Custom Mala Shop Blog

This is the prototype of a new Mala style I am developing. I call this style the “Caterpillar Mala”.

This particular Mala features 33 segments of 10mm Black Phoenix-Eye Bodhi seed side-knotted with red 1.5mm cord. There are three sections divided by two in-line five piece 6mm white howlite counters/markers. The idea is that if you count mantras/beads you can keep a running tally as you work your way around the Mala by sliding one of the 6mm howlite beads from one end of the counter-section to the other. They are snug enough that they will stay put during normal handling.

The Guru Bead is a 15mm magnesite bead. Extended from the Guru via a wrap-knot are the “antennae” of the Caterpillar Mala- two knotted lengths each ending with two 6mm white howlite beads.

The next version I plan on making will be a full 108 segment with the in-line counters/markers after every 9th bead for a total 12 sections.

One of the options I offer in on all of the Malas  I make is to re-drill all of the beads on the Mala out to 2mm. I offer this option because if re-drilled I can then use the thicker and stronger 1.5mm cord instead of the default .8mm cord.

The bead on the left has been re-drilled out to 2mm. The bead on the right is a normal 1mm un-drilled bead hole.

The cord on the left is the thicker and stronger 1.5mm cord that re-drilling allows me to use. The thinner .8mm default cord is on the right.

In order to re-drill the beads I use a diamond tipped bit and submerge the bead in water. I drill half-way into one end of the existing hole, turn the bead over and then drill out the other side. I have to turn the bead over in order to prevent “blow-out” which is what happens if I let the drill bit exit the bottom of the bead.

Submerged Bead being Re-drilled

I always recommend opting for this if you are designing a bracelet, if you are designing a standard Mala that has 10mm beads, and if you plan on counting or reciting mantras with your new Mala. The thicker cord is a lot stronger than the default .8mm cord and will last longer. Of course nothing lasts forever (uh…one of the main teachings in Buddhism!!) and neither will your Mala. But, with the thick cord it will certainly outlast most. Sometimes wood and seed beads already have large enough holes to get the 1.5mm through by default so I occasionally don’t need to re-drill these. This isn’t always the case though so if you want to be guaranteed to have the thicker cord on wood and seed beads I recommend that you opt for the re-drilling on these as well. Or, if you want to, email me and I will let you know the status of the current batch.

The process of re-drilling can take anywhere from 1.5 to over 3 hours depending on the type of bead. Soft stones like Lapis Lazuli don’t take as long as hard stones like Carnelian or Hematite.

The re-drilling option is a little expensive but certainly well worth it especially if you are creating something that is meant to be close to you or with you for a long time. The best option, though, for longevity, counting and absolute elegance is Snake Hand-Knotting.

108ct 10mm Re-Drilled Lapis Lazuli Mala

I am often asked “What is the best Mala for me?” Well, that is a pretty tough question! A lot of it depends on what you plan on doing with the Mala. Are you repeating mantras while counting beads? Do you plan on wearing it on your wrist? Will you simply hold it in a practice of mindfulness? Do you plan on just wearing it around your neck? Is it a gift that will be held gently? What is your budget? The answers to these questions all influence the choices you should make in selecting the options for your new Mala.

These were written for the 108ct Mala but the basic concepts apply to any count/size. Here are a few guidelines you should certainly follow when choosing your Main Bead Type and the Stringing Method:

Do you plan on counting beads? If yes then you should opt for wood/seed/bone beads or, if you prefer gemstone beads, you should opt for hand-knotting or the re-drilling option. The reason for this is that wood/seed/bone beads have larger holes that will allow me to string on thicker/stronger 1.5mm cord, hand-knotting builds a buffer between gemstone beads, and if you choose to re-drill gemstone beads I can then use the thicker cord in them too. If you opt for gemstone beads WITHOUT re-drilling or hand-knotting then I will use the thinner .8mm cord and, if you count mantras the string will wear through quickly and your Mala will break.

Do you plan on wearing the Mala wrapped around your wrist? If so then you should opt for the Adjustable Flat Knot as this will allow you to open the circumference of the Mala, wrap an extra loop over your hand, and then cinch it back down again. If you choose wood/seed/bone beads as your main beads then I will use the thicker cord by default and if you choose gemstone beads as your main beads then I will use the thinner cord by default. If you must have all gemstone beads I recommend opting for re-drilling along with the adjustable knot. I absolutely do not recommend that you ever ever ever wrap a Mala around your wrist if it is strung on thin cord WITHOUT an adjustable knot. Another thing to consider if wrapping is opting for a wood Guru as the internal edges are softer than that in a stone Guru bead. The BEST option if you want to wrap on your wrist is for you to select wood/seed/bone beads and go with the adjustable knot.

Is this a Mala that you will simply wear on your neck and/or not count mantras on or wrap on your wrist? If this describes you then you can pretty much choose any options for the main beads and stringing method. Since there will be no or little stress placed on the beads and cord you can go with all gemstone beads. However, if you plan on up-sizing to 10mm gemstone beads I HIGHLY recommend that you opt for the re-drilling because the 10mm beads are heavy and will wear/stretch the default thinner cord and your Mala will break. Also, the 108ct Mala is the only one that will go over your head! If you want something that is exquisite and beautiful then I’d recommend you opt for the Snake Hand-Knotting option (read more about it here on my Custom Mala Shop Blog).

