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July 30, 2020

K.O. Beading Thread Review

I previously gave an overview of what factors help determine the best thread for beading

K.O. Thread Review

Thanks to your feedback, I learned there are quite a few bead threads I've never tried or haven't examined in enough detail yet. 

One of those is a nylon thread called K.O. thread.

K.O. thread is made in Japan. In various product descriptions, I've read that it is color fast, does not stretch, is strong, holds knots well, is pre-waxed and does not fray.  

So, the big question, is it really all of that and how does it compare to my standard go to thread, Nymo on the cone, size D?

I purchased .15mm diameter, 4 lb. test in Natural. The color is beautiful!  It has a slight sheen, it's perfectly neutral, not at all yellow like my cone of Nymo. It is a sand color.  

It's thinner than the Nymo I have, probably closer to a size B. It was easy to thread on a size 12 needle.

K.O. Beading Thread Review

Fringe earrings are the perfect project to try out a beading thread. The ultimate test of nylon thread is how well it moves in fringe.

I decided on some long loop fringe through a center bead (or maybe these are really tassels??).  The K.O. thread is super easy to work with, never tangled, and didn't need any waxing. 


I pre-stretched it like I do with Nymo thread, but didn't feel any give to the thread.  


K.O. Beading Thread Review

It did not fray very much at all where my needle was - something that always happens when I use Nymo.  It just separated a little bit.

And the loop fringe is super soft. Maybe a little too soft... 

I guess I would only know by making another pair, but the center of the loop may droop just a tad too much.  It could also be my thread tension.  

Beaded Cat Head Loop Fringe Earrings

By the way, it makes me a little bummed that the light really shows these cat beads looking so sad and Zombie-like. 

In person, when you're wearing them you don't see that much detail and they just look like cats.

Daisy Flower peyote Nymo vs. K.O. thread

I made one other earring as a side by side comparison - one using Nymo and one using K.O.  This time, I used even count peyote stitch.  

Nymo is on the left, K.O. on the right.

I had trouble keeping tension on the earring I made with Nymo. It just seemed like it got loose at the end of every row and I'd have to keep pulling it tight.  

I didn't have the same problem with the K.O. at all. So, that's the good part.

The bad part is it's just too floppy and soft. 

Again, probably exactly what I want for fringe, but I'm not sure about anything else. It could be the diameter that makes it softer - but I really just think it's the thread. 


And wouldn't you know, I ran out of thread making the earring.  So silly for me to cut it that close.  

Beginning beaders (or any beaders for that matter) - DON'T DO THAT!  Thread costs probably like 25 cents per yard and I wasted an hour to try and save 5 cents of thread.  Just have extra.  (I do this more than I care to admit!)

Now for some more information, or possibly, disinformation. While researching K.O. thread, I read things like: 

- It's identical to One-G thread by Toho.  

I'm sitting with both in front of me, and I just don't think that's true. 

The One-G is 300 dtex, the K.O. is 330. 

And the One-G seems to have body and oomph that's missing from the K.O.  But, they are both from Japan (so there's that similarity). And they're very pretty colors.

- K.O. thread was made by master Japanese beader Nozue Sonoka.  

Well, that might be true, but then why did she also make her own thread Nozue Sonoka - also known as SoNo?  

So, I'm not sure what to think of this either. I'm guessing it was confusion, but I'm honestly too lazy to try and verify it. Let me know in the comments if you know...

- K.O. thread is easy to thread onto a needle and does not fray.

I absolutely, 100% agree with this statement.

Here's my summary of K.O. Beading thread:
  • love the color. It's beautiful and comes in many different colors to coordinate with your projects
  • it's easy to use and does not stretch, tangle or fray while you are stitching
  • the lack of body left my beadwork a little limp
  • it will work great for soft, supple bead fringe
I'll definitely try it in some brick stitch earrings with fringe - and maybe for a beaded rope, because sometimes they end up a little stiff - but it definitely doesn't have enough body for peyote and probably not for brick stitch either.

Let me know if you agree, disagree, know if it's really the same as One-G or was developed by the same person who made SoNo in the comments.

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9 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review, gives me plenty to think about.

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    1. Thank you Lisa. I learn so much from you. I have yet to find someone who does these head to head comparison.

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  2. Thank you, Lisa! Personally, I love KO thread. It's compared to a size B or Tex 35. I have found it works great for brick stitch fringe earrings. I use Fire Line for the top portion and KO for the fringe. I think KO is better than One-G, as I have had One-G break on several occasions and gave most of it away. After using KO, I also gave away all of my Nymo.

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    1. Thank you for the feedback. I love, love, love the color so much more than my Nymo cone. I'm going to try a few more projects.

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    2. The apricot if beautiful, too and goes with a lot. Enjoy! Love your writings.

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  3. I wrote a reply to your email, but to sum it up, living in Japan, I've used the (One-G) and Nymo, but KO works best for me, seems to be the most durable and long-lasting (as well as widely available). I'm not sure who made it, never really researched that bit. Once in awhile I go to One-G if a shade I need isn't in KO, but 90% of the time I use the KO.

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    1. The K.O. definitely seems strong and durable. What stitch/types of projects do you make most? I'm going to try some other things this weekend with it and see how they turn out. I'll definitely try some brick stitch fringe earrings,

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  4. I wonder how K.O. would work for looming, since it doesn't stretch. Maybe a heavier weight (if it comes in a heavier weight) might work better. I'm looking for a substitute for Wildfire & Fireline, which hurts my hands when I am trying to get a tight tension for the warps on a loom. Thank you, Lisa, for this great info!

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