In this tutorial we will take a look at how to attach paracord to a buckle in a clean way.

Specifically, we are going to attach a buckle using 4 cow hitches, but still keep a single core that can be used for making bracelets. I have shown how to make setup for a double core paracord bracelet in the previous tutorial, while this one focuses on making a single core. I have written on this subject before, but I have found this way to work very well, hence the tutorial.

Because this way of attaching a buckle uses four cow hitches, two for one and two for the other side, this way of attaching a buckle is appropriate when you have a large enough buckle. Basically, if your buckle is too large for a lark’s head knot beginning (the most common way), you can use this technique.

The tutorial

In the images below you can find all the steps needed to attack cord to a buckle. I have divided the tutorial into 4 parts, one segment per each cow hitch. If you are familiar with these, this will be a fast tutorial, if not, it is not hard at all. There is also video available for this technique.

I will be using a jig to hold the buckles in place, but this technique works without one just as well.

Cow hitch number one

The first hitch is made to the top part of the buckle, to the left. We start this hitch using one of the ends of a cord. Since this cord end will only be used to make a single cow hitch, the other will be used to make the remaining three. Plan the length accordingly for your actual project.

The first hitch is done to the bottom left, from the middle towards the left side.

Cow hitch number two

The second hitch is done to the bottom left, going from the middle towards the left.

The trick

What makes this setup work is to now slide the working cord under the core strand to the right. We then start another cow hitch on that side.

Cow hitch number three

The third hitch is made to the bottom buckle to the right of the second. It is made from the right side towards the middle.

Cow hitch number four

The last hitch is made on the top part of the buckle, from the middle to the right.

And video:

The post Attaching a buckle- single core bracelets appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we are going to learn a new way of decorating rings.

We have in the past taken a look at a few ways of ringbolt hitching, such as the half hitched and the cow hitched methods of decorating rings. That does not mean that we have even glanced at the options we have available. One, a bit more of an advanced style is the one demonstrated below. I would still consider it to be fairly easy, just not as the methods mentioned above.

Back side of the hitching looks different than the front.

I must say that I enjoy using this technique, I love the way it looks.

I have learned the technique from El Rincón del Soguero, a wonderful channel dedicated to rawhide and leather braiding.

Naturally, some adaptations have been made to make this technique work with paracord. I have gutted my cord (removed the inner strands). Some even iron the cord to make it even flatter, although I think it works absolutely fine just gutted.

You can also use a lacing needle to make your work a bit easier (I have a tutorial on making these).

Finally, you are going to need an object to decorate. This can be a steel ring (found in a hardware store) or a belt buckle.

Let’s see how this style is made!

Ringbolt hitching tutorial

Below you can find a photo tutorial on this style of hitching. A video tutorial is also available.

To start off, gut your cord and a attach a lacing needle if you are using one.

A steel ring I am using for this project.

Preparation

Take your cord and place it over the ring.

The working end passes through the ring to the front.

Then over.

And behind the standing end.

We are now ready to start hitching.

Hitching around the ring

Place your working end behind the ring.

Through the front.

Over the front.

Under the top of the standing end.

Once you pull it through, place the working end to the back of the ring.

Then repeat the steps like before. Go through the ring with your working cord.

Under the top of the standing end.

And behind the ring.

Finishing

Once you hitch almost to the end, it is time to finish.

Feed your cord through the top of the very first hitch.

Through the ring.

And under, on the right side of the first hitch.

Done!

In conclusion

I hope I have described it in enough detail. If you would like a video to help you, I have made one:

See you in the next tutorial!

The post Ringbolt hitching- a bit more advanced appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I will show you how you a modified technique of grafting that you can use to make a paracord handle wrap, as well as various other wraps.

Grafting is quite a time consuming task when done the classic way. It produces a nice looking wrap for sure, but it takes time.

This is why I use a simplified technique, which I demonstrate below. The technique is very much the same that is used in leather braiding to create split leather handle coverings. The process of making those is described in Bruce Grant’s book, the Encyclopedia of rawhide and leather braiding.

I can imagine this technique coming in handy when creating handles for whips, for knives and even for wrapping bottles.

The technique used on a handle of a flogger.

Let’s see how this wrap is made.

Supplies

As far as supplies go, you really do not need much:

The tutorial

We start by cutting an odd number (5,7,9 etc.) of strands that we will secure onto the object we are wrapping. These are lined up one next to the other until they cover the entire circumference of the object. We place them vertically and secure the top and bottom using rubber bands or with a knot, I recommend the constrictor knot. See the image below.

