On the Knot Heads World Wide site, member ShamrOck has been using Jimalax Crosslace cord for some knotting projects for a while now, with great results. So I thought I'd give it a try. The cord is made for use as net material for the stick, in the sport of lacrosse.I ordered a 100yd spool in black, from ComLax. So far I've just made a few things with it, and I really like the cord. It's about 2.5mm in diameter with a tightly braided outer sheath over 5 inner strands, with a stiff feel to it, like some bootlaces I've had in the past. It's available in a variety of colors. Another site that also sells the cord is Jimalax.com.
It's not 550 paracord, but I think it's still a good alternative for some knot work projects.
27 comments:
I've been looking for this lace for quite some time. I never knew exactly what it was. Thank you for the link.
hi.. thank u for the link..
just dropping by
Judging from your picture, this looks to be stiffer than 550.
The crosslace does have a stiff/solid feel to it compared to 550 paracord, but I think that's a good thing for this type cord.
Although it doesn't have all the 'utility' of paracord, it looks/feels strong, and according to 'ShamrOck's' posts on KHWW regarding the cord, it wears well over time too.
i like your blog... is't veri nice!
Given the price difference it could be worth it will have to orders some.
AKA Griff3n
Love the pic. Have you got a core inside the monkey's fist?
I used marbles for the monkey's fist cores.
I work Lacrosse games in the spring and saw some cord earlier this year. I bought some sidewall cord from Stick Doctor (http://www.stickdoctor.net/lacrosse-spools-laces.html) for $12/100 foot roll. It is pretty stiff also, but makes for some nice work. It melts great for ending up. It is rough on the fingers though, after working with it for a while. Let me know how and where, and I'll send you a picture. Dave
If you upload them to photobucket or other free pic hosting site, you can put the links here in the comments so others can see 'em too. :)
OK...let's try this link:
http://s167.photobucket.com/albums/u145/paramedic228/Lanyard%20Stuff/?action=view¤t=sidewallcord.jpg&newest=1
Hope this works for all. Dave
It works, thanks for sharing. :)
I just noticed my mistake and wanted to clarify that the spools from Stick Doctor are 100 yards, not feet. Lots of neat colors here: http://www.stickdoctor.net/lacrosse-spools-laces/lacrosse-colored-spools.html
Dave
great looking cord. And I bet it's strong! {:-Deb
nice work :) can you tell me what you used for the monkey fist cores? i want to make some with 3mm or 4mm sailing rope and 4 or 5 turns and i am not sure which diameter the core should have
I used marbles for the core, they're about 1/2" diameter in size. You can find inexpensive ones at craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. They're typically used for decoration in vases/plant holders.
For larger cord and number of turns like you're thinking of using, you might try using golf balls for the core, wooden balls, or cork foosballs...
i love the black quick release at the end of the long piece you did. Where can I get them? and what are they called?
I used a black swivel snap hook from Creative Designworks.
Stormdrane - love your blog and your YouTube videos. I'm just starting to learn knots and I'm getting pretty good about tying monkey fist however, the problem I have is with how to finish or loop the ends of MF? In case I want to use it as knife or tool lanyard? Do you have some suggestions? In this image, what loop/knot did you use? Hangman or something similar? How do you do it? Thank you sincerely for any info you can share with me.
misko,
I used a hangman's knot with one of the cord ends from the fist. Some also call it a coil knot. I also show how to tie one towards the end of the monkey's fist video I made.
Thanks for the wonderful tutorials. I find them inspiring. I have a quick question for you concerning the Monkey Fists. Is it ok to add or take away the number of loops depending on the size of the ball used? The reason i ask is, I have tied a couple and on one of them I can still see the ball bearing through the fist. Thanks again.
The number of loops/wraps/turns needed for a monkey's fist will vary depending on the diameter/size of the cord being used as well as the size of the core object.
I first try to wrap the cord around an object enough times to gauge/guess the number of loops/wraps/turns I'll need to cover the fist before starting.
Sometimes there's too many or too few turns, so having to start over comes with the territory. I still have to occasionally start over, but not nearly as much as I used to. ;)
Thanks for the quick response to my question concerning Monkey fists.
Do you have any tutorials on how to do the globes? I think they look alot like the Monkey fists but with multi directional wraps.
Again your tuts are very inspiring. I have watched a few different videos before i stumbled upon your work.
The music you choose for your vids is great.
Also one more quick question. What do you think about leaving the first Monkey Fist cord end long and using it, and the final cord end, to make a Cobra knot lanyard for a keychain?
Thanks,
Tommy
I've not tied any globe knots(turks head variations, but if you're interested in them, you need to check this out.
Here's one blog post with a monkey's fist tied the cobra stitch.
Stormdrane, Kevin here again. I've been working on some Monkey Fists and found on my first couple tries that to use a golf ball as a core takes about 8 wraps w/ para cord. I didn't get the approx length of cord I used unfortunately, just used a long piece I had. I'm still learning these and more knots. Hope to have some pics up sometime.
Kev
Hey Stormdrane, thanks for all your tips and insights.
Just ordered some crosslace cord..........can't wait to get it.
I do need your advice on one thing......."where can I find some round metal gunmetal beads to fit 550 paracord"?
Appreciate any help or advice
@Signvine, You can look for beads at craft stores, like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Beads can be found online, but unless they give a measurement on how wide the hole is, it's hard to find ones that will fit paracord. Usually need 4mm width or more for a gutted loop of paracord to fit through a hole in a bead
Some folks use nuts, washers, spacers, etc for beads... from hardware stores, like Home Depot and Lowes.
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