So after @Martin CarswelI's post on ramie thread, I purchased a spool from aliexpress made by a company called Galaces in China.
It appears there is limited sizes and colours available when it comes to waxed ramie thread designed for leathercraft, so no competition really against the mighty FAC.
But finding ramie in 0.55 - 0.6mm is easy. So great for bags and bastardised watch straps.
I ordered 0.55mm rammie thread in brown. The stated length is 70 metres and the price was less than £5 delivered from China (the biggest producer of the rammie plant).
The closest thread offered in Lin Cable was 432 in 'Marron', also a measured 0.55mm.
So let's start the comparison.
Off the spool the ramie (right) seems to have much less of a set than the Lin Cable (left). Perhaps this is due in part to how tightly wound the Lin Cable is on the spool.
I'm not sure if this comparison means anything, but the difference was quite noticeable.
Off the spool the Lin Cable feels a little smoother, but there's really not much in it.
Threading and locking in the needles however, proved more of a challenge with the ramie.
The Galaces ramie seemed to be cabled and waxed in exactly the same way as the Lin Cable, yet piercing the rammie was not as easy. It is very dense.
Pulling the thread over the needle to lock it in place was noticeably more of a challenge, but had I added extra wax, that wouldn't have been an issue.
My thoughts are that I would find out more about these two threads by using only the wax applied at the factory.
After stitching using 3.38mm irons and an awl, these are the results with 2.5mm English bridle leather (no cast).
Before tapping the threads down (Galaces ramie top):
After tapping the threads down (Galaces ramie top):
Conclusion:
Price.
If you are new to leathercraft and you are on a budget, as long as you are ok with using a medium to large diameter thread with your work, Galaces ramie thread is impressive for the price.
It's a bit like stingray, yes it's comparable in price per sq/ft to alligator, but it's very small in size, so easier to purchase for those who can't afford the larger exotics.
But five British pesos aint' bad for 70m of natural thread, and Galaces don't have the audacity to lie about it not being flax linen. Although re-sellers do.
Value.
When you consider that you are getting 70m with the Galaces 0.55mm Ramie and 200m with the 432 Lin Cable, the value of Lin Cable really shines.
The ramie alternative only makes sense if you are toe dipping into the craft and don't want to lay down too much cash for something you are not too sure about. Completely understandable.
Performance.
Although I haven't conducted any strength tests or used ramie thread for any projects that have seen years of use, in practice they perform almost identically.
Quality.
A very slight nod to Lin Cable overall, but not by much. If anything, ramie has a slightly more consistent thickness with a measured 0.55mm as advertised. Ramie is not quite as polished perhaps, but it would take a discerning eye to notice.
Product range.
So far ramie hasn't been that popular in the leather goods industry, though that may change.
But as of right now, I don't know of anywhere that offers the same colours and sizes that could hold a candle to Lin Cable.
Non functional considerations.
Lin Cable has a long and storied history of being used by top tier brands and made in a country renowned for fine leatherwork.
Hands down Lin Cable wins the reputation and romance war here.
Conclusion.
I don't think waxed ramie thread by Galaces is a top contender yet, but it is slightly denser and you can see a little more definition on the back stitch after a heavy hammering in the above photos.
Lin Cable: 9/10
Galaces Ramie 8/10
What do you think?
This is my only gripe with Lin Cable. These lumps. This is some 632 which is meant to be 0.55mm. You can see this lump is over 1mm thick. I have to check for these every time I reel some thread off the spool. Leads to a bit of wastage and can be really annoying if you don’t notice it until you’re halfway through a long run.
Thanks for the review Philip. That’s interesting about how you said it’s really tightly cabled and hard to get a needle through. My stuff from japan is definitely not tightly cabled. It’s quite fuzzy and unwaxed. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to topple the prestige of Lin Cable, but I don’t think that’s the point of any of the discussion. I think it’s just interesting that there’s another alternative to linen thread out there. And as you said, as yet there’s no colour range available anywhere near as comprehensive as Lin Cable. But that had me wondering, could I get fine ramie thread in natural colour, unwaxed, and dye it myself? I already have the thread. Not sure what sort of dye would work and be colour fast. Probably not worth the time and effort.
Yeah, I would still go for Lin Cablé (even if I really like the Ramie backstitch definition). For the simple reason that it has been around for a long time and it has been tested and tried by generations and it has been found to be extremly resistant.
I am not saying Ramie is bad, I am saying it is untested and I would rather not test its resistance on a piece I made for a customer...