The cords lined up and secured.

We now introduce a longer working cord (with a lacing needle attached if you have one). This one is secured at the top, I use the constrictor knot for this purpose.

We now start an under-over sequence around and around.

The sequence is always under-over.

A spiral will begin to form. Note that because we are using an odd number of cords, that our previous pass over the same cord went under, in the next we go over and so on.

Once you reach the bottom, a loose grafting is ready to be tightened up.

The trick here is to push up the working cord (pink in my case). We do this by pulling on the vertical cords, which in turn push up the working cord.

When you are happy with the look of you grafting, you may stop tightening. The more you push the working cord up, the tighter and more even it will look.

In conclusion

Thank you for joining me in this tutorial, I hope you will use it to create beautiful items you can be proud of!

A video on making this style of wrapping is also available here:

The post Grafting the easy way appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this article I show off my latest flogger.

You may remember my paracord flogger tutorial from a while back. It was great fun making it and I learned a lot from it. I also received some wonderful feedback. Because of this I decided to post my latest flogger and talk about some differences from the previous version. I hope this will help you make better floggers/whips yourself.

For those wondering what the technique used for the handle, I used the grafting technique, demonstrated in a tutorial yesterday.

The differences

So, what have I done differently this time around?

A thicker handle.

Herringbone knot at the bottom end.

Falls of the flogger.

Looking forward

I have learned from making this flogger as well. The two major differences I will be implementing with my future floggers are:

So, what do you think?

What are you thoughts on this new version of the flogger? Is there something you would add to make it even better?

You can also see the flogger in the video below:

The post Paracord flogger, version 2 appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we take a look at the Mad Max style of paracord bracelet.

This style of bracelet was popularized by the latest Max Max movie. It is quite interesting in the way it is made adjustable and how it closes. In essence it i a common cobra knot bracelet, but the closing mechanism is quite efficient and I have for that reason decided to make a tutorial on the bracelet. All in all, it looks good, is adjustable and stores a decent amount of cordage. A solid bracelet.

So, let’s get started!

Supplies

The only things you will need for this bracelet are:

Mad Max paracord bracelet tutorial

The bracelet is made by taking a single, long piece of paracord. This cord is folded in half. We move up about 2 feet and start weaving cobra knots, downwards.

Once sufficient length is achieved, we cut and melt the working ends. We then cut the bottom, where our cord was folded.

These two cords that are gained by cutting the cord are now fed through the top of the bracelet.

The ends can then be finished using overhand knots, or in my case, the lanyard knot.

And the video tutorial:

The post Mad Max paracord bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

Let’s take a look at the Hansen knot!

The knot, named after Frank Hansen, has been presented in quite a few books, including Tom Hall’s introduction to turk’s head knots. It is a simple knot to tie that gives a doubled turk’s head a 3 pass gaucho knot look. The major benefit of this knot is that it can be tied on a variety of different turk’s head knots. It is quite a simple technique, once you are able to reproduce it.

It can be tied in one or two colors.

A few images of a 2 tone Hansen knot:

And in single color:

How to tie the Hansen knot?

The knot is tied by doubling a turk’s head knot, then splitting the pairs. Although that is indeed how it is made, when it comes to actually tying it, that brief description of the tying process will fall short.

I have prepared a video that you can use to tie a Hansen knot. Note that in the video I use a 2 bight turk’s head. This does not mean you can not use any other turk’s head. Just double it up and apply the same principle to “Hansen” it up.

The video tutorial:

The post Hansen knot appeared first on Paracord guild.

Let’s see how to weave this beautiful, 3D wrap!

The triaxial weave, also known as the Qbert weave or the building blocks pattern is popular in mesh work. Lately it has become very popular in the paracord crafts as well due to the work of Paul Luzny, who showed a wrap made using the technique. Before, the weave was mostly used for flat weaves, but being able to use it as a wrap is a powerful tool for the braider.

The weave is a bit more advanced, so be sure to load up on patience and you will have a nice looking weave in no time.

With that said, I have made a video and photo tutorials, both are available below. So, let’s get to some weaving!

Supplies

You will need the following:

The tutorial

The first thing you need to do is to determine the number of cords you will need for the wrap. Since there are three colors you will need three sets of cords. Two sets will be used to cover the circumference of the object you are wrapping. These cords alternate around the circumference as seen in the image below. There should be an even number of these cords (4,6,8,10 etc.). In my example I used 4 cords of red color and 4 cords of orange color. This was enough to cover a 3/8 inch dowel rod comfortably.

