Fancywork supplies: recommendations?

[Frayed Knot Arts]

Thanks so much for the great explanation and recommendations, Vince, and as for "growing long-winded", you have my permission to blow like a hurricane!!! lol That's just what I needed. I wish we lived closer, I'd love buy you a beer and just have a good ole' rope tying chat. Thanks again.

So happens you live not too far away from Don Burrhus of "The Turks Head Cook Book" fame.   Look  it up on line and get his email. He lives in Orange City.

[skyout]

Thanks for the heads up, Vince.
I had bookmarked his page the other day not even realizing he's less than an hour from my house. I've emailed him and hopefully he'll write back soon.

[Frayed Knot Arts]

CORRECTED POST  24-03-09                                                            CORRECTED POST  24-03-09                                                            CORRECTED POST  24-03-09                                                            CORRECTED POST  24-03-09                                                            CORRECTED POST  24-03-09         


TREVOR JUST EMAILED ME THAT HE IS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION OF THIS PRODUCT.   SORRY!


More line recommendations:

For fine work you will want to try the hard laid (appx #9 size) cotton line produced by Trevor Tutt of Texas.  EMAIL him for pricing as he has not yet updated his site and the pricing there is a little out of date.

Trevor produces 100' hanks of line by hand and the consistancy and finish is excellent.  It is a bit "pricey" but you get what you pay for, no question. For fine, tight work, this stuff cannot be beat.  He will supply it sized (stiffened) or un-sized, and in bleached cotton (a very lite ecru approaching eggshell white) or natural (more of a middle-cream or lite tan) colour.  Unsized is best if you intend to dye it.

His site is www.oldbelfast.net

...................................................

Now, I'd mentioned Don Burrhus in a previous post.  His site, www.knottool.com sells a contraption that you use to make up eccentric turksheads quickly and easily. It works well but isn't my cuppa tea, precisely.

What IS my cuppa tea are the threading needles he sells, the books he carries and the fact that if you need a custom tool for knotting work, talk to Don:  he's a total wizard at making things and will have you fixed up in jig time.  (Talk to him about Delrin spikes and such for knotting on a long air trip!)  Click on CUSTOM WORK in his navigational bars.

[skyout]

Thanks, Vince. I've been emailing back and forth w/Don (fyi he spoke highly of you!). He's given me a few links already and they even have a "local knot tyers gathering?  (very informal, just getting together and tying knots?)" How cool is that???

These are the links he recommended to me.
You might want to check out www.khww.net as there are some great knotters there.
Also, you will need to join the following to stay informed:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/knottyers/
and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Marlinspikeknotworks/
Both are excellent.  Lost of great people, many of them are well known knot tyers.
-Don Burrhus

If there was ever a need for a "newbie" sticky, I think this thread should be at the top of that list. I hope it doesn't stop but I've got to tell you, I feel like you did when you read the "Bell Ringing Knot?" thread when you said, "I now have more stuff to clutter what's left of my mind!" There is so, so much material here. I feel overwhelmed but at the same time excited. I just need to make up my mind and start tying something. lol

I really want to do a knot board. Do you have any recommendations for mats? And which size of line and do cotton or nylon mats look better? How are they attached to the board? I was going to try spray on glue (I ruined a white nylon double star knot with super glue, it turned hard as a rock and brown) but then I thought of using a dark green or blue felt backing, so would I have to use tiny nails and try to hide them in the strands? Sorry, guess I'm getting away from the purpose of the thread which you have been great with your outstanding recommendations so far.

[skyout]

Why are there so many different measurements, i.e.; inches, mm, ply or ga? I know how to convert inches to metric, but I have no idea about "ply" or "ga".  Does #18 = 18ga and how does that fit in with inches or metric?

Sorry, I know this is probably elementary to you guys.

The link below has a lot of info on cord sizes.
http://www.khww.net/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=791&pid=7612#post_7612

[mysticknotwork]

If anyone can give me a tip on a supplier of 2 mm satin "rattail" cord, I would be sooooo grateful! They must be reliable and have reasonable prices, of course! 

