Handle wrap experiments

Or more messing about with Paracord.

Adding a comfortable grip to wooden handles.

The pink is a common whipping (ABOK 3442).

The yellow is a French whipping (ABOK 3450).

Both of these are much better whipping knots than tool handles. With the common whipping, the wrap isn’t round because the cords under the wrap make it oblong.

The half hitches in the French whipping make it uncomfortable to hold, in my opinion. If the whipping was tied on a line, the half hitches would lay better in the hollows between the yarns. Some folks like that ridge, but it never seems to fit my hand. It does look nice though.

West County Whipping.

The West County Whipping (ABOK 3548) makes a nicer handle (again, in my opinion) because it is symmetrical. The half knots on each side mean it isn’t round, but it is symmetrical.

Now here’s where I went a bit off the rails. Since the West County Whipping ends with a square knot, why not begin with a square knot and add some visual interest?

Terrible colors, but they make the pattern easily visible

The West County Whipping is just a half a square knot on each side (left over right, flip 180 degrees, repeat)), so even if you struggle with the square knot, you should be able to handle this one.

8 Strand Herringbone Braid exploration.

I like the 8 strand herringbone braid because it’s unique in appearance, easy to produce, and easy to customize.

First off, it has a square cross section. Most things made from cordage are either flat like the Solomon Bar (cobra stitch) or round like the snake knot.

Four flat sides

Secondly, because you are working with 8 strands, there are a lot of ways to play with your colors.

Continue reading “8 Strand Herringbone Braid exploration.”

Hatband for the straw hat

Sorry, this one happened too quickly for pictures. Seriously, once I started tying it just flew between my fingers.

The construction of the snake knot has the cords reversed on the inside. (Red is wrapped around black.) This means that the colors of the True Lovers Knot in the center are opposite the snake knot for a bit of visual contrast.
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Be prepared

As an Eagle Scout, I still try to prepare for any contingency. One of the common roadside emergencies is a flat tire.

For the past 35 years of driving, I’ve carried a traditional four way tire wrench to remove & install tires – but the Ridgeline doesn’t have a good place to store it!🤬

The good folks at The Ridgeline Owners Club have given me some sound advice.

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Picking Nits on the Ridgeline

I’ve had the Honda for just over a week now, and the development in automobiles from 2001 to 2024 is astounding. When Fessick rolled off the assembly line, neither mobile phones nor USB were widespread technologies, streaming audio wasn’t even an option, and high end cars had CD changers. Now with wireless CarPlay, my phone and all its associated connectivity is integrated into the car, I’ve got USB-A and -C ports, but the CD player has found the end of it’s road.

When I sit down, press a button to start the engine without unclipping my keys from my belt, the audio I was streaming to my phone routes to the car speakers, and directions to my doctor’s appointment show up on the dashboard, I feel like I’ve stepped into the future. (Also, I know that these features aren’t really high end these days. I’m driving a Honda, not a Rolls.)

That being said, I’ve found a few flaws that really bug me.

Continue reading “Picking Nits on the Ridgeline”

A New Car!

Can you hear Bob Barker in your head, or is that just me?

Shiny!

Well, the new truck has been added to the family. As much as I love Fessick, the needed repairs were getting to the point where they didn’t make sense. After several months of shopping I purchased a 2024 Honda Ridgeline RTL in Sonic Gray.

Continue reading “A New Car!”