The other set of cords you will need are the ones for the third color (this color runs vertically in the weave and it is the third and last one to be introduced into the weave). You will need double the amount of these cords comparing to the previous colors. So if I used 4 cords per color before, I will use 8 cords of the third color.

Before I start I make sure my cords are as flat as I can get them. To prevent twists I will flatten my cord by wetting it and pulling it through nose pliers. Some prefer to simply iron them out. This is an optional step though.

To start we will cover the circumference of the object we are wrapping, alternating our two colors around the object. Working this weave a bit loose will help you make it faster.

The cords are secured around the object. I use an inner strand of paracord to create a powerful wrap.

We then select one color, in my case red.

Then take all the cords and wrap them around and around the object.

Then secure the bottom.

I secure the bottom using a wrap as well.

We now switch to the other color.

Using a lacing needle on the cord you are working with is almost a must.

We continue by weaving our first cord in an under one-over two sequence (U1-O2).

We start under the cord to it’s right.

The cord will spiral around and around to the bottom.

One cord done.

The second cord now repeats the same under one-over two sequence (U1-O2).

We again start under the cord to the right of our working cord.

Repeat the process until all cords are woven in.

We now introduce our vertical cords of the third color. Note that the section we go under looks like a reverse “Z”, “S” or lightning bolt.

We then continue by going over a section that has two parallel cords going over one cord.

The first cord is woven through, alternating between over and under sections. In these sections we either go over three cords or under three.

Another look at the pattern of the first cord.

The next vertical cord is introduced much in the same way, we just switch the sequence around. Where we went under before, we go over now and vice versa.

The third cord for example will again switch back to the pattern of the first cord.

In conclusion & video

Naturally, patience is required for making this weave. Be sure to take a close look at the weave and pay special attention to which cords you go over and under.

To make your life a bit easier I have also made a video tutorial:

Enjoy this beautiful weave, see ya next time!

The post Triaxial weave aka. Qbert weave appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I demonstrate another paracord handle wrap. I have posted quite a few handle wraps so far (found mostly in the paracord projects section). One I really like is a modified grafting technique. I have posted on grafting before (the tutorial can be found here), but there really is so much more to explore, I had to make at least one more article on grafting. You can make various color combinations, as well as sequences with it and really experiment.

A quick look at the wrap

Two more images of the grafting:

As far as sequences go, this grafting style is done with odd number of gutted cords (inner strands removed). Just like in grafting, a working cord is woven through the cords, around and around the core. The sequence though is under two-over two this time (U2-O2). This gives the wrap a distinct spiral look, which really stands out. To make this wrap look good, you need to tighten it properly. This is done by pushing up the working cord.

The way this style of wrap is made is demonstrated in the video below. Pay special attention to tightening!

The post Paracord wrap using modified grafting appeared first on Paracord guild.

Let’s take a look at this handy knot!

Most of us have already conquered the lanyard knot, which is the knot we mostly use for our “ball and loop” style bracelets.

The toggle knot serves a similar function, but it is in a different category. You would mostly use it to show off your knotting skills and to make an attractive toggle for your bracelets.

It is harder to tie than the before mentioned lanyard knot, but still, it can be a nice way to spice up your bracelets. It is also much much less used than the lanyard knot.

Personally, I am proud to be able to tie this knot, I think it looks amazing!

The knot is featured in the Ashley’s book of knots under number 615 and it is a turk’s head. An 8 lead 3 bight turk’s head to be exact. This is important to us mostly because, knowing this, we can apply the rules that we have learned from tying other TH knots. At this point I would like to credit Melvin Thomas for the runlist he provided for this knot. I did deviate a bit from it, but not by much.

In any case though, I think that with persistence and patience you will be able to learn this knot without much trouble. I have prepared a photo, as well as video tutorial below.

A few more images of the knot:

With that said, enjoy and let’s get this toggle onto our bracelets!

What you will need

I would recommend gathering the following items to tie the knot:

The ABoK 615 tutorial

I have been tying the knot on a mandrel without pins. I find this to be better practice. The more you tie turk’s head knots, the more you see the patterns. If you would prefer to use pins though, you can use the tutorial Dman made (his tutorials are VERY good).

So, to start off I have used a rubber band to secure my standing end. For making a toggle for your bracelets, you will want to leave a small length of cord in your standing end, maybe half a foot or a bit less.

The mandrel prepared for tying the knot.

With the preparations done, follow the steps below:

Do two turns around the mandrel.

Go back, over one.

Then under one.