Lasse C

I have used Fabric Barn as my source for rattail.  Try this site.  http://fabricbarn.com/catalog/?_s=5 . They used to have a $100 minimum and the put ups are 200yard...This is a fabric store wholesaler that I did business with for 5 years in that trade.

Matt Beaudoin

[squarerigger]

Matt,

I notice that your handle is Mysticknotwork and that your name matches that of one of the leading knot-tyers of late, Alton C. Beaudoin - are you related?  Good to see your name up here, related or not.  Thanks for the tip on rattail supplies!

SR

[oldpete]

If interested i buy 2mm chinese silk cords in 10mtr lengths from 'changbaolou' on ebay. nice stuff and very cheap.

[mysticknotwork]

Matt,

I notice that your handle is Mysticknotwork and that your name matches that of one of the leading knot-tyers of late, Alton C. Beaudoin - are you related?  Good to see your name up here, related or not.  Thanks for the tip on rattail supplies!

SR

Alton was my grandfather. 

Both of his sons and all of his grandchildren have some maritime/rope working knowledge.  My sister is a graphic designer for a large boat supply retailer, my brother does some weaving and TH''s, by cousins both know how to tie TH and can hold their own with a lot of other knots.  My dad is an expert in splicing and knows as many knots as I do.  My uncle really took it to the next level by working VERY small.  He makes wedding bands, crownknot earrings, and cerrick bend pendants.  Now, the cool part is that he uses them as positives to do gold and silver castings.  The metal work that results is so detailed that you can still see the stray strands in the original cordage.

Personally, I burn through about 500# of cotton per year and about a mile of manila rope.. but I don't get to do much of the really cool stuff like Vince does

[Frayed Knot Arts]

Yep.  We got royalty aboard!   When I met Matt at the Wooden Bot Show, he was wearing a half-hitch belt that just made me drool in envy.

Welcome aboard!

[skyout]

Matt, many thanks for the tip on the glue from the other thread.
I was just looking thru the different links and was wondering if your Uncle Jim has a web site for his jewelry? I'd love to see his TH webbing bands as well as the rest of his work.

[mysticknotwork]

Matt, many thanks for the tip on the glue from the other thread.
I was just looking thru the different links and was wondering if your Uncle Jim has a web site for his jewelry? I'd love to see his TH webbing bands as well as the rest of his work.

He and I were just talking about that yesterday at a family picnic.  Hopefully, as I get a clue on building my own, we can build on his as well.  His work is unbelievable reproduction in sillver and gold and deserves the drools it gets, and hopefully it develops a market niche.  We just haven't made the right connections for him yet.  I am excited though, because he's going to show me his tricks this winter...

So, short answer, no he doesn't, but hopefully soon.

[skyout]

Hi Matt,

Just tried to send you a PM and I think it got lost in hyperspace?

I have a cousin that lives in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands that owns 2 jewelry stores there and many more all over the world. Once you and your Uncle get ready, if you would like, I would be happy to see if there is any way I could get you guys in contact with each other. No promises, but it may help.

If you ever get a chance to take a pic, I'd love to see them.

[skyout]

I heartily recommend a reading (or purchase!) of Raoul Graumont and John Hensel's "Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Ropework" (Cornell Maritime 1944) if for nothing else than their section and photos of square-knot work, most of the photos for which were originally taken for use in Herwig's "Square-Knotting Books", #1, #2 and #3.   If you have the Encyclopedia, there no need of the Herwig pamphlets as it is all contained in the Encyclopedia.  (incidentally,  get a post-1952 edition of this if possible... the earlier ones have sections of the index missing!)

Vince

WhooHoo! I just won a $25 Barns and Noble gift certificate at a raffle from work and will soon be the proud owner of the "Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Ropework". $21.89 including shipping and it was published in '65 if I remember correctly. Thanks for the hint to go after '52, Vince.

[Frayed Knot Arts]

When you get it, first check the "index" for missing pages!   Quite a few of the post '52 editions STILL have this problem.

Someone a while back put out a PDF version of ABOK.... wish someone would do it with this one as well!