Recycled fishing line

[Miyu]

I heard all over the network that fishing line is the best thing to use for aquatic jewelry, and I totally get why, since it won't rot in any water and it's pretty strong stuff. I knew there was some laying around the house here, since this property has just been getting more and more stuff stored in it since like the 50's. It never really gets cleaned out, and they just keep building more storage or commandeering more rooms/porch space/anywhere they can put things.

SO I get ready to use this fishing line, and I thankfully notice the peeling-off warning label - it contains lead. Yep, lead, as in that stuff that's really bad for you and fishes. Lead worn in a necklace can leach into the skin and cause organ damage. You're supposed to not touch it, and, if you do, wash your hands thoroughly. I've been trying to locate and get rid of all the random lead things that end up in my possession, either from antique markets, 60-year-old houses, or old people who like to hoard things forever and not give a rat's tushie if it says it's dangerous, because no, all the toxic things in/around the house couldn't possibly be the cause of the cancer that struck two of the people who lived here...

...Sorry. I had to rant a little. No-one here cares that this house is toxic, they just ignore that it is. And I'm worried about my health, as I think I should be.

Back on topic, I know a lot of mers like to be eco-friendly and use recycled fishing line they've found, and I think that's totally awesome, because that's how you can explain why so many mermaids have fishing-line jewelry! :P But if you do that, I urge you to be cautious, and try to harvest from an area where lead-containing fishing equipment is outlawed. But keep in mind, there are always those that don't obey the regulations/don't care about their health or the wildlife's health, as well as you may just find an old bit of lead-containing line that's been there for ages.

[ShyMer]

Whoa, nice catch. I never would have guessed there could be lead in fishing line of all things.

My husband handles ammunition all the time and doesn't wash his hands afterward... he's like no, they're coated/plated, it's mostly safe, and I'm like you're gonna wash those hands before cuddling of any kind can take place. I do not like to play around with lead.

[Miyu]

Keep in mind, if you find like a huge amount of line, I'm sure you can send some off for testing. But I'm super-duper sensitive to chemicals and such, so I'm just going to buy some line that I'm going to be checking to see if there's lead.

Yeah, the BF and I have gotten into it a few times about how he needs to seriously wash his hands before touching things/me/the animals. I really don't understand why lead is still so prevalent in things.

[MermaidAqua]

For my accessories I use a clear plastic beading thread, it looks really similar to fishing line and so far hasn't shown any signs of wear in water. Fishing line sounds like a wicked idea, but for those that are sensitive or don't like the idea of it I highly recommend it, its really cheap and comes in massive packs :) Ill definitely try fishing line though however it will definelty need a very thoroughclean first, I'm also aware of lead in fishing line and sometimes its not in the line it can be weights on the line etc. which I presume would maybe contaminate the line?

[Miyu]

I've seen beading thread, never bought it -.-; I was going to use that fishing line because it's what we have around, but... well, after reading that the LINE contained lead... nope. And yeah, there are tons of lead weights around here. I've got to try and locate them all to throw them out. Lead is so bad. I just keep telling myself that in the earth, it must serve SOME purpose...

the BF checked at Wal-mart, apparently there's tons of fishing line there that isn't leaded, and it's dirt cheap for how much you're getting. I'll be getting the highest strength I can, because I have been known to break beaded jewelry many times before.

[Miyu]

Mmkay, so there was some confusion about lead in fishing lines I think.


New fishing line is generally safe. Laws were changed many years ago to stop putting lead in things like fishing line.

Leaded fishing line on the spool WILL BE LABELED if you are buying it new! It is the law to label things containing a certain amount of lead.

OLD fishing line MAY be leaded. The fishing line I found that I knew was leaded was a very old spool (my BF's family likes to hoard things FOREVER, regardless of safety regulations), and it still had the "contains lead" sticker on it. This spool is old and has been abused and weathered, so that sticker had some staying power.

I live in Oregon, where many people are a decade or more behind the times on safety regulations. Most other places, the found fishing line will most likely be unleaded. It's just a precaution to think about, that the line you find has a possibility of containing lead.

I've done a lot of research on lead lately. It's most dangerous if ingested, but wearing a lead pendant can cause additional problems (your body can't excrete it fast enough if it's constantly being absorbed into your skin).



Yes, I would *love* to repurpose used fishing line I find, as my mer-sona is very much about making things from trash... But I'm not willing to take the risk of having lead in my jewelry (especially the jewelry I sell). I do use strong fishing line in my jewelry, but I checked it before I bought it and it is, indeed, lead-free. This is currently the safest option for me personally, because of living in Oregon and not knowing for certain if discarded line is safe. I *could* use jewelry monofilament, but I find it to be dangerously thin for my tastes. It may be strong, but at our house jewelry has to basically be able to withstand an atom bomb (the BF and I can be rough on our everyday jewelry sometimes).

So please, feel free to use fishing line in your jewelry, just not *used* fishing line unless you know for a fact that it is newer (lead-free) line. There is no problem with using fishing line in jewelry, so long as you are sure it's safe.