Make a turn around the mandrel. (Note that we do not cross over like shown in the image)

Go under the first cord.

And over the second.

We then form a new bight.

Going over two.

Under two.

Over one (the standing end).

We then form a new bight to the left and go under two.

Then over two.

And under one.

The final pass now is over, then under.

And again over, then under.

With this done, we have completed our work with the standing end.

We now switch to the standing end.

We attach the lacing needle.

We now need to get the standing end to the middle, just like the working end is.

We go over, then under the bight to the bottom of the standing end.

This is how it looks like now.

We do another over and under, at which point we have tied our ABoK 615.

Knot completed.

What now?

So, we have tied the knot. We now need to tighten it up.

I usually tie the knot on a smaller mandrel, about 3/8 of an inch thick dowel rod. It is MUCH easier to tighten.

The knot on a dowel rod.

I like to insert the a small piece of a toothpick to stiffen up the knot before tightening.

Dman, a fellow paracorder suggests using hot water to stiffen up the knot when tightened.

Making a toggle

We have tied the knot, but how can you transform it into a toggle for your bracelets?

I usually do this:

Take your knot (as tied).

Take your standing end.

Feed it through the right side of the knot.

Take your working end. Feed the end through the middle of the knot.

Pull it through completely.

Feed it through the left part of the knot.

The end result, with a core for your knots, a toggle and neatly tucked ends.

In conclusion

This is not something that is usually done on the first go. Keep at it and you will get it down.

I have made a video tutorial as well, that should prove quite useful:

The post The toggle knot- ABoK 615 appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this brief article I will present two methods I use to flatten paracord.

As you might have noticed, I quite often use flat, gutted paracord, especially for tying turk’s head knots and plaiting over objects.

Just gutting paracord and using it that way worked for me, but I often got frustrated because of the various twists which do not result in a nice looking knot. A lot of time was then used to adjust and unravel the cords in the knot.

I have since introduced an important step in tying and plaiting: straightening out (flattening) paracord. With this step done properly, you can save a lot of time and frustration. So, how do I do it?

The techniques

I have two techniques that I like using, depending on the situation.

Besides these techniques, I have heard of a few using hair straighteners. Greg Angjise commented on one of my videos that he soaks the cord in cold water. Then, using the straightener, he goes over the cord slowly, which evaporates the water and produces a very good, flat cord. Thank you Greg for the tip!

A quick video flattening cord is also available below:

The post Flattening out paracord appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie the headhunter’s knot.

The headhunter’s knot is one of those knots that I instantly liked. The stairstep pattern in the middle and a nice turk’s head look make the knot look exotic. The knot is fairly uncommon for some reason, but it is not hard to tie. I really enjoyed tying this knot and I thought I’d share.

The knot is featured in a few books, Bruce Grant’s Encyclopedia of rawhide and leather braiding and Ron Edward’s Round knots and braids come to mind.

In this tutorial we will be tying a 7 lead, 6 bight version of the knot.

A quick story

Bruce Grant mentions how the tribal chieftain who passed the knowledge of the knot ensured that anyone passing the knot on would invoke a terrible curse from the tribe. Bruce Grant mentioned that he worked out the knot for himself though. I have also not learned this knot from a chieftain, so this primitive copyright is invalid (I hope :)).

Supplies/items needed

I recommend the following items for tying the knot:

The tutorial

We will start by attaching the lacing needle to our paracord and attaching the cord to the mandrel using a rubber band (see the setup below).

Note how we increase the overs and unders when forming the knot. Once you have seen the pattern, the knot can be tied without a runlist.

We now make a bight at the top by turning the cord from top to bottom.

We wrap the cord around the mandrel and pass over the working end (O1)

Continue by passing under the standing end (U1). This will create a bight at the bottom.

We wrap around again and cross over two cords (O2)

Then under two (U2)

We now go under one and over two (U1-O2)

Then over one and under two (O1-U2)

Continue under two and over two (U2-O2)

Then over two and under two (O2-U2)

We now go down, over one then under two and again over two (O1-U2-O2)

We continue up, under one then over two and under two (U1-O2-U2)

Finally, in the last pass we go over two, then under two and over two (O2-U2-O2)

With this the knot is tied and the working end is tucked next (or on top) of the standing end, in this case I go under two.

As you can see, the knot was not hard to tie at all. Now all there is left to do it to tighten it and enjoy this beautiful knot! I hope this tutorial got you a great looking result!

Be sure to also see the video tutorial:

The post Headhunter’s knot appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this quick article I offer a tip that can make your turk’s head knots look even better.

