at those mail order businesses that cater to ship modelers- Model Expo and Bluejacket.  Don't like having to mail order when I run out of thread, but that is the way it is. If sewing is a declining pastime, just think how little the market is of model shipbuilders :-(

Mr. Stauffer is right.  I'm especially partial to Model Shipways' (i.e., Model Expo's), assortment of rigging line.  (If I remember right, it's actually sold by Mamoli, but it comes with Model Shipways kits.)  It looks far more like miniature rope than ordinary sewing thread does. 

Bluejacket sells three rigging materials:  cotton, nylon, and linen.  I recommend avoiding cotton; it reacts too much to changes in humidity.  The ntlon is ok for detail work in the small diameters, but I personally  don't care for the look of the larger ones; they just don't look like rope.  Bluejacket linen line is excellent, but not cheap.  And you have to dye it.

For my little models of the Bounty and the Hancock, I used silk.  In those days (thirty years ago - good gawd!) good sewing stores carried silk thread in dozens of colors and two sizes; I made lots of additional sizes by spinning the smaller stuff up on my primitive "rope making machine" (which I made from a Lego set, with the two parts mounted on opposite ends of a sawhorse in the basement).  For more recent and modest projects since those days I've generally used the Model Shipways stuff.   (Incidentally, I finished the Bounty in 1977 and the Hancock in 1983, and the rigging of both looks good as new - despite four changes of residence and quite a few bumpy car rides.  So much for the oft-stated concern that silk thread doesn't last.)  On more recent, more modest projects I've usually used the Model Shipways stuff. 

If I ever do another really serious scratchbuilt sailing ship, I'm not sure what I'll use for rigging line.  I haven't seen silk thread in a fabric store for at least twenty years.  I did do a Google search once on "real silk thread," and several dealers popped up.  Maybe one of them is the answer.  Check out this site, for instance:   http://www.superiorthreads.com/ .  It shows quite a few products that look like they might make excellent rigging line.

Jake, my suggestion is to check out www.modelexpo-online.com .  I think you'll find something there that you'll like.

So... let me get this straight. You went to a retailer who specializes in selling cheap arts & crafts and you're surprised that a vendor had to outsource their workers to stay competitive?

Tracy White

So... let me get this straight. You went to a retailer who specializes in selling cheap arts & crafts and you're surprised that a vendor had to outsource their workers to stay competitive?

The shear number of hours that it takes to do something truly well is so much more valuable than the materials. I spent about $ 60.00 on what I needed for the cable, the messenger and the various ropes and blocks on the three gun decks of Victory. One year later I am about half way through, many dozens of hours. If I ever had to redo it I would be angry.