Wilson Tactical Monkey Fist

[Mikey P]

In arb work, we use 'ball bags'. They are small nylon pouches filled with lead shot. You larks-foot them to a throwing line and then you'd be amazed at how far you can throw them!

For chucking a rope over a branch when climbing, there is a very simple method (afraid I don't know the name) where you make a few small coils, then wrap the rope around the middle, tuck a bight through one of the 'eyes' at the ends of the coil, then throw it. Kind of like a very loose monkey's fist and it uncoils itself as it drops down.

 

[Peter_t]

In arb work, we use 'ball bags'. They are small nylon pouches filled with lead shot. You larks-foot them to a throwing line and then you'd be amazed at how far you can throw them!

i can throw them far but im lucky if i can get it through the crotch i want i gess i just need practice but im scared of using them at work for the fear of getting it stuck then wasting half an hour trying to free it again while the customer is thinking 'what is this joker upto?' lol

pete

 

[Mastino]

Tactically speaking a hand grenade would do the job

 

[Weesi]

Used this many times on ship to ship transfers. You don't want hit by it though lol

 

[Goatboy]

OK I'll come out and show my scary side,

Though I abhor Bad stuff, a monkey fist with a small weight in the middle is pretty good at "adding" weight to a discussion. Think of the sock scene in the film "Scum". It could be used as such though I, and I'm sure none here would ever condone such a thing. But it looks harmless on ones keyring, can be explained away as harmless "sailor" / "bushcraft" knot tying jolly to an officer of the law. Though yes the scandalous part is the price.
All I will say is that if one ever feels the need to take down a stud partition wall and you can't find a hammer, consider tying a monkeys fist around a stone with a small tail and the partition will give way like a Jericho wall to a chorus of trumpets.

GB

 

[swanseajack]

I can tie them. It takes a couple of goes to get it off-pat.
I never thought of them as a weapon though, surely some elastice and a lead ball would cause an assailent more concern ? or even your keys on the end of a square/sinnette knot as a flail would be more worrysome to a villain!

 

[Mikey P]

i can throw them far but im lucky if i can get it through the crotch i want i gess i just need practice but im scared of using them at work for the fear of getting it stuck then wasting half an hour trying to free it again while the customer is thinking 'what is this joker upto?' lol

pete

It's a black art. It always goes disastrously wrong when someone else is watching. Practice in a bit of woodland with an old bit of throwing line - if it gets stuck, either cut it or climb the tree!

 

[Draven]

Saw this and figured "Hmmm... pay £13? Or make one?"

Needless to say...

Not quite as tidy, the ball was about 3/5" or a touch less which wasn't really big enough to get it looking as round as it should... It was a steel ball from inside the older style computer mice, with the rubber removed.

For the record, this was the first time tying a monkey's fist, the first time I twisted paracord into twine and the first time I spliced a loop... The paracord cost £7.50 for 100ft and the ball was free.

Pete

 

[Silverclaws]

Bushcraft/pioneering/ whatever, is to me, about learning skills that might or might knot ever be used, but the pleasure is the knowledge and the practice of that knowledge, ropework is just another one of those skills. I abhor buying things that say they are special to this activity, I see it,and can see a useful use and I teach myself to make it, yet more skills under the belt.

 

[helixpteron]

No way would I pay for that, they are sooo easy to make, and yes, it is a very effective weapon, my father used to tell me, the bosun on his ship always carried one on board, and ashore. So that being that, and once living in a very nasty area, I made one out coir rope, in it's heart as a hard former sat a one inch steel ball bearing. Never used it as a weapon, but it was dropped out of my sleeve now and again to allow a gang of possible miscreants who were approaching and making threatening noises to see I was armed and with something they did'nt recognise. Failure to recognise a method of possible defence, or attack puts possible attackers at dis ease, they think again.

But, if I felt the need to throw a line, I would make a simple heaving line knot,based upon the hangman's noose, simply a heavy end, or why not just tie a rock on the end, as the monkey's fist takes time and a lot of cordage.

So you did make it, arm your self with it, and display it as a weapon!

Your post consists of you learning what an effective weapon it is, "so that being that, and once living in a very nasty area, I made one" which you repeatedly carried concealed up your sleeve, ready to deploy and display as a weapon, which you did "now and again".

Are you by any chance a fan of Gecko 45?

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

It's a throwing line, we made them with stainless steel balls in them, for setting up swings and arial runways whilst in scouts.

The Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry shoreman still use them at Rosyth docks.

Nick

 

[Weesi]

The Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry shoreman still use them at Rosyth docks.

