Are the Ark strings that come with nevklace chewies ones that won't get wet like the Stimtastic ones? If not do you know on a necklace string that doesn't absorb saliva like that? I hate the feeling of the wet string
I haven’t touched the ARK strings myself, but in discussions with Mod Rainbow (who has), they’re the same as or very similar to the rough, scratchy strings that come with some Chewigem chewables. Neither of us liked those strings because of the roughness!
(This is Rainbow’s review of the Chew Star Pendant; this is my review of the Chewigem Dog Tags Pendant. We both discuss scratchy cords.)
Anything that’s listed as using silky cord or rattail cord is going to absorb water or saliva, because it’s a soft, loosely woven fibre. There’s no resistance to absorption whatsoever.
I still had my cut-off Chewigem cord, so I quickly ran it under the tap to see how well it absorbs. It doesn’t absorb as much as the silky/rattail, and it took longer to absorb what it did, but it still got wet enough to give the wet string feeling. I’d say it’s better than the rattail, but not so much that I’d recommend it to someone seeking to avoid that sensory ick.
(If anyone can confirm specifically for @andinuffishthought how water-resistent the ARK Therapeutic cords are, I’d be grateful. They might differ in this respect to the Chewigem cords.)
However. Because I have a collection of various cords and elastics, I ran a whole bunch of things under the tap, and my recommendation for you would be to buy a pendant and restring it with hat elastic. It absorbed water least of everything I tried and dried fastest, a lot faster. You will still get some wet cord feeling, but not as much and for not as long. Five minutes after drenching, and I wet all cords thoroughly, the scratchy Chewigem cord still felt wet and the elastic was almost dry.
(You can buy packets in various thicknesses from most dollar shops, sewing shops or the sewing sections of supermarkets. The medium and thicker weights, which are what I’d use as a cord replacement, are easy to source.)
Stimtastic’s YouTube video shows how a cord can be shortened, but if folks want a tutorial on replacing a string entirely, let me know because I can absolutely add it to my list of things to do. (I had a quick Google, but I couldn’t find a tutorial.) I can even do it with hat elastic to demonstrate how it works, if needed; it won’t be treated any differently than any other cord, and I’ve used it as a necklace cord before.
Additionally, chains designed for chewables exist: Fun and Function sells an 8 pack of half cords, half ball chains for $12.99 USD. Wet-but-easily-dried ball chain might be preferable than cord.
Does this help some?
- Mod K.A.