“Twine” covers two physically different products. Buying the wrong family is the most common twine mistake — here is how to tell them apart and specify the right one.
The two families
Monofilament twine is twisted from round single filaments (typically 0.15–0.5 mm each). It is stiff, springy, and shrugs off abrasion against net frames, cages and shellfish gear. This is the global standard for net repair: see PE monofilament twisted twine.
Multifilament twine is twisted or braided from hundreds of fine fibers. It is soft, flexible and knots beautifully — the choice for net making, marine lashing and hand-contact utility: see PE/PP braided twine.
Comparison
| Monofilament | Multifilament | |
|---|---|---|
| Filaments | Few, round, thick | Many, fine |
| Hand feel | Stiff, springy | Soft, textile-like |
| Abrasion tolerance | Higher | Lower |
| Knot quality | Good | Excellent |
| Snagging | Resists snags | Catches on rough surfaces |
| Typical materials | PE, PP | PE, PP, nylon |
| Typical use | Net repair, cages, pots | Net making, lashing, soft tying |
How to specify (this is where buyers go wrong)
Diameter alone is not a twine specification. Use the denier/ply system (e.g. 210D/12 = twelve 210-denier yarns) or state diameter AND runlength (m/kg) together. If you are matching an existing net, send the twine reference from the net — or a short sample — and the supplier can match it directly.
For the full RFQ checklist see how to specify rope for an RFQ, and for the PP/PE material choice see PP rope vs PE rope.