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#1
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Question about Miyuki
I know what Delicas are, but I don't know anything about any other Myuki
beads. Are all Myukis really consistant in size, like the delicas are? -- Jerri www.beadbimbo.com To subscribe to my mailing list, send an e-mail to: with "Subscribe" in the subject line. |
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#2
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Beadbimbo wrote:
I know what Delicas are, but I don't know anything about any other Myuki beads. Are all Myukis really consistant in size, like the delicas are? Myuki Shoji manufactures a number of sizes, shapes and styles of seed beads. Off the top of my head, I'd say that any seed beads manufactured in Japan are more likely to be uniform than, say, the same type manufactured in the Czech Republic, which are way more uniform than beads manufactured in India. The 15/0's I get from FMG are Myukis, and they are very uniform. On the other hand, they're so teensy it would be hard to tell if they weren't. I get Dyna-Mites by Matsuno, which are "round" seed beads (ie., not as squared-off and straight-sided as Delicas, but not round round, either), and they are reasonably uniform. I don't have to do too much culling and they're reasonably priced. Czech seed beads need a lot of culling. I don't use beads made in India for bead weaving at all. It's gotten to the point where I can tell a seed bead's national origin just by looking at its shape vis-a-vis the style it's supposed to be. If I have a color that I want to use, but I know that the beads are not going to be perfectly uniform, I adjust my work accordingly by alternating "fat" beads and "thin" beads in a row. There are also instances when having fat beads and thin beads is useful, such as for doing beaded beads where you have to increase and decrease the number of beads in a row. Arondelle -- ================================================== ========= To email me, empty the pond with a net |
#3
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Yes, they make some fine trim beads too, triangles, cubes and 8/0
cylinders. So Does Toho. I think Toho's triangle beads are really nicely made. Miyuki makes triangles too but they are different, more rounded and slightly more uniform but Toho's got nicer finishes in trim beads, I think. Besides uniformity of size the japanese beads also have more durable finishes in most cases. Here's a link to their website, they don't have much there but there are some pictures http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/beads.html |
#4
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....Went to your website www.beadbimbo.com and I love your tree beads,
also the butterbean page had me in stitches! That link I gave you to Miyuki, I don't know for sure if that's the official Miyuki site but it's got pictures of all their beads and a lot of project pictures as well. I don't read japanese though so I'm not sure what all the text says. Ingrid http://www.mermaidscove.com |
#5
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Thanks Ingrid!
I was trying to think of a St. Patrick's theme for Butterbean, but I may have to do it with Click Art, since I don't have a green costume for her. I think I bought a costume, one time, to make a Christmas picture, and it's become an obsession! Lol. I've had people e-mail her picture on to other people, and it makes me feel good to know she gives people a chuckle. I love the peyote patterns on your site, especially that ocean and that leaf one! (Even though I've sworn to NEVER to peyote again after my one experience!) -- Jerri www.beadbimbo.com To subscribe to my mailing list, send an e-mail to: with "Subscribe" in the subject line. "mermaidscove_com" wrote in message oups.com... ...Went to your website www.beadbimbo.com and I love your tree beads, also the butterbean page had me in stitches! That link I gave you to Miyuki, I don't know for sure if that's the official Miyuki site but it's got pictures of all their beads and a lot of project pictures as well. I don't read japanese though so I'm not sure what all the text says. Ingrid http://www.mermaidscove.com |
#7
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On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 21:14:38 -0500, Beadbimbo wrote
