Best Leather Threads for Leather Working

Sewing leather can provide incredible visual results, along with the functional benefits stitching provides. Having the right leather thread will make this easy to incorporate into leather goods. Some recommendations include paid links to products that I trust.

The Ritza Polyester “Tiger” Thread is an excellent choice for many leather projects, click here to see it on Rocky Mountain Leather. It is a waxed thread, finely braided, flattened, and very strong. The thread is UV resistant, and available in a wide variety of colors and spool lengths.

There are many different thread types, materials, colors, and thicknesses available. Let’s explore more about which can work best depending on project and working style.

Types of Leather Thread

Leather thread is used primarily for joining pieces of leather via stitching. As such, there are many different project needs where thread can be beneficial. There are a few main thread types that are great, let’s explore each below.

Waxed Polyester

Waxed thread allows it to be a little stronger, move less on the leather, and help it be more durable and resistant to wearing, moisture, dirt, and grime. Polyester thread is made essentially from plastic, yielding a strong, light, and durable thread. They’re available in many colors.

Waxed Linen

Linen thread is made of natural, cotton fibers. It has a unique look and feel to it making it nice to use for aesthetic reasons on some projects. Linen thread is generally less strong than polyester and nylon thread, making it more suitable for hand sewing than machine sewing. The wax applied to the surface of linen thread can give it strength and durability. Waxed linen thread is available in a variety of colors.

Bonded Nylon

Bonded nylon thread is a polyester thread that is “bonded” into a single strand. While polyester thread for leather is often made up of strands of polyester fibers, the bonded nylon thread fuses these together, yielding a stronger, more durable thread. This is a very common thread for leather working, and popular to use for machine sewing as well as hand sewing. Bonded nylon thread is available in many colors.

Leather Tool - Nylon Thread — Bonded Nylon Thread

Best Leather Thread

There are many threads available out there, though for leather work, there are generally a handful, moreso one or two, brands that really provide some of the best products that crafters rely on. Let’s see which are the best.

Best Waxed Polyester Leather Thread

The Ritza Polyester “Tiger” Thread is a great waxed polyester thread, click here to see it on Rocky Mountain Leather. It is finely braided (so very smooth), flattened, and strong. This thread is also UV resistant, and available in a wide variety of colors and spool lengths.

Best Waxed Linen Leather Thread

The Fil au Chinois – “Lin Cable” Waxed Linen Thread is a high-quality, relaiable thread, click here to see it on Rocky Mountain Leather. This is a French-made thread used in a variety of leather goods. It’s woven, available in many colors, and strong (for linen thread).

Best Bonded Nylon Leather Thread

Leather Machine Co. makes quality bonded nylon thread, click here to see it on Springfield Leather. It is avaiable in several thicknesses, spool lengths, and is pre-lubricated for easier stitching through leather. For hand or maching sewing, this is a solid option.

Best Leather Thread for Sewing Machines

The Leather Machine Co. Bonded Nylon thread works very well for machine sewing, click here to see it on Springfield Leather. It is durable, wear-resistant, available in a few colors, and will stand up to being run through most industrial and heavier sewing machines.

Sewing Thread - Liberty Leather Goods — Leather Sewing Thread

In Closing

Stitching can make some leather projects really “pop” and give them a unique crafted look, while also providing manu functional benefits to security and durability. If one prefers hand sewing or machine sewing, there are some great threads available to help make it great.