How many spools of thread do you own?

[tjm 0]

About a dozen bobbins less than full and 7 big spools unused and perhaps twice that many items of yarn and about the same of chenile and half dozen transformer/motor windings and a dozen half of floss all of which I kinda use as threads. More than half the tying threads are black, I must have run out at some point and stocked up when I had a chance or maybe it was on sale. There are also some rod winding threads that I didn't really look at. Most of those threads I haven't seen in a few years.This discussion and a rainy day combined made me go digging.

 

Some day I hope to be like TIER, live more simply.

[utyer 0]

I have over a lifetime collected hundreds of spools of "fly tying" thread. I have about 12 dozen standard size spools, and 3 dozen that are respooled onto sewing machine bobbins for travel kits. Almost none of these have been used since I started tying with Gutermann thread. I have a 5,000 yard spool of white in a a size somewhat between 6 and 8 ought. Then I have a quarter pound spool of black Nymo 3/0 I use these loaded on my Nor-vise Auto-bobbin for all my trout flies. If I need a different color, I use a marker.

Most of what I tie these days is for Saltwater fishing, and for that I use 1# mono or Gutermann Bulky Nylon. So what I use is quite different. I really only use 4 different threads.

[Kimo 0]

About 3 hundred.
When Gudebrod announced that they would discontinue producing tying thread
I was able to pick up 50 spools of each 10/0 in black and white. These are the ones branded for Orvis. I got them for less than a $1 a spool.
I don't tie with them as much and trade guys a spool of 17/0 Uni for my Gudebrod.
I store them in the basement in vacuumed sealed bags out of the light.

Kimo

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Realize that I'm hardly typical - but for me it's not "how many spools" it's how many boxes of spools. Ordering an wholesale you're encouraged to buy spools by the dozen (they come one dozen per box)... Each time I place an order for materials -I always run through all my boxes and any that are down to two spools get an order of a box in that style/color. Fortunately for me I have no need for finer tying threads so all I'm ever ordering is flat waxed nylon or monocord in size 3/0....

 

I also make up spools of re-cycled fishing line for tying purposes in 4lb and 6lb mono....

[Shmang 0]

I seem to be on the low end with 44 spools -- with 8/0 black and 8/0 camel making up the most in my stash. I use a ton of glass bead head thread midges and the 8/0 makes for a super quick tie. I have a handful of the finer threads but they have received little use to date.

 

600 spools and some of the commercial tyer numbers are amazing! I bet I don't own 600 hooks at the moment LOL.

 

Take care,

Shmang

[mikechell 0]

I've got ... two dozen? I haven't counted, but all of them fit on a shelf over my tying bench. I use 4. I rarely ever grab for any of the other colors.

[tidewaterfly 0]

I've never counted, but like Capt. LeMay, I buy by the box, and possibly have about 50 boxes. That also includes some spooled FL. Yarns and floss.

 

I use the Danville Flat Nylon thread the most and have several 1 ounce spools.

[whatfly 0]

As many as I want.

[vicente 0]

I haven't counted but probably around 10 spools, I don't buy a lot or many colors, black, white, pink and olive in a few sizes.

[Bill_729 0]

When I resurrected this thread, the question that I had in the back of my mind was, "How long can you expect typical tying thread to last?". Assume, for the sake of trying to avoid ambiguity, you just "leave it in the closet" and that you live in the midwest. Just curious...3 years, 5 years, 10 years, more? Cheers! -Bill_729

 

 

Edit: I did a little searching of my own. People who sew perhaps face this matter more regularly.

Short answer to my question seems to be that it's "dryness" that makes thread get weak. But there are other things, like mold, that can get to it too. The following page was the best one I found out of a half-dozen that I read. I'm not recommending it to anyone, but here is a link if you would care to read it.

 

https://sewsitall.blogspot.com/2009/12/when-good-thread-goes-bad.html

 

No sites answered "how long" thread will last!!! : ) Maybe if you treat it properly, like allowing fish to gnaw on it, maybe only a couple of hours! : )

[mikechell 0]

If you're using natural material threads like cotton or silk, then I would expect a short shelf life, no matter how you stored it. Although, I've got jeans that are 20 years old, so perhaps not.

If you're using the more likely synthetic materials like polyester or nylon, then the shelf life might be shorter or longer, depending on storage conditions. Synthetic materials are more sensitive to chemicals in the air, radiation from the Sun, heat variations, etc. In a controlled environment like a household closet or drawer, synthetics can far outlast naturals.

[Mark Knapp 0]

This many, plus 20 or so that are on bobbin holders.