Your right Peter,The actual braiding is quite easy,starting and stopping are the hard bits. I found that leather laces are just tooo thick for a neat braid :sulkoff:
Braided Leather knife lanyard
- Thread starter Schwert
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My neck sheath is an under the armpit type so I wont need as much braiding hanging down to reach my belt which is good, I doubt if I could do that much braiding without it looking like a pigs ear Schwert. :wow1:
It currently hangs from an old video camera neck strap about 1.5 inchs wide which I find is comfortable, if not good looking. Do you have any tutorials on flat weaving so I can replace it ?
I was wondering about laces, glad you said Bob, I'll look for something else now.
Cheers
Mark
It currently hangs from an old video camera neck strap about 1.5 inchs wide which I find is comfortable, if not good looking. Do you have any tutorials on flat weaving so I can replace it ?
I was wondering about laces, glad you said Bob, I'll look for something else now.
Cheers
Mark
I'm currently using "Superior Leather Lace 1/8", code number 500505 - Pearce-Tandy again. I think it cost £23 for a 50yd roll, and it lies nice and flat (the bevels probably help). I've got some calf skins I've been practicing lace cutting on, but I don't think they've got the strength, although they look nice.
I think 1/8" square could be somewhat bulky. The stuff I've got is probably about 1/16 by 1/8.
1/8" square is what I cut as thonging...
1/8" square is what I cut as thonging...
Handy stuff, however - I'm trying it out as a bowdrill string. Not very slippy.Pearce-Tandy *sort of* have a website...
http://www.pearcetandy.com
They're in Northampton, and are very helpful. The only downside is that if you buy anything like spirit-based dyes, it has to go by courier instead of parcel farce.
I do not have a complete flat braid tutorial but I do have a brief that may help. This is the start. I really do not even have to think about these braids as I do them, the strings simply must follow the pattern of under one over one. I tend to braid both outer strings at the same time. Making a long strap is quick, easy, and looks great. For cross-body carry strap I would simply braid flat all the way to the sheath and then do a flat double join in a Vee shape. Attaching the sheath is going to be the art...removable, permanent whatever.
Flat is very easy to do in many strings, this image is in 6 strings but going up to 12 or even 16 for a nice cross body strap would be my preference. This 6 plait is just over 1 cm wide when stretched, so add strings to get up to the width you want. You can also start wide at the shoulder and drop strings as you braid to taper the strap. Say start with 16, drop to 12, then drop to 8. You can do a over 2 under 2 pattern the whole way if you stay divisible by 4 or the more dense but tedious single diamond over 1 under 1. This would look great and carry well I think.
The rest of this is here, but I go to round braid mostly for this neck cord.
http://outdoors-magazine.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=643&sid=16d82c205f01d6e1fe872591f49666e1
Again I point you to David Morgan's book as the starting point.
1/8" square thong is not very easy to use for braid. It is very bulky and balky to braid. My lace is 1/8" wide but only about 1mm thick. You can use this square thong as a core to 8-plait and up round braid if you want more diameter.
For a wide strap 1/4" wide lace could be used in a flat braid to good effect as long as you can figure out a way to terminate it at the sheath.
Flat is very easy to do in many strings, this image is in 6 strings but going up to 12 or even 16 for a nice cross body strap would be my preference. This 6 plait is just over 1 cm wide when stretched, so add strings to get up to the width you want. You can also start wide at the shoulder and drop strings as you braid to taper the strap. Say start with 16, drop to 12, then drop to 8. You can do a over 2 under 2 pattern the whole way if you stay divisible by 4 or the more dense but tedious single diamond over 1 under 1. This would look great and carry well I think.
The rest of this is here, but I go to round braid mostly for this neck cord.
http://outdoors-magazine.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=643&sid=16d82c205f01d6e1fe872591f49666e1
Again I point you to David Morgan's book as the starting point.
1/8" square thong is not very easy to use for braid. It is very bulky and balky to braid. My lace is 1/8" wide but only about 1mm thick. You can use this square thong as a core to 8-plait and up round braid if you want more diameter.
For a wide strap 1/4" wide lace could be used in a flat braid to good effect as long as you can figure out a way to terminate it at the sheath.
The one thing I have always thought about was using a neck cord for a bow string on a firedrill. I think these kangaroo thongs would work very well in that role, but like many other things I have never tried them.
With a neck carry knife using a round thong you have a built in piece of durable and non-slippery cord. Braiding flat for behind the neck may be something to avoid in shorter strings if this secondary purpose was important.
Sometime, I am going to do a simple 4-plait round thong about 3" long with simple termination knots and build myself a firedrill......sometime. :icon_sad:
With a neck carry knife using a round thong you have a built in piece of durable and non-slippery cord. Braiding flat for behind the neck may be something to avoid in shorter strings if this secondary purpose was important.
Sometime, I am going to do a simple 4-plait round thong about 3" long with simple termination knots and build myself a firedrill......sometime. :icon_sad:
I'll have to re check the thread on finishing knots.mine was tied with the infamous 'sows ear'. the farmers laces you mentioned Buckshot must be like the stuff I'm struggling with.They're suede and have no shinny side.It makes it harder!
