Per Starbäck wrote:
At
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bear_cotton_thread.jpg
is a picture of a cotton thread with at bear on it. It is
made by the very large producer J. & P. Coats of Paisley,
Scotland. Can anyone tell me anything about this?

It was sold in Scandinavia since the 1910's or something
like that, and a long time after that. It is very
well-known here in Sweden, where especially strong thread
often is called "björntråd" (= bear thread), because of
this brand it seems. But I can't find any mention of it
in the English language (except that which is done by
Scaninavians), and I've searched a lot, on the net, in
books, in J. & P. Coats history, ... Isn't it known in
Great Britain?

I have never seen the "Bear" logo thread by Coats & Clark
(I'm in the U.S.A.), but I suspect it's very similar to
"upholstery" thread or "buttonhole twist":
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Product...ad+Advisor.htm

Are you researching this particular thread or do you just
want a similar heavy duty thread?

Beverly