Products

The devil is in the detail

John Hunter | Aug 29, 2024

The above is an oft-quoted phrase which certainly applies to manufacturing fishing products. One great example is X-Braid Finesse, now available to wider markets like the US, thanks to a partnership with Daiwa.

Japan’s premier X-Braid fishing line brand has always been a stickler for details and nowhere is this more evident than in its X-Braid Finesse, where the details start at a molecular level.

For years, braided lines woven with Dyneema were at the top of the food chain but that’s changing as Izanas comes to the fore. The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene material has the highest strength and modulus of a manmade fibre – almost eight times stronger than piano wire of the same weight.

Daiwa field marketing manager Chris Martin explained: “Beyond Izanas being an unrivalled base material, it’s how individual weights of the entire X-Braid family are manufactured that makes it far superior to the competition.

“Other companies take a single base material and stretch it to achieve the desired diameter and weight. This creates inconsistencies, which can lead to weak spots.”

Uniquely, each diameter and weight of X-Braid is produced from a dedicated spool. So, for example, if 10lb X-Braid Finesse is the desired final weight, the base material fibre is 10lb.

Martin added: “The actual weaving machines are proprietary and built in house to create the ‘WX Weave’. In traditional weaving used by other brands the line comes off multiple bobbins. That means in an eight-strand weave there are eight bobbins spitting out line. That results in line twist and inconsistencies.”

In X-Braid’s “top secret” WX Weave, the strands come together uniformly to yield exceptional consistency. Moreover, the process produces a denser weave with more material in the finished product. That tighter weave results in a smoother, more abrasion resistant fishing line, while also being rounder and slightly stiffer, making it much easier to handle and tie, closer to how monofilament feels.

But that’s not all. Martin revealed: “The line making process concludes with the addition of a specialised coating that allows for extremely low friction, as well as heat, abrasion, and chemical resistance… not to mention longer casts.”

Lastly, X-Braid Finesse comes in high visibility white to make the line easier to manage and visible in low-light conditions.