Ok I inherited a ton of rod making, fly tying and reel repair tools, supplies and equipment at various stages of assembly and repair. I've been monitoring this site now for a month or so now, picking up tips and a few books to get into the hobby. This has been a great resource so far. Thanks.

Now, my wife gets a sewing machine with all the bells and whistles. I have hundreds of spools of thread in lots of colors, that came with the rod making supplies, and others with the fly tying supplies, and she wants to know if it can be used for sewing...your thoughts?

Steve,

If you are planning to build, repair, or finish those half completed rods, you may want to hang on to the thread yourself. Rod wrapping thread is nylon and certainly can be used for sewing where the standard cotton or rayon thread just won't do but I'll bet you find that conventional sewing threads are a lot less expensive per spool than your nylon stuff. Also, if any of your collection of thread is the NCP type, that is even more expensive to replace.

I guess if I was in your shoes, I'd ask my wife to reserach her machine's user manual to see what the manufacturer's thread recommendations are. Who knows, the nylon stuff may actually be too abrasive or something for use in the sewing machine.

If it were me, I'd aks my wife if I could drive her to the sewing supply store where they have lots of (appropriate) thread.

Skip

Steve; Don't feel bad..we're all here to field "newbie" questions,and an increasing number of folks seem to be unaware of some of the basic tenets of this hobby, the very first of which states.."Tools and materials of a spouse's hobbies are interchangeable with yours at all times.Your tools and materials, however, are not interchangeable with hers (or his) unless you don't want 'em and and satisfactory transferral arrangements can be made." In your case,for example, you'll wanta keep the nylon and silk threads for yourself,but might sacrifice any spools of mercerized cotton in exchange for her offer to sew up rod bags as needed with that fancy new machine.Get it? No need to thank me; it's a privilege to be able to pass on the kind of info I've received on this board.Barry