Welcome to Our Cord choice guide!

Q: Rayon versus Nylon - What's the difference?

Rayon Satin Cord is a high-quality cord with a shiny look and soft satin feel that is made in the USA. It is made from mainly natural fibers woven over a cotton core. Great for beautiful silky necklaces, knotting projects and bridal wear. It comes in over 70+ different colors, many of which are available in 3 sizes:

Petite #0 (sometimes called bugtail or petite rattail) - approximately 1mm - 1.4mm
Lightweight #1 (sometimes called mousetail or lightweight rattail) - approximately 1.5mm - 1.9mm
Heavyweight #2 (sometimes called rattail or heavyweight rattail) - approximately 2mm or slightly over

The size (width) of the cord can vary slightly from one spool to the next. The amount of cord designated (70 or 144 yards) is approximate and can vary from one spool to the next. While the color is pretty consistent, there can be slight differences from one dye lot to the next.

If you need to seal the ends, be aware that Rayon cannot be heat-sealed so use a drop of super Glue or Fraycheck instead. (The gel form of Super Glue works better.) Don't use too much or the cord will wick up a lot of glue and become unsightly.

Nylon Satin Cord is durable cord with a nice bulk and feel that is made in China from mainly synthetic fibers. It is great for necklaces and knotting projects and holds up under the wear and tear of children. It comes in 40+ colors in 2mm size and a few colors in hard-to-find 1mm, 3mm and 4mm sizes.

Size (width) is approximate and can vary slightly from roll to roll. The amount of cord designated (100, 144 or 200) is approximate and can vary from one spool to the next. There may be slight differences in color shades between batches as dye lots are allowed up to a 35% variance from one batch to the next by the manufacturer.

Nylon satin cord can be melted to seal the end by wisping it through a flame. Don't hold it in the flame too long or you will get a black blob.

Q: Which one is really satin?

They both are. Satin is not a specific fabric type, but rather the way a fabric is woven to produce a shiny side and a dull side. The original satin fabric was made of silk, but satin is now made from a number of different threads.


Which one is really rattail?

The Rayon cord is the REAL rattail, which is a registered trademark name of the manufacturer. The real Rattail is manufactured in the USA. Often, the term can be seen listed as "rat tail" or "rat-tail" when actually describing Nylon cord since the trademark version "Rattail" only legally refers to the Rayon cord. So buyer beware!

Q:Which one is best for Kumihimo?

They both are. The rayon petite size satin cord and the nylon 1mm satin cords will give you a braid around the size of a pencil. The rayon lightweight size makes a braid that is slightly larger than that. The rayon heavyweight and the nylon 2mm both make a braid that is roughly the size of your little finger.

Q: Which one is best for Chinese or korean Knotting?

The rayon heavyweight and the nylon 2mm are both good for Chinese knotting. Using a smaller size will produce knots that are pretty small.

The Cord of choice for maedup knotting fans is Korean cord . It is stiffer than satin and doesn't slip so the result is a well-held and impeccable knot. This type of cord has a woven texture that shines only very subtly and therefore is recommended when one wants a more sober and matte finish. It is extremely robust and can be washed by hand or machine when sewn on fabric.

Korean 2mm cord is shinnier than the 1.5mm cord that is totally matte and on which we can more clearly see the weaving.

The size used really depends on the desired result, but the difference in size of knots is fairly substantial.


Q: Can Nylon or Rayon be washed?

Yes. Much of the Nylon satin cord can be machine-washed in cold water, but please wash a test piece first. Also, pre-wash any pieces that you will be sewing into items that may be washed later.

Rayon satin cord can be hand-washed in a mild detergent with cool or luke-warm water. If hot water is used then bleeding of colors may occur. In such an instance it might be possible to remove the offending color bleed with a product called Winning Colours. Lay rayon straight to dry or it will wrinkle. Like the nylon, please wash a test piece first. If the rayon cord is used with a rayon fabric (or a garment made of a similar type of fiber) it is possible that bleeding may occur between cord and this type of garment fabric. Always create a combined test piece to wash before assembling a complete garment.

Leather cord is a highly durable material that can be put to various uses. It works very well for Chinese knots and maedup and gives a nice 'clean' result. Leather does not like water and slackens and becomes hard when wet. If one takes care not to wet it, leather can last for many years without budging.