I’ve got a bunch of string from the 1990s that is of various color (including some multi-color strings), but I don’t know what they’re made of. I prefer cotton for my wood fixed axles, so every time I use one of the strings from the bag, I burn a little bit off the finger loop end to see if it melts or burns. So far every one I’ve tested has burned so I’m assuming those are cotton. Is there an easier way to tell? Some feel kind of like poly, but then when I burned them, they didn’t melt so it’s not easy for me to tell just by look feel.
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Your question actually contained my suggestion. Usually if it burns it’ll be cotton. Most, if not all synthetics will melt. Since they are from the 90s it’s pretty safe to say they will be cotton. One other tell is if it has a shine to it. Cotton won’t have any sort of a shimmer, it’s usually dull when held up to a light or if you shine a flashlight against it. Poly and Nylon will have a slight sheen, depending on the color, it can be hard to tell, but they all do it.
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