Here are the guidelines in a simple format:

You will be counting beads/saying mantras:

Select wood/seed/bone main beads so I can use thick and strong cord

If selecting gemstone beads opt for hand-knotting or re-drilling

You plan on wrapping my Mala on your wrist:

Opt for the adjustable knot

If selecting gemstone beads opt for re-drilling

You are concerned about strength and durability:

Select wood/seed/bone main beads

If selecting gemstone beads opt for hand-knotting or re-drilling

You want an expensive, elegant and beautiful gemstone Mala:

Select gemstone beads and opt for Snake Hand-Knotting

You want 10mm gemstone main beads:

Opt for re-drilling as the default thin cord will wear, stretch, and break under the weight.

You want a strong and inexpensive Mala that is warm, traditional, earthy and organic:

Select wood beads

Add gemstone Markers/Guru

The bottom line is that wood/seed/bone beads will always result in a warmer and more durable Mala- you can add gemstone markers/Guru to incorporate these components if you like. If you want to have an all gemstone then you really ought to consider re-drilling or hand-knotting.

***On Edit- I have adopted the hand-knotting technique described below as the only method I use now as it is far superior to any other knotting method***

I am probably the only person who might be excited about this but I figured I’d share it anyway!

Recently I’ve been dwelling on an idea I’ve had for a new way of hand-knotting Malas. The usual way of knotting involves some variation of basically tying a single loop knot between each bead and somehow cinching it down tightly using either a tool or your fingers. You can do this with one or more strands of cord depending on how large the bead hole is and how thick the cord is. Unfortunately what tends to happen is that the Mala can get “twisted up” because as you tie each knot the cord exiting the end of the knot can come out at a different angle/tension than any of the previous and subsequent knots. In other words each individual knot can be pulling in a different direction than the others, potentially resulting in twisted snake-like appearance. Another draw-back to this older technique is that sometimes the knot tightens down a half millimeter or so too early so you might end up with one bead that is a little looser than the next. I’ve had to cut up halfway completed knotted Malas because of this and I’ve even seen Malas from other vendors who’ve hidden this flaw with an extra knot.

27ct Sandalwood with New Hand-Knotting

Up Close Knotting

It occurred to me that I could avoid this un-even tension and looseness by using two cords to form a single snake-knot between each bead. What this creates is a small, very tight knot that is perfectly symmetrical- the two cord ends exit at exact opposite sides of the knot thus creating the same tension on either side. Then a bead is added and then the next knot is formed in the exact same manner as the previous one. The resulting length of knotted beads is without any twisting at all and each knot in-between is identical to the next. Also, by using this single snake knot I am able to cinch each knot down very tightly so that each bead is very snuggly in place and will not loosen over time 9yet still allows the bead to rotate in place).

This new technique is without a doubt far superior to any previous method but it is much more labor intensive. The little 27ct Mala in the photo took me almost 30 minutes to knot using this new method whereas with the older single loop method it would have taken about 10 minutes to complete the knotting step. In fact if you were to want a gemstone Mala knotted in this method I would need to re-drill all of the beads out in order to get the double strand through. Wooden beads might not need to be re-drilled.

What is the benefit? What do you end up with? You end up with a higher-quality, longer lasting and much more elegant Mala.

54ct Bone Mala with Snake Knotting

This was originally created by a very good customer of mine in California. Apparently she is facing several challenges in her life and wanted a Mala that would allow her to focus positive thought and intent. So she ended up designing this Mala:

54ct Crystal Quartz Healing Mala

After I made and shipped it she asked that I post it on Facebook. After posting it I have received several comments and requests via email asking to duplicate it so I have added it to my “Blog” Items section at the store.

This is made with:

• 54 x 8mm Crystal Quartz Main Beads
• 1 x 10mm Rose Quartz Guru Bead
• 1 x 10mm Rose Quartz Marker (opposite the Guru)
• A hand-carved Crystal Quartz Buddha Extension/Pendant
• White Tassel
• This is strung tightly on .8mm white braided Chinese knotting cord

I posted a few Malas from the past weekend on Facebook and this one generated numerous comments and requests for duplication:

this 108ct 8mm Rosewood

This Mala is 108 x 8mm Light Rosewood main beads, Red Jasper and Turquoise inlayed Markers, Red Jasper Guru and Extension, small Tea-Dyed bone bead Guru off-sets, Turquoise Tassel, and is strung on red cord.

You can order one HERE.

Today I added a new category of items to the store:

Himalayan Cataract Project Items

All of the money generated from the sales of these items goes to the Himalayan Cataract Project. This is a non-profit organization that provides vision care for the very poor and needy in an extremely efficient and cost effective manner.

The items in the category are mostly necklaces I made from various pendants and are strung on braided Chinese nylon and finished with an adjustable knot.

Do a good deed! Buy a necklace!

Today I added a new type of configurable Mala:

9 x 12 Repeating Pattern Mala

I often get requests for this type of Mala but have just been too lazy up to this point to set it up as a configurable item-  It is a 9 x 12 Repeating Pattern Mala where you can choose the 9 beads you want repeated 12 times. You can also choose the Guru Bead type, cord color, end piece (such as tassel, snake knot, pendant), and if you want section dividers.

Reasonably priced starting at $45.

I don’t know why but for some reason this combination always appeals to me. There is something about the combination of these colors that just works so well together. I especially like the black and blue combination- in fact black onyx and blue lapis seem to be one of the most preferred combos at the store.

In this case the customer went with black ebony wood as the main beads and threw in some silver and red jasper. The black ebony wood has a more organic and natural feel to it than stone. The extended Gau Box was a special request (the extension was the request) and it opens to reveal an inner chamber.

If you are interested in a duplicate of this Mala you can order it HERE.

108ct Black Ebony with Red Jasper and Blue Lapis