What is the best Rosary for your needs?
Many people ask what is the best kind of rosary. There are many things to consider. Strength, beauty and cost are the three main factors.
1. Strength in Materials and Construction
Cord Rosaries: In lab testing parachute cord #36 twine is the strongest cord available, breaking at 550 lbs of tensile strength. But this cord is too thick to make a beaded rosary. So it would have to be a knotted cord rosary. The #9 twine used in wooden cord rosaries holds up well to tugs and pulls. Many rosary makes swear by these for longevity and rough abuse. But the cords can fray over time. The rosary beads used for this method must have big holes, so wood is the most common choice. The wood and cord rosary is lightweight and fluid. It is the most economical and common choice for a mans pocket rosary. Cord rosary bracelets are also becoming increasingly popular because they are so lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Flex wire Rosaries:
Flex wire rosaries (flexible wire) are made with flexible Jewelers wire. When beads are strung on Flex wire for a rosary, there is much flexibility in the individuality of design. The Flex wire creates a rosary that is fluid and has a lovely drape. Stringing rosary beads on Flexible Jewelers wire is less time consuming than hand turning wire. Therefore the Flexible wire rosary requires much less labor, and is more affordable.
Flex wire is 21 strands of stainless steel that is bundled together and wire coated. It is lab tested to 24 lbs of tensile strength. But skilled construction on this rosary is a must.
1) Excellent crimping to secure the wire is imperative to maintain strength. Double crimping with high quality crimp tubes is recommended.
2) The wire can stretch slightly over time. This is usually not a problem, (and sometimes its nice to have some movement of the Hail Mary beads) But I don't like any shifting of the Our Father beads, so I usually crimp on each side of the Our Father bead.
3) For people who are very hard on their rosaries, this may not be the best choice. The tugging on the beads and constant tugging can cause the wire to fray over time. Then the whole rosary must be restrung.
Traditional Wire Linked Rosaries: The Traditional Wire Linked Rosary is also called the Chain Rosary. I call this rosary my Heirloom Rosary. There are many excellent strong wires used for making rosaries. I recommend Bronze, Brass, Argentium Silver, Sterling Silver and Silver-filled. Bronze is the strongest of the wires listed...but all make excellent strong rosaries because I use such a thick 20 gauge of wire. When each bead is skillfully linked with a thick strong wire, the resulting Chain Linked Rosary is strong enough to last for generations.
Solid Wire Methods or Construction:
1. Wire-wrapped Rosary: The wire-wrapped method of bead construction uses a length of wire that is looped and twisted around both ends, so the links do not have an opening. These rosaries are longer than most, and also tend to kink, as the loops easily catch on one another. I have made many rosaries with this construction, but I do not like the fact that they kink because I feel that a rosary should be fluid in its motion. Also, this method requires one to use a thinner wire than other methods. So the wire itself is more likely to break. For this reason, I do not recommend the wire wrapped rosary construction to my customers.
2. Traditional Chained Rosaries: The Chain Rosary, or Heirloom Rosary is made by hand turning wire into a loop on each bead. Unlike wire wrapped methods, the link does have an opening, but my method of construction remedies this shortcoming by using jump rings to hold the opening closed. I use wire rings around the base of each loop to enclose the wire and further secure the links. The wire I use is 20 gauge, and super thick. It requires some strength to turn it to the proper loop size, and so the resulting rosary is super strong and 'heirloom' quality. I offer a lifetime guarantee against wire breakage on these rosaries.
2. Cost vs Beauty
The Flex wire rosary (flexible wire) is in my opinion the winner for cost and beauty. The wood and cord rosary is a close second since it is also very cost effective but wood and cord is not as beautiful as gemstones and crystals.
The Knotted Cord rosary wins for being the most economical rosary available. It is a great choice for the Mission rosary, or the Military rosary, since it is also a silent rosary. But it will get dirty in time, and it is not very beautiful. If practicality is all you want in your rosary, the cord rosary will suit your needs.
The Chained Rosaries are the best choice for maximum strength, and heirloom quality and beauty. With the rising cost of Precious metals, I have extended my line of Bronze Rosaries to provide a more affordable option for the heirloom rosary. Gold and Sterling Silver rosaries are precious medals that are more costly but for many people this is their choice for ultimate beauty. Although the heirloom rosary is more expensive than the Cord rosary and Strung rosary, the quality, and beauty is unsurpassed. The Heirloom rosary is an investment in your spiritual life that can be passed on to future generations. What is more important to leave your family, then a testament to the importance of prayer?
How important is beauty in your prayer piece?
In my opinion each person should own at least one beautiful rosary commensurate with their means. Cord rosaries are practical and I am not discounting their value at all. But I believe that a beautiful rosary is a reminder of the importance of prayer. It is similar to the reason we build beautiful churches for God. The beauty that surrounds us is a reflection of God's beauty. In the Old Testament, we see constant reminders that we are suppose to give our best to God. What is most exciting to me is that I have had many customers share with me that since they purchased a beautiful Heirloom rosary, the rosary beads themselves are an inspiration to pray the rosary more often!