:***: ing persevere :?:
:***: ing persevere :?:
BB, I was just thinking the same thing about finishing knots.
How can I get the braid to start and finish on the sheath I have ?
It's a Woodlore knife so the sheath is well known.
Any ideas, I'll look for a finishing knots thread as well.
Cheers
Mark
How can I get the braid to start and finish on the sheath I have ?
It's a Woodlore knife so the sheath is well known.
Any ideas, I'll look for a finishing knots thread as well.
Cheers
Mark
I find myself using the crown and wall all the time...maybe even too much. But it is easy, durable, integral, and looks great I think.
Short tutorial here:
http://forums.outdoors-magazine.com/viewtopic.php?t=1103
More extensive tutorial here:
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11384&highlight=braid
I have been reading a knot book over the weekend and I think I have been calling the crown the wall and the wall the crown but together they are a crown and wall knot....
If this terminator knot is not large enough for your lanyard terminations it can be covered with a cowboy knot woven over it. This will make a nice ball termination.
So for a handle down woodlore type sheath, I would braid a 6-plait cord just long enough to place the sheath right where I wanted it to be, and then join the braid together in 8-plait braid (drop 4 strings into middle as core), thread thisthong through the carry hole in the sheath, then do a crown and wall. The knife would never be easily removable from this though, and it is on one point of suspension which would twist probably.
If you wanted removable I would braid a loop on the sheath, and then braid a neck thong with a large terminator ball on the end then force the ball through the loop on the sheath. Of course this is hard to get both loop and ball sized properly and securely.
There are probably tons of other ways to go about this too, but I would try hard to figure out a connection that prevented the sheath from moving or twisting...I hate that.
Short tutorial here:
http://forums.outdoors-magazine.com/viewtopic.php?t=1103
More extensive tutorial here:
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11384&highlight=braid
I have been reading a knot book over the weekend and I think I have been calling the crown the wall and the wall the crown but together they are a crown and wall knot....
If this terminator knot is not large enough for your lanyard terminations it can be covered with a cowboy knot woven over it. This will make a nice ball termination.
So for a handle down woodlore type sheath, I would braid a 6-plait cord just long enough to place the sheath right where I wanted it to be, and then join the braid together in 8-plait braid (drop 4 strings into middle as core), thread thisthong through the carry hole in the sheath, then do a crown and wall. The knife would never be easily removable from this though, and it is on one point of suspension which would twist probably.
If you wanted removable I would braid a loop on the sheath, and then braid a neck thong with a large terminator ball on the end then force the ball through the loop on the sheath. Of course this is hard to get both loop and ball sized properly and securely.
There are probably tons of other ways to go about this too, but I would try hard to figure out a connection that prevented the sheath from moving or twisting...I hate that.
Hmmm thanks Schwert, some good ideas there, I'll have to have a think...
I'm going to the CLA game fair next week so I'll see if I can pick up Dave Moorgan's book and maybe even some braiding leather. Otherwise I'll have to mail order them.
Cheers
Mark
I'm going to the CLA game fair next week so I'll see if I can pick up Dave Moorgan's book and maybe even some braiding leather. Otherwise I'll have to mail order them.
Cheers
Mark
I'm probably going to give in gracefully and order a hide in the imminent future, then cut my own lace - if you're interested.
The place to look out for rooskin at the game fair will be the falconry display. Pricey, however.
The place to look out for rooskin at the game fair will be the falconry display. Pricey, however.
Often used for jesses, sometimes for hoods. Strength of jesses is for some reason deemed important when your dealing with things up to the size of a golden eagle which wants to have a strop (different sort of strop) whilst perched on the end of your arm.
Last year up in Leeds several of the falconry stands were offering decidedly small pieces for decidedly large prices
Last year up in Leeds several of the falconry stands were offering decidedly small pieces for decidedly large prices
Just received some hand cut roo lace from david morgan in the states. It was fairly expensive but not if you consider that it will be the total cost of the finished projects.
Anyway the service was excellent it arrived in 7 days rather than the 3-4weeks they said it might take. The quality appears excellent so far, much better than the machine cut cow lace I had before. The feel of the finished braid is much nicer as well. I would recomend getting some of this to start braiding then move on to cutting your own lace. I haven't tried paring yet for fear of destroying the expensive lace but that is the next step.
I have used a turks head knot to finish braids and as a slip knot for a whistle lanyard I did. You can find the turks head in any normal rope knot book, I've got knots and splices by jeff toghill.
Hope you get some good results.
Bill
Anyway the service was excellent it arrived in 7 days rather than the 3-4weeks they said it might take. The quality appears excellent so far, much better than the machine cut cow lace I had before. The feel of the finished braid is much nicer as well. I would recomend getting some of this to start braiding then move on to cutting your own lace. I haven't tried paring yet for fear of destroying the expensive lace but that is the next step.
I have used a turks head knot to finish braids and as a slip knot for a whistle lanyard I did. You can find the turks head in any normal rope knot book, I've got knots and splices by jeff toghill.
Hope you get some good results.
Bill