(in message ): I know what Delicas are, but I don't know anything about any other Myuki beads. Are all Myukis really consistant in size, like the delicas are? warning: long Kathy N-V-ish answer ahead, involving her scientific observations and comparisons and general geekiness. Proceed at your own peril. Other Miyuki products are not as consistent as Delicas. (And Delicas tend to be less consistent than Toho Treasures, but Toho Treasures have a far smaller color selection) They are worlds more consistent than Czech, Indian or Taiwanese seed beads, but they still do need some culling. I've found that the cube beads from Miyuki have the roughest edges and need the most attention, with solid colors requiring more culling than the color lined, for some reason. The Miyuki triangle beads are the smoothest (almost a "round" triangle, if you know what I mean), and I rarely throw one away. If you want incredible consistency, take a look at Toho Aiko beads. They're even smaller than Delicas, and are astonishingly consistent. I was sent a small sample, and worked it up to see how the finished product looked. A tiny sample of Aiko beads looks a lot like micro-mosaics. Very, very pretty, but rather tough on the eyes of the beadworker. If you like working with 15/0 beads, you'll love these. The three well known Japanese beadmakers have seed bead products that are very consistent compared to beads from other countries, and I'm sure that long time bead artists would think we're spoiled compared to the (pardon me) junk that was the norm even a decade ago. But seed beads still require some culling - how much really depends on the stitch you're using. A forgiving stitch (like Ndebele) or bead embroidery can use beads that would look horrid in loomwork or charted peyote stitch. Personally, I find that Toho beads are my favorite, but Miyukis are easier to find. If I'm not mistaken, Matsuno beads are the ones that FMG sells as Dyna-mites. All three are subtly different from each another, although they can usually be used together in the same project - unlike mixing say Czech and Japanese beads in a loomwork project. (eww) Czech seed beads require more culling than Japanese ones, but they have their own really nice qualities as well. The shape is completely different (think donut compared to pipe), and the color selection is a lot nicer (especially in the pinks and purples, which the Japanese have never really gotten down perfectly, IMNSHO) I even have a place (a very small and limited place) for cheap seed beads from Taiwan or India. If I can find a truly unusual color and enough to do an entire project (color matching over time is something that hasn't happened there yet), I'll buy the beads. They make a very "organic," somewhat roughly finished final product. I've yet to find find a bead that simulates the texture of tree bark than a Taiwanese seed, and I love them for the cores of certain types of spirals. If a specific batch of beads I buy has an unusual amount of culls (say anything over ~5% for Japanese seed beads, or ~10% for cubes), I mention it to the person who sold them to me. They've always come through and given me some replacements, and I assume that they've complained further up the food chain to their supplier. Since I buy my beads by the half kilo or more, and usually a bunch of colors at a time, I assume that the vendor I used got a bad batch from the manufacturer. A given 5 gram tube of beads could be a bad roll of the beady dice, but a whole kilo? No way. BTW, if you like seed beading, I highly recommend buying a few colors in the large half-kilo or quarter-kilo packages (100g for cylinder beads). I go through black and white like crazy, and always buy large packages of those, in many different sizes and finishes. When you consider the cost between a tube and a bulk package, you'll be shocked at how much less your cost per gram will be by just buying those colors in bulk. The finish treatment effects the consistency of the beads as well. I seldom use galvanized beads, but when I do, I've noticed that they often have beads sticking together - I assume it's from the way that the paint dries on the beads. Matte beads tend to be smaller than shiny beads of the same type, because the etching process removes some glass. With coated beads, it's the opposite effect. But these are subtle, fussy inconsistencies - nothing that a non-beader would ever notice. So the answer to your question is that Miyuki and other Japanese beads are the most consistent seed beads you will find in today's marketplace. However, we still have not reached the stage where culling is unnecessary. I am okay with this, because the labor required for such a process would make the cost of the beads prohibitively high, and because there are times where a slight range of sizes adds interest to my work. Kathy N-V P.S.: Someday I'll give a concise answer and will fall over dead from the shock. I feel a huge emotional need to cover all the information I've found, even when asked a simple question. Mea culpa. |
#8
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Thanks Kathy!
