Power Pro does not need to be pre-stretched, conditioned, or waxed before use. It is ready to use off the spool like similar threads such as FireLine.
The Durability of Power Pro
One of the biggest advantages of Power Pro thread is its durability. Power Pro is a great thread to use when you stitch crystal beads or other beads with potentially sharp edges. Power Pro is also recommended for designs that receive a lot of wear, or pulling and tugging, such as beaded finger rings. It is designed to hold knots since knots are used to attach fishing hooks to the fishing line. That’s good news when you deliberately tie a square knot or half-hitch knot in your beadwork. It’s not good news when your thread gets tangled.
How to Avoid Tangle-Induced Knots
To avoid tangle-induced knots when using Power Pro thread, it is a good idea to never work with a length of thread longer than about one arm span, and remove any objects from your work area that might catch on your thread, such as pens, paperweights, or even your beading scissors. Also, try to bead at a table free of knobs or handles, which are notorious thread snaggers. If an unwanted knot does occur, do your best to tease it apart with the tip of a beading awl.
Available in Limited Colors
Because it’s inherently a fishing line, Power Pro is available in a limited variety of colors: moss green, white, bright yellow, and red. Each of those colors has a special use in fishing. The most common Power Pro color used for beading is moss green. It is a very useful neutral color that works well with most beads. If you need one of the other colors and cannot find it at a bead store, try a sporting goods store or tackle shop.
Available in 13 Sizes
Power Pro is available in 13 sizes as a fishing line. Each size is denoted by the diameter of the thread in fractions of an inch, along with the pound test of each diameter. The pound test is a measure of strength; the higher the pound number, the stronger the thread. The most popular sizes used for bead weaving are .005 (eight-pound), .006 (10-pound), .009 (20-pound), and .011 (30-pound). Even the smaller sizes of Power Pro can be a little bulky for the eyes of beading needles. After cutting your thread, use the tips of your finger and thumb (or your fingernails) to flatten the cut end. Then, slide the flattened thread vertically through the eye of the needle. Fortunately, once Power Pro is threaded, it tends to grip onto the needle pretty well and rarely falls off accidentally. You can use the smallest popular sizes, .005 and .006 with size 12 and size 10 beading needles. Larger thread sizes may require a big eye needle.
Difficult to Cut
Unfortunately, Power Pro’s superior durability makes it more difficult to cut than many other types of beading thread. Embroidery scissors may work well but can become dull if you use them on Power Pro. Instead, try a hobby knife. With a hobby knife, you need to pull the thread taut to make the cut. You can hold it between the fingers of one hand and use the other hand to make the cut, or press the thread down on a self-healing cutting mat, and make the cut there. Remember that you need a clean, non-frayed cut to thread a beading needle with Power Pro.
Where to Buy
A wholesale company called The Bead Smith distributes Power Pro as a beading thread to bead stores and online bead sellers. You can also purchase the Power Pro fishing line and use it for beading. The braided variety is best for bead weaving and is made up of tiny, braided strands of polyethylene plastic called monofilament. The braiding and multiple strands make this thread stronger and less likely to stretch than single-strand monofilament thread.
