What is Satin Cord Rattail?
Satin Cord is a term referring to satin cord, rattail, rat tail, chinese knotting cord, braiding or kumihimo cord, micro macrame cord, beading cord and other jewelry and craft cords. It refers to the sheen and feel of the cord, not the actual fabric. Satin fabric is woven to have a glossy side and dull side. Satin fabric can be made of many threads, including silk, acetate,  polyester and even cotton (sateen). So it is with satin cord.
Satin Cord is made of nylon, rayon, cotton and various blends. Some of the cord has cotton core, some is hollow. Some cord is braided, some is smooth.
The actual term rattail refers to a type of rayon cord with a cotton core.
Satin cord, rattail, beading cord, micro macrame cord and cords for kumihiimo and other jewelry and craft projects come in  both come in various mm of thickness and package size to suit your jewelry and craft making needs.
Both satin cord and rattail come in metallic flicked and multi-colored varieties.
We offer nylon, rayon and nylon blend cords at Satin Cord and More. The rayon cord has a smooth, matte sheen and is softer and has a light hand.  The nylon cord has a bright sheen and is very durable. Both nylon and rayon cords handle easily and knot well.

Nylon Cord
100% nylon cord is a synthetic cord that has great strength and durability. It washes well in cold water with little to no fading of colors. Lying flat to dry is recommended. The cord has minimal shrinkage.
Nylon satin cord has a beautiful bright sheen.  It knots very easily and is easily handled.
Nylon cord ends can be lightly singed to seal.  

Rayon Cord
Rayon is a natural substance made from wood pulp. Rayon Rattail (TM) is a rayon cord with a cotton core. It is washed with caution in cold water. We have experienced little fading of colors. Lay flat to dry is recommended.
Rayon cord has a more matte and smooth sheen than nylon. It does not seem to be as durable as nylon and frays a bit easier, but it is very pretty and has a light hand when working with large amounts of cord.
Rayon cord cannot be singed, it will burn to ash.

Jewelry String often refers to a thin satin cord - you may find it in thin flat or braided nylon, cotton, elastic and even silk.  At this time we carry the thin (0.8mm) braided nylon jewelry string. It is great for beading and micro macrame projects.
You may see the nylon braided jewelry string or cord in larger sizes such as 1.5mm or 2.0mm. This cord is sometimes referred to as Chinese Knotting Cord.

Chinese Knotting Cord
Our suppliers in China tell us that there is really no such type of cord. They say that many cords work for chinese knotting and celtic knotting.  We tend to agree with this philosophy. You may find the 1.5mm and 2mm nylon braided cord (also sometimes called Jade String or Jewlery String) sold as special Chinese Knotting Cord. The braided cord does work well for knotting, but so do unbraided cords. It depends on your preference and project.
We suggest that you ask for samples of different cords to try with your specific crafts. It is not so much the name of the item, but whether or not it works for you that counts.