How Japanese PE line is rated: size, pound test and diameter
Three numbers appear on a Japanese PE spool: the size (go, #), a strength in lb or kg, and sometimes a diameter. Only the first is fixed by the industry standard.
The size number is a weight of yarn
Under the JAFS standard for PE and braided line, the size number sets the denier, the weight in grams of 9 km of yarn: size #1 is 200 denier, and each size scales with it, so #0.6 is 120 and #2 is 400. VARIVAS, which publishes the chart in English, notes that the standard fixes only the denier; its millimetre figures are a rough guide, and real diameters vary by maker (VARIVAS: Japanese fishing line size).
| Size | Denier | Approx. PE diameter | Nylon / fluorocarbon standard diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| #0.6 | 120 | 0.132 mm | 0.128 mm |
| #0.8 | 160 | 0.153 mm | 0.148 mm |
| #1 | 200 | 0.171 mm | 0.165 mm |
| #1.2 | 240 | 0.191 mm | 0.185 mm |
| #1.5 | 300 | 0.209 mm | 0.205 mm |
| #2 | 400 | 0.242 mm | 0.235 mm |
| #2.5 | 500 | 0.270 mm | 0.260 mm |
| #3 | 600 | 0.296 mm | 0.285 mm |
The pound figure depends on the maker's basis
The strength figures come with different labels. The lines on this site use four: maximum (DUEL, Seaguar, Sunline and VARIVAS); average (Seaguar); standard (DUEL); basis not stated (YGK and VARIVAS). Here is size #1 as each maker lists it:
| Line | Strength as published | Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| YGK X-BRAID UPGRADE X8 | 22 lb basis not stated | not published |
| DUEL HARDCORE X8 | 20 lb / 9 kg maximum7.5 kg standard | 0.171 mm |
| Seaguar PEX8 Pitch Color Changer | 20 lb / 9.1 kg maximum18 lb / 8.2 kg average | 0.165 mm |
| Sunline SIGLON PE×8 | 16 lb / 7.7 kg maximum | 0.171 mm |
| VARIVAS PE 8 Stripe Marking Edition | 20 lb maximum9.06 kg basis not stated | not published |
For the same line a maximum is the higher figure: Seaguar rates its #1 at 20 lb maximum and 18 lb average. Compare maximum with maximum. When a maker does not say which figure it gives, treat it with care.
Published diameters follow a chart
DUEL publishes diameters that are the same as the approximate PE diameters in the JAFS chart, size for size. Sunline's match the same chart for 14 of 16 sizes; #1.2 is 0.187 mm against 0.191 mm and #1.7 is 0.223 mm against 0.219 mm. Seaguar publishes diameters that equal the JAFS standard diameters for nylon and fluorocarbon line. YGK and VARIVAS do not publish a diameter for the line listed here. So the published diameters mostly describe the size class rather than a measured thickness, and they cannot tell two brands of the same size apart. We have not measured any line.
Choosing a size
- Start from the pound test you need and use the pound test chart, which reads each maker's own figure.
- Within one brand, the size number is the reliable scale: #1.5 is 300 denier against 200 for #1.
- Under the standard the same size means the same denier in every brand, yet the printed strength for #1 runs from 16 to 22 lb on this site.