No, don't give me a short, concise answer! That was a lot of interesting reading. I've never seen Toho beads. I have a lot to learn. -- Jerri www.beadbimbo.com To subscribe to my mailing list, send an e-mail to: with "Subscribe" in the subject line. "Kathy N-V" wrote in message . giganews.com... On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 21:14:38 -0500, Beadbimbo wrote (in message ): I know what Delicas are, but I don't know anything about any other Myuki beads. Are all Myukis really consistant in size, like the delicas are? warning: long Kathy N-V-ish answer ahead, involving her scientific observations and comparisons and general geekiness. Proceed at your own peril. Other Miyuki products are not as consistent as Delicas. (And Delicas tend to be less consistent than Toho Treasures, but Toho Treasures have a far smaller color selection) They are worlds more consistent than Czech, Indian or Taiwanese seed beads, but they still do need some culling. I've found that the cube beads from Miyuki have the roughest edges and need the most attention, with solid colors requiring more culling than the color lined, for some reason. The Miyuki triangle beads are the smoothest (almost a "round" triangle, if you know what I mean), and I rarely throw one away. If you want incredible consistency, take a look at Toho Aiko beads. They're even smaller than Delicas, and are astonishingly consistent. I was sent a small sample, and worked it up to see how the finished product looked. A tiny sample of Aiko beads looks a lot like micro-mosaics. Very, very pretty, but rather tough on the eyes of the beadworker. If you like working with 15/0 beads, you'll love these. The three well known Japanese beadmakers have seed bead products that are very consistent compared to beads from other countries, and I'm sure that long time bead artists would think we're spoiled compared to the (pardon me) junk that was the norm even a decade ago. But seed beads still require some culling - how much really depends on the stitch you're using. A forgiving stitch (like Ndebele) or bead embroidery can use beads that would look horrid in loomwork or charted peyote stitch. Personally, I find that Toho beads are my favorite, but Miyukis are easier to find. If I'm not mistaken, Matsuno beads are the ones that FMG sells as Dyna-mites. All three are subtly different from each another, although they can usually be used together in the same project - unlike mixing say Czech and Japanese beads in a loomwork project. (eww) Czech seed beads require more culling than Japanese ones, but they have their own really nice qualities as well. The shape is completely different (think donut compared to pipe), and the color selection is a lot nicer (especially in the pinks and purples, which the Japanese have never really gotten down perfectly, IMNSHO) I even have a place (a very small and limited place) for cheap seed beads from Taiwan or India. If I can find a truly unusual color and enough to do an entire project (color matching over time is something that hasn't happened there yet), I'll buy the beads. They make a very "organic," somewhat roughly finished final product. I've yet to find find a bead that simulates the texture of tree bark than a Taiwanese seed, and I love them for the cores of certain types of spirals. If a specific batch of beads I buy has an unusual amount of culls (say anything over ~5% for Japanese seed beads, or ~10% for cubes), I mention it to the person who sold them to me. They've always come through and given me some replacements, and I assume that they've complained further up the food chain to their supplier. Since I buy my beads by the half kilo or more, and usually a bunch of colors at a time, I assume that the vendor I used got a bad batch from the manufacturer. A given 5 gram tube of beads could be a bad roll of the beady dice, but a whole kilo? No way. BTW, if you like seed beading, I highly recommend buying a few colors in the large half-kilo or quarter-kilo packages (100g for cylinder beads). I go through black and white like crazy, and always buy large packages of those, in many different sizes and finishes. When you consider the cost between a tube and a bulk package, you'll be shocked at how much less your cost per gram will be by just buying those colors in bulk. The finish treatment effects the consistency of the beads as well. I seldom use galvanized beads, but when I do, I've noticed that they often have beads sticking together - I assume it's from the way that the paint dries on the beads. Matte beads tend to be smaller than shiny beads of the same type, because the etching process removes some glass. With coated beads, it's the opposite effect. But these are subtle, fussy inconsistencies - nothing that a non-beader would ever notice. So the answer to your question is that Miyuki and other Japanese beads are the most consistent seed beads you will find in today's marketplace. However, we still have not reached the stage where culling is unnecessary. I am okay with this, because the labor required for such a process would make the cost of the beads prohibitively high, and because there are times where a slight range of sizes adds interest to my work. Kathy N-V P.S.: Someday I'll give a concise answer and will fall over dead from the shock. I feel a huge emotional need to cover all the information I've found, even when asked a simple question. Mea culpa. |
#9
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The FMG Dynamites are made in either China or Taiwan. I don't believe they
are Miyuki Matsunos. -- -- Barbara www.penguintrax.com eBay: penguintrax Justbeadsenguintrax 0 /O\ There is a very fine line between a hobby and mental illness. (Dave Barry) Need quality, inexpensive web hosting? Check out http://www.lyonshost.com. Shopping carts, blogs, image galleries, content management and more! |
#10
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Barbara Forbes-Lyons wrote:
The FMG Dynamites are made in either China or Taiwan. I don't believe they are Miyuki Matsunos. It states in the paper catalog that they are, in fact, Matsunos. Not Miyuki Matsuno, just Matsuno. The boxes are also marked "Made in Japan". They are well-rounded cylinders, and on the whole, quite uniform, unlike the typical Chinese or Taiwanese bead. I use them all the time, and don't have a major problem with culling. Arondelle -- ================================================== ========= To email me, empty the pond with a net |
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