GetCrafty Craft Facts

Q: 'Beadwork' magazine presents: "The Beader's Companion" by 'Judith Durant & Jean Campbell. To paraphase, this book states you cannot, and should not, knot 'Tigertail' in jewelry and expect it to hold beads (wear & tear, etc.). I'm new to beading, so I knew I would continuously learn. However, I have been using 'Tigertail' with light glass and medium-weight stone beads then knotting it 3x's to barrel clasps. I have also purchased crimp beads, but must admit my first pieces do not contain them. Do I have a disaster waiting to happen on my hands?

A: USE THE CRIMPS! YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES PICKING UP BEADS! USED PROPERLY, THEY WORK. NOTHING IS 100 PERCENT FOR STRINGING, BUT AFTER STRINGING THOUSANDS OF NECKLACES, I'D GO WITH THE CRIMP IF BEADS ARE HEAVY. I AM A PROFESSIONAL BEAD ARTIST. 'SOFT-FLEX' WOULD BE MY NEXT CHOICE ALSO WITH CRIMP, IT JUST MAKES THE NECKLACE LOOK MORE FINISHED, AND MORE PROFESSIONAL. YOU COVER THE CRIMP WITH A CLAMSHELL BEAD TIP, AND YOU CAN BUY SPECIAL PLIERS FOR THE CRIMP. My advice would be to use the crimp beads. I worry about the wires breaking when knotted, even though 'Soft-Flex'/'Soft-Touch' is supposed to be "knottable". I've only sold beaded jewelry for about three years, but my experience is to use the crimps. That way, you're not taking any chances with important pieces (and aren't they all important?). Whenever you attempt to knot a wire such as Tigertail, you are creating a stress point, and eventually that stresspoint will break. If you use the newer wires that are guaranteed that you CAN knot them, like 'Softflex'(TM) Wire, that type of wire will work, and not create stress points. This wire is designed and created for a variety of uses, from knotting to crimping. Personally, I use all wires with crimp beads. I use other strings for knotting perposes, and 100% silk is best to use for that king of stringing. There are blends, or other synthetics that you can use if 100% silk is too costly. I suggest visiting a good bead store. Take a look at the variety of stringing supplies available. Experiment with threads yourself to see what you like best.