This is the single longest knotting project, as far as time invested, that I've worked on so far.Around 9+ hours, most of which in tying the 109 lead 4 bight turks head knot, with a little over 60 feet of black and tan 1.4mm nylon cord. Well, I was watching TV at the same time, so there was some distraction involved...
I started with a doubled up 50 foot length of the 1.4mm tan, although I don't know if running it like that saved me any time, compared to running two passes with a singled line. It was constantly getting twisted as I worked, and had to be dealt with after crossings and each over/under. Either way, that's a lot of cord to feed through, keep straight, and neat, before adding the 20+ foot length of black 1.4mm cord between the tan...
I tied the long 4 bight turks head around a rifle cleaning rod, which was about 30 inches long, and after tightening, straightening, and working the slack out, got the knot down to about 24 inches long. I then slid it off the cleaning rod and pulled a doubled up 6 foot length of paracord through, with lanyard knot and loop on one end, and finished with a swivel clip/snap hook, and lanyard knot on the other end. A little bit of needle and thread was worked around both ends of the turks head knot, to keep it in place on the lanyard.
The look/feel of the finished turks head knot/lanyard is rope-like, in a somewhat oval shape, around the two strands of paracord, about 3/8" to 1/2" height/width from front and side angles.
I may use this as a wallet lanyard, but it would work well with a knife, multitool, flashlight, cell phone, or some other gear or gadget... I think it came out fairly nice, but I don't see myself spending that much time on a single project again anytime soon. A longer turks head knot like that, takes a lot of care in keeping it neat while tying.
I did make one error, missing an over on a crossing, but decided to leave it instead of untying for a fix, to remind me to pay more attention in the future...
The 'Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding' by Bruce Grant, has listed in the contents, 'Two-Bight Turk's-head of Any Length'. There's all kinds of knot work shown within the book, with plenty of information pictures and diagrams to learn from.
Bud Brewer's tutorial, is a good online resource to learn a 2 bight turks head knot, and then increase it to a 4 bight knot. For longer lengths, just take the cord around your mandrel(whatever object you're tying around) as many times as you want, and make all the same crossings and overs/unders, as shown in the tutorial.
stormdrane, this is off topic, but didn't see another way to contact you. i want to make a survival belt which holds paracord. i've researched the various styles and would like to do a solomon's bar. trouble is, i can't figure out how to make the belt wide, say 1.25" other than putting more strands of paracord in the center, which results in an oval shape and not a flat belt. any ideas on how to achieve a wide belt that is actually flat, either using this knot or another?
ReplyDeletethanks, i love the site.
You can tie a paracord belt like that around another belt as a base, or nylon webbing(about 1" size will give you near the 1.25" width after knotting, that you want to stay near), which will keep it flat/wide. You can still run extra cord along the belt to be knotted over.
ReplyDeleteKeeping the extra strands flat against the belt or webbing, as you knot, will help keep it from rounding out too much.
Absolutely stunning! Nice job.
ReplyDeleteThat deserves a high resolution pic! I can't even imagine how hard that was!
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff Stormdrane! Love the videos.
ReplyDelete@ tyler: JD of TIAT has a nice tutorial for the Slatt's Rescue Belt that would be great with paracord.
i love your work and have followed you for months, and i'm incredibly impressed! that being said, i'm gonna be like tyler, and ask you an off-topic question. i'm literally about to tear my hair out. i'm looking for a way to make a simple lanyard with two looped ends. is that even possible? i have something i'd like to loop on at one end, and have the other end for looping onto a knife (or etc.). is there some kind of decorative knot i could tie in the middle that would hide loop ends or something? any help or direction would be greatly appreciated!
ReplyDeletethanks again for your amazing blog and all your detailed instructions!
@Amanda, Yes you can have loops on both ends of a lanyard. An example is using a lanyard knot, loop on one end and two strands coming out the other, one strand can be pulled back partway through the knot and the other strand worked back in it's place, to create another loop, tightening up the knot to secure it.
ReplyDeleteThe two bight lanyard video tutorial, shows the process towards the end. Here are a couple of links:
Doubled knife lanyard knot
Two bight lanyard tutorial
You can also tie a fixed or sliding type loop/noose on each end of a cord, and the cord between them can be knotted over...
dude, you rock. thank you so much! if you're ever in the market for a knife, i can hook you up at BladeHQ.
ReplyDeleteIve been getting into knots and your site has been a huge help.
ReplyDeleteCould you tell me where you find the 1.4mm nylon cord? I cant find any to save my life.
Thanks!!
Really nice. Do you use a fixture to do the turk's heads or is it all by hand?
ReplyDeleteI tie them around a mandrel(cylinder shaped objects), but do not use printed out grids or pins, that more elaborate turks head knots require to keep track of multiple leads and bights.
ReplyDelete@Michael, Check my blog's links list for 'mowfugger' on ebay, and 'Fix my Blinds' mini blind cord, for various smaller diameter nylon cord, like the 1.4mm size.
ReplyDeleteHey Storm, off topic of the Turks Head lanyard, Nice work by the way.
ReplyDeleteI've been keeping up with your blog for sometime now, i love it. I went searching for 550 cord suppliers online today and came across this belt ( http://www.bbkbelts.com/prod )
I want to make it, but i can't find any "how to make"'s for it. I figured that if anyone can figure it out it would be you haha.
Thanks, keep up the amazing work
@Ian, I have the BBK Belts link in my blog's links list, nice looking, well made paracord belts, and they have a 'patent pending' on their specific belt design.
ReplyDeleteBut, there are similar variations of the square knot, that have been used for who knows how long, and I've seen such patterns in a macrame book, published in the 1880's.
I did a blog post of a side-by-side bracelet version, and there's at least one 'how to' posted on the Instructables website, and probably others on YouTube.
Thanks Storm. I hadn't gotten a chance to go all the way back through your entire blog yet, so i missed when you did the "Paracord bracelet in a side-by-side pattern". And after about 30 or 40 minutes of looking around i did find that 'how to' on instructables. So i'll be making my belt tonight hopefully.
ReplyDeleteThanks again.
Great stuff Stormdrane! Love the videos.
ReplyDeleteI tried the two bight thk from the lanyard video and got it first time. I've tried the four bight from the Bud Brewer tutorial a few times and do not get it. What am I missing. I've followed your blog for about two years now and love your work. I have made many of the projects that you have made and really enjoy the final products. I think my favorite is the Chesapeake Bay lifesavers bracelet. I also made the Bud Brewer style. Thanks for the examples and ideas. Can't wait to see what's next.
ReplyDeleteWhen increasing a two bight turks head knot into a four bight, you have to pay close attention to the over and under sequence in Bud Brewer's tutorial, especially where the over 2 under 1 cords go.
ReplyDeleteSome folks mess up at the ends where you go up over one bight then down over the bight next to it, then under... It's there in Bud's tutorial, and if that's where you've had trouble, when you see it, you get that 'Ah ha!' moment when you figure it out.
beautiful lanyard. absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHi -found your blog by a Don Bursell post to knottyers Yahoo Group this a.m. - I will have to bookmark this site and read in my leasure!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your lanyard and was amazed at the 4 bights/109 leads!! (how does he do that?) WOW, I'm impressed! Though, being a 2 month old knot tyer it is pretty easy to WOW this new addict - grin. THANKS for posting all the info you have so us newbies can glean vital stuff from it!! Nancy B
Very Nicely Done my friend. thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeletei was looking at this trying to figure out how you got the two colors in the knots.
ReplyDelete@Jordan, I just ran the black cord inbetween the lines of tan, from the start end all the way through the knot.
ReplyDelete