Those that are familiar with whip making may recognize the technique of using a leather collar under your fancy knots. It makes the knot more oval/square shaped. If you did not use such a collar, the knot would lay flat. So a collar in this sense is something that you put under a knot to make it look more bulky.

Although this may not seem like a big difference to many, it is quite a big one! So first, let’s see the difference in image form:

A flat turk’s head, no collar was used.

The same knot with a leather collar underneath.

Two knots using leather collars underneath.

So, what is a collar?

Traditionally, a leather strap was wrapped onto the object we are dressing up with a turk’s head. It is important not to make your collar too big or the knot will not fit well onto it.

It can then be secured using glue, a couple of stitches or simply tied on using an inner strand of paracord. The knot is then transferred onto the collar and tightened neatly.

A leather strap you can use to wrap around, cut from a leather belt I was not using.

A collar can be attached using an inner strand of cord. Stitching or glue can also work.

Where to find leather?

Although you can buy scrap leather, this is usually not needed. You can easily find used belts cheaply or you may even have some leather belts laying around which you can finally find use for :).

Naturally you can use a variety of other materials as well, but I stuck with leather for now, since I do have quite a few belts I do not use.

Making beads?

I think using a collar (leather or maybe a piece of a metal tube) can also be used to make fine looking paracord beads. Finding nice looking beads is sometimes hard and expensive, why not make your own? A few experimental beads can be seen below!

The knot I used on these beads is the 3 pass headhunter’s knot.

If you would like to see more on this technique, there is also a video version available:

The post Using collars on your turk’s head knots appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we take a look at this exotic decorative knot.

The headhunter’s knot is probably one of my favorites. I have shown the 2 pass headhunter’s knot in an earlier tutorial, this time I am going to demonstrate a 3 pass version. It is tied in much the same way and you will quickly find similarities between the two.

The 3 pass HH knot, tightened around a marble.

Top view of the knot:

The tutorial

For tying this knot you will need a mandrel (in my case a piece of a broom handle) and some gutted paracord (I will usually flatten it). A lacing needle is recommended (you can easily make your own).  I also use a rubber band to hold the standing end in place. With these few items at hand, let’s begin!

The basic setup.

Wrap around once, over the standing end (O1).

Then go up, under one (U1).

Go down, over two (O2).

And up, under two (U2).

Down again, over three (O3).

And up, under three (U3).

Down, under one, over three (U1-O3).

Up, over one, under three (O1-U3).

Down, under two, over three (U2-O3).

Up, over two, under three (O2-U3).

Down, under three, over three (U3-O3).

Up, over three, under three (O3-U3).

Down, over one, under three, over three (O1-U3-O3).

Up, under one, over three, under three (U1-O3-U3).

Down, over two, under three, over three (O2-U3-O3).

Up, under two, over three, under three (U2-O3-U3).

Down, over three, under three, over three (O3-U3-O3).

Tuck in under three to finish.

If you prefer video tutorials, see the video below:

The post 3 pass headhunter’s knot appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie the barber’s pole knot.

The barber’s pole knot is named such because of the pattern that spirals around it’s length. It almost looks like a candy cane when done in appropriate colors.

In this tutorial I demonstrate the 6 bight version, which is one of the most practical. In the next tutorial I will also feature a 4 bight version which is smaller and quicker to do.

The barber’s pole is not an an interwoven casa turk’s head knot as you might expect. Traditionally it has been made with the method I will demonstrate below. It can be done as an interweave as well, but it does not have an over-under sequence.

In any case, the knot is actually extremely easy tie, considering how nice it looks.

Supplies

To tie the knot I have used the supplies listed below.

Tying the knot- tutorial

The next step is to tie the knot. This is done by first securing the standing end of the cord onto the mandrel, then attaching the lacing needle to the cord.

We will start by making the setup which we will then interweave with the second color. Do note that the setup for this knot is not a very stable one, so do not let that throw you off! Only when the second cord is woven in will the knot begin to look and feel more solid.

It is very important that you keep in the lanes when tying the knot, as you will see in the images below.

The starting position.

Begin by wrapping the cord around the mandrel.

Turn the working cord down and go over all the cords (in this case you will go over two).

This means you will cross the standing end.

Turn up and go under all the cords (two in this case).

Exit the top.

Turn back down and again go over all the cords.

You will again cross the standing end at the bottom.

Turn back up and under all the cords.

At the top turn back down, go over all the cords.

Reach the bottom.

Tuck in the working end next to the standing end.

With this we have set up the knot for the interweave. For