The 30th Anniversary Blade Show & International Cutlery Fair was in Atlanta last week, at the Cobb Galleria Centre. I spent all day Friday looking at the vast array of assorted handmade and production versions of sharpened items(knives, daggers, swords, hatchets, tomahawks, etc...) and chatting with some of the folks I know from various online forums that were also there. Some I've known for several years and others I met for the first time. It was a good thing the show ended on Sunday, as zombies showed up nearby the following Monday morning, lol...I didn't come home from the show empty handed this year. I bought a new olive drab Tru-Spec boonie hat from Advanced Outfitters, got a Numyth Vulcan Fire Piston from Going Gear, and received a Victorinox Green Alox Minichamp from Swissbianco.
I've yet to add some paracord to the boonie hat, but will eventually put some on it after I wash the hat a few times to shrink it up first, with it being 100% ripstop cotton.
I added a four bight turks head knot to the Vulcan fire piston, and you can see how the fire piston works from Going Gear's YouTube video demonstration. Fire pistons, also called fire syringes, have been around a long time as a fire starting method, and the Vulcan is a pretty neat modernized engineering feat of a tool.
And I made a two bight turks head knot paracord firesteel pendant/fob/lanyard/zipper pull, shown attached to the Minichamp. A 1/8" x 2" firesteel fits right inside gutted paracord, as shown in a previous blog post from last year. The small sized firesteels can also be found at Going Gear.
I was given some spare lanyard hardware, snap hooks and clips, and a nice discontinued production model pocket knife made in Seki-Japan with decent ATS-34 knife steel, from friend and knifemaker Paul Granger, that shared a table at the Blade Show with Tom Stratton, who does some great fileworking on knives. Tom also does filework on some of the knife blades for Victorinox Swiss Army knives available from Swissbianco.
I took a laptop bag full of some knot work, that I've tied up over the past few months, with me to the show, thinking I might sell some, but I'm just not much of a salesman, refusing any payment as I ended up giving away 40+ assorted lanyards and fobs, I lost count, to friends and new acquaintances. :)
for the long 4-bight turk's heads, I have a question. The tutorial on KHWW starts with 3 wraps but I don't know how to expand the knot to make it longer. Would it be 6 wraps? Also for you 16l3B turk's head how do you make that longer? I tried with 6 wraps but something doesn't work....
ReplyDeleteNice work - I have been an advid reader for awhile. Love your stuff.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping you could answer some questions - Like how do you finish your paracord so nice? If I try to burn the light colors they turn black. If I melt sometimes I have big blobs? and so on - Could you show some stuff about just finishing the different knots? OR do you have segments I missed about finishing? Thx -
@Anonymous, I most often use a torch lighter to melt cord ends. It takes careful application of the heat to just melt the ends and not burn them.
ReplyDeleteLighter colors of cord do tend to change color and get that burned look, so you can try just applying enough heat to melt the end to prevent fraying, and apply super glue or needle/thread to secure the end strands.
When using ungutted paracord, I will pull out the inner strands, about 1/4" or so, trim them, then pull the outer sheath back over the strands, quick melt the end, and pinch flat. *This is dangerous and you can get burned, so do so at your own risk.
You can alternatively use the flat side of a tool, knife blade, or the lighter to flatten the hot melted end against a hard surface.
When possible, end strands can be hidden/buried in the knot work, by tucking/pulling them under with a marlinspike, fid, or hemostats.
Every knotting project can vary, so how you finish may be a little different each time...
@Anonymous, For making the long 2 bight knot and increasing it into 4 bight turks head knots, the initial wraps you make around an object is what makes the knot longer. The process of overs/unders for tying them is the same no matter how many initial wraps/turns you make.
ReplyDeleteI just wrap cord around an object, enough times to approximately fill the space that I want the finished knot to cover. The finished knot will shrink down when tightened up, so I start with longer loosely made wraps.
Three bight knots can be increased, but it's a different method than used with the 2 bight knot, so I do not increase those. You may find the specific process for increasing a three bight knot on KHWW.net or IGKT.net, or ask someone in the forums there. Hope that helps.
Thanks for tips
ReplyDeleteMan SD that is awesome. I really want to make it out to BLADE next year. This year was a little crazy w/ a new job and stuff... Anyhow, sounds like you had a great time and got some cool stuff. Would love a keyfob and a conversation next year so I'll try to make it happen. :)
ReplyDeleteI just started to get into this because I am a knife freak and would like to jazz up my blades. Would have never thought to do something as creative as the guitar pick holder. I break the axe out on occasion too!! Your double Cobra lanyard with cross is also out of this world!
ReplyDeleteIs the know around the light a turks head as well? if so what one.
ReplyDeleteAwesome as always.
Steve
@Steve, The fire piston does look like a flashlight, but is actually a fire starting device.
ReplyDeleteThe knot I used on it is a four bight turks head knot(13 lead 4 bight), with just a single pass, and the link for tying them is also in the blog post. ;)
I'm just a bit curious to your firesteel-knot.
ReplyDeleteIt look somewhat simple to make and I could probably use for some things i have lying around - Whats the name of it?
Thanks in advance!
@Fizk, I used a two bight turks head knot over the firesteel.
ReplyDeleteHey good day Stormdrane,This keeps beating me up,you have such the perfect wrap on the vulcan so how did you hide the ends on this one?I know I have asked this question more then once and I apologize for that.The ends when cut how is it that you burn them and then hide so as to be tight and not seen?As always your help is greatly appreciated!!Scot
ReplyDelete@Scot, I just trim the start and end strands, quick hit with a torch lighter so the ends aren't frayed, then tuck the end with the tip of my hemostats, a marlinspike, or clay stylus tool to where the ends are out of sight.
ReplyDeleteWith a single pass knot, like that around the Vulcan Fire Piston, a little strategic application of super glue can help insure the end strands stay tucked in place.