Nick

They do indeed Nick!.. Spotted that too...
Which is where I used to throw them lol

Simon

 

[raggi]

Some classic classic posts under this topic. lmao

At the price of thin nylon guide line, these days, even on larger sailing vessels these kinds of "tools" are not used anymore. Instead, a wet sock, or similar, tied to the end of a guide line is more the ample for reaching the dock, after which that can be used to pull up the main docking line.

I really have no idea what I'd use this for on land, in that, if there are rocks around, I'd use those, and if there are sticks around I'd use those...

As a weapon, well, I'd rather use my, or fashion some, nunchaku. Less rope, more control, more speed, similar power. Of course, not so good for the classic english "windmilling in"!

 

[Weesi]

Could nylon attached to a heavy fueling line take the kind of weight we are talking about though?? Think you'd be saying goodbye to your digits if nylon went at any speed through your fingers...
Wet socks are not used in Dockyards for sending lines over generally... I think the dockmaster might have something to say to me if he caught me trying that one...

 

[Minotaur]

Used this many times on ship to ship transfers. You don't want hit by it though lol

They fell out of favour as lifelines because of that, apprently there was some accidents.

Found a new product for K-NYPH, me thinks. This one has the cord just coming out, I have always found, that like that they become misshaped. So you half a rope, make an eye splice, and then monkeys fist, would be much better than they are selling. Also be worth £12.

Buy three or four to make a bolas.

 

[iamasmith]

More useful or not I've always been told that putting any weight into a Monkey's Fist is inviting a lot of bad feeling from the bosun and pretty much guaranteeing that the knot will get cut off.

The practical issue with the Monkey's fist is that you often want it quicker than you want to tie it. I guess you could have these standby weighted versions but you might as well have a weight of some type. All well and good for the boat but in the woods you probably just have the line and won't want to carry any extra weight of any description (and probably don't want to risk having your billy can stuck in a tree )

If you need to weight a line quickly you could do worse than use a Franciscan Knot. I would always tie one of these if I had to get a rope out quick.

http://www.marinews.com/Fransciscan-Knot-757.php

 

[Hoodoo]

I make these things all the time. Learned it back in the 70s when I was in the Navy. Very handy!

Great for pulling my knife out of the the long side pocket on my Columbia chinos. Use cordage with reflector yarn in it and you can find your stuff in the dark.

I especially like my tactical bookmarks.

As for hitting someone up side the head, I prefer a 2x4 and carry one wherever I go.

 

[Silverclaws]

So you did make it, arm your self with it, and display it as a weapon!

Your post consists of you learning what an effective weapon it is, "so that being that, and once living in a very nasty area, I made one" which you repeatedly carried concealed up your sleeve, ready to deploy and display as a weapon, which you did "now and again".

Are you by any chance a fan of Gecko 45?

Put it this way, the ex used to stash an orange handled machete up her sleeve before I met her, same area, a foray out to the late night shop to get a packet of fags, you are stupid if you can't protect yourself. Me, I was naive, I was a country boy in a big city, I suffered three broken ribs and head injuries for believing the better of four adults high on coke. Reasoning, running away, my usual method, did not work in that case, I actually died according to the paramedics. Oh yes, ever notice how in bad areas, sink estates, the cops are never there, they in fact turned up the next day after being called by five seperate passer's by at the time of the assault, being repeadedly kicked in the head is not nice. Now, I am once again back in the countryside, safer that way, but it has given me an awareness of the dangers of people.

Who'se Gecko 45 ?

Ah but, back in the countryside, I have calmed a bit, but here is my Key chain ;

 

[Chinkapin]

Regardless of the area that you live in, one should always be cognizant of the fact that the police are essentially "crime historians." What I mean by this, is that in the normal way that police work occurs, first there is a crime, then the police show up AFTER the crime and document what has already happened. Then they may or may not look for the perpetrators.

This is not a criticism of the police. It is a fact regarding the nature crime and police work.

Bottom line -- if you can't protect yourself, you are not going to be protected.

If you doubt what I say, just watch your newspapers and see how often you can find an article where the police have foiled an attack on someone prior to the attack.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it is just exceedingly rare.

This is true the world over, not just in the U.K. or U.S. where I'm writing from.

 

[Minotaur]

Bottom line -- if you can't protect yourself, you are not going to be protected.

If you doubt what I say, just watch your newspapers and see how often you can find an article where the police have foiled an attack on someone prior to the attack.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it is just exceedingly rare.

This is true the world over, not just in the U.K. or U.S. where I'm writing from.

Two safest places in the US to live, have the best gun carry laws. The safest place to live in the UK is a car park in Derby!

I think that key chain might be pushing your luck. Looks like a manriki-gusaris to me, and they illegal in UK, I think.

The big problem is anything carried for defense, and you run the chance of time.

I never used those metal marbles, I use bouncy balls. Might lose the people from the US here, those solid rubber balls, that you can almost put into orbit.