Sewing Pure Spectra

[Luke Schmidt]

So some of us were talking about a group buy of pure spectra (see other thread). The question is are there any quirks to sewing it? I looked it up and read it has a "low friction coefficient" which I assume means its slippery. How hard would this stuff be to sew? Is it hard on a sewing machine since its bombproof (needles seem to break a lot in spectra reinforced dyneema). Any help would be appreciated.

[Ryan Jordan]

Luke,

Home sewing machines have a really hard time with pure spectra. The needles are too thin (they break a lot) and anything more than 2 layers is problematic.

The real issue is the thread. Since home machines can't handle thick threads, you can't really create good seam strength, which is no good if you are going to sew packs.

The slipperiness is not a big deal, but a walking foot is required to deal with it. Again, not something you really get with a home machine.

A single needle drop feed walking foot machine that can handle #92 thread size is ideal, and if you're doing packs, you'll need the ability to sew felled seams with a couple of layers of spectra plus whatever you're putting into the seams, like extra layers for pockets, webbing, etc. So the power requirements you need is not trivial.

For light duty home projects, Spectra may not be the best choice.

Good luck,
Ryan

[Matthew Perry]

Luke,
After owning a pure Spectra Kelty Cloud pack for years, all i can say is…good luck. You're going to need it if you try and sew that stuff at home.

M

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