1. Strength in Materials and Construction
Cord Rosaries: In lab testing parachute cord #36 twine is the strongest cord available, breaking at 550 lbs of tensile strength. But this cord is too thick to make a beaded rosary. So it would have to be a knotted cord rosary. The #9 twine used in wooden cord rosaries holds up well to tugs and pulls. Many rosary makes swear by these for longevity and rough abuse. But the cords can fray over time. The rosary beads used for this method must have big holes, so wood is the most common choice. The wood and cord rosary is lightweight and fluid. It is the most economical and common choice for a mans pocket rosary. Cord rosary bracelets are also becoming increasingly popular because they are so lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Flex wire Rosaries:
Flex wire rosaries (flexible wire) are made with flexible Jewelers wire. When beads are strung on Flex wire for a rosary, there is much flexibility in the individuality of design. The Flex wire creates a rosary that is fluid and has a lovely drape. Stringing rosary beads on Flexible Jewelers wire is less time consuming than hand turning wire. Therefore the Flexible wire rosary requires much less labor, and is more affordable.
Flex wire is 21 strands of stainless steel that is bundled together and wire coated. It is lab tested to 24 lbs of tensile strength. But skilled construction on this rosary is a must.
1) Excellent crimping to secure the wire is imperative to maintain strength. Double crimping with high quality crimp tubes is recommended.
2) The wire can stretch slightly over time. This is usually not a problem, (and sometimes its nice to have some movement of the Hail Mary beads) But I don't like any shifting of the Our Father beads, so I usually crimp on each side of the Our Father bead.
3) For people who are very hard on their rosaries, this may not be the best choice. The tugging on the beads and constant tugging can cause the wire to fray over time. Then the whole rosary must be restrung.
Traditional Wire Linked Rosaries: The Traditional Wire Linked Rosary is also called the Chain Rosary. I call this rosary my Heirloom Rosary. There are many excellent strong wires used for making rosaries. I recommend Bronze, Brass, Argentium Silver, Sterling Silver and Silver-filled. Bronze is the strongest of the wires listed...but all make excellent strong rosaries because I use such a thick 20 gauge of wire. When each bead is skillfully linked with a thick strong wire, the resulting Chain Linked Rosary is strong enough to last for generations.
Solid Wire Methods or Construction:
1. Wire-wrapped Rosary: The wire-wrapped method of bead construction uses a length of wire that is looped and twisted around both ends, so the links do not have an opening. These rosaries are longer than most, and also tend to kink, as the loops easily catch on one another. I have made many rosaries with this construction, but I do not like the fact that they kink because I feel that a rosary should be fluid in its motion. Also, this method requires one to use a thinner wire than other methods. So the wire itself is more likely to break. For this reason, I do not recommend the wire wrapped rosary construction to my customers.
2. Traditional Chained Rosaries: The Chain Rosary, or Heirloom Rosary is made by hand turning wire into a loop on each bead. Unlike wire wrapped methods, the link does have an opening, but my method of construction remedies this shortcoming by using jump rings to hold the opening closed. I use wire rings around the base of each loop to enclose the wire and further secure the links. The wire I use is 20 gauge, and super thick. It requires some strength to turn it to the proper loop size, and so the resulting rosary is super strong and 'heirloom' quality. I offer a lifetime guarantee against wire breakage on these rosaries.
2. Cost vs Beauty
The Flex wire rosary (flexible wire) is in my opinion the winner for cost and beauty. The wood and cord rosary is a close second since it is also very cost effective but wood and cord is not as beautiful as gemstones and crystals.
The Knotted Cord rosary wins for being the most economical rosary available. It is a great choice for the Mission rosary, or the Military rosary, since it is also a silent rosary. But it will get dirty in time, and it is not very beautiful. If practicality is all you want in your rosary, the cord rosary will suit your needs.
The Chained Rosaries are the best choice for maximum strength, and heirloom quality and beauty. With the rising cost of Precious metals, I have extended my line of Bronze Rosaries to provide a more affordable option for the heirloom rosary. Gold and Sterling Silver rosaries are precious medals that are more costly but for many people this is their choice for ultimate beauty. Although the heirloom rosary is more expensive than the Cord rosary and Strung rosary, the quality, and beauty is unsurpassed. The Heirloom rosary is an investment in your spiritual life that can be passed on to future generations. What is more important to leave your family, then a testament to the importance of prayer?
How important is beauty in your prayer piece?
In my opinion each person should own at least one beautiful rosary commensurate with their means. Cord rosaries are practical and I am not discounting their value at all. But I believe that a beautiful rosary is a reminder of the importance of prayer. It is similar to the reason we build beautiful churches for God. The beauty that surrounds us is a reflection of God's beauty. In the Old Testament, we see constant reminders that we are suppose to give our best to God. What is most exciting to me is that I have had many customers share with me that since they purchased a beautiful Heirloom rosary, the rosary beads themselves are an inspiration to pray the rosary more often!