Rattail is a round-braided satin cord, and it is one of the products we make end to end on our own floor in Jaipur — braiding, dyeing, sealing, spooling. We have been running twisting and braiding machines here since 2004, and the filament sizes sit on the same braiders as the rest of our narrow cordage.
Sizes are 1mm, 2mm and 3mm, braided from rayon or polyester filament and piece-dyed after braiding so the shine sits on the finished cord rather than being lost in the structure. Ends are heat-sealed and tipped so they do not fray in transit or on the shelf. Trial orders start at 100 meters per shade.
How rattail cord is built, and what the sizes are for
Rattail comes off our braiding machines as a round tubular braid of continuous filament yarn. There is no twist stored in it and no plies to separate, so the cord stays round under a knot instead of flattening, and a cut end does not open up into loose strands. That round, slippery body is exactly what makers want it for — knots slide into position and then hold, which is what makes it the default cord for kumihimo, sliding-knot closures and Chinese knotting.
We braid it in two filament types. Rayon gives the deeper, softer shine and a fluid drape that hangs well on a necklace; polyester is harder-wearing, holds colour more stubbornly against light and handling, and is the safer choice for anything that will sit on a rack for months or get worn daily.
- 1mm — fine jewellery work, sliding knots, bracelet closures, tassel tops, delicate kumihimo
- 2mm — the volume size; necklace cord, macrame micro-work, card and packaging trim
- 3mm — chunkier braiding, bag and garment drawcords, decorative trim, favour and gift ties
Every cut end is heat-sealed, and we tip the ends on our own tipping machine where the buyer wants a finished aglet rather than a fused end — useful if the cord is going straight into hoodie drawcords, gift bags or a retail hank with a clean presentation.
Where the gloss comes from
The shine on rattail is not a coating. It comes from two things: the continuous filament yarn itself, and the fact that we piece-dye the cord after it is braided rather than dyeing the yarn first. Dyeing the built cord lets the dye sit evenly on the outer surface of the braid, which is the surface a customer actually sees, and it is why a piece-dyed satin cord reads glossier than the same construction made from pre-dyed yarn.
Dyeing happens in our own dye house in the same building as the braiders, so shade matching on a repeat order is something we control rather than chase a supplier about. Send a physical cutting or a reference shade with your enquiry and we will match to it and send a lab dip for approval before the bulk lot is dyed. That approved dip then becomes the reference for every reorder of that shade.
Rattail is bought heavily in wide colour ranges — jewellery suppliers and party-goods buyers rarely want four shades, they want thirty. Because the minimum is per shade rather than per order, building out a broad card is practical from the first purchase.
How wholesale buying works
Buying from the factory is different from buying from a wholesaler mainly in what you are allowed to ask for. We run the machines, so a change of filament, an off-card colour, a different spool length or a tipped end instead of a fused one is a production instruction rather than a request travelling up a chain of intermediaries.
The sequence is straightforward. You send sizes, filament type, shades and rough quantities. We come back with a quotation, normally within one working day. If shades are being matched, lab dips go out first and wait for your approval. Once approved, the order goes into production and ships by air courier or sea freight depending on volume and how soon you need it on the shelf.
Trial orders start at 100 meters per shade. That is set deliberately low so a bead shop or craft retailer can test a wide colour card across two sizes before deciding what actually sells. Mixed orders across sizes, filaments and shades within a single shipment are normal for us.
What buyers use it for
The largest share of what leaves our floor as rattail goes into jewellery. Necklace and bracelet cord, sliding-knot closures, kumihimo braiding, tassel and pendant work, and Chinese knotting. The 1mm and 2mm sizes carry most of that volume because the standard findings and end caps sold alongside them are built around those diameters.
After jewellery, the two big channels are packaging and events. Gift and packaging converters buy it for box ties, handle loops, tags and luxury bag closures, where the satin shine does the work of looking expensive. Party and wedding suppliers take it for favour ties, invitation trim, balloon and decor cord, and it is a standing line for craft retailers who sell it by the spool in as many colours as they can fit on a wall.
Garment and home-textile buyers use the 3mm for drawcords, hood cords and piping accents, particularly where a tipped end is wanted. If you are listing it online, note that the same product is searched as rattail cord, satin cord, silk cord and Chinese knotting cord depending on the audience — titles that carry more than one of those terms tend to pick up more of the traffic.
Also sold as satin cord
Buyers ask for this by several names — satin cord is the same product from our line, made on the same machines to the same specification. Quote it under whichever name your paperwork uses.
