Just realized my old thread wax was doing way more harm than good

I used the same beeswax blend for 15 years because my mentor swore by it, then a guy at a Chicago workshop showed me how it was actually weakening my linen thread over time. Switched to paraffin based stuff last spring and I've had way fewer snapped threads on tight spines. Anyone else find a long held tip that turned out to be backwards?

2 comments

2 Comments

gray_schmidt81mo agoMost Upvoted

Man, that beeswax thing got me too. My old mentor had me using a mix with pine resin and I swore by it until I had a couple rush jobs snap on me in the middle of sewing. Swapped over to a simple paraffin block last year and my stitchdowns have been way more consistent since.

dakota_singh391mo ago

Did you happen to see that study from the Guild of Book Workers a few years back? They tested a bunch of waxes and found beeswax can actually trap moisture in the fibers over time, which makes them more brittle. I switched to a silicone based lubricant after reading that and it’s been night and day for my sewing, especially on those tight backings. Makes me wonder how many other "pro tips" are just old wives tales passed down without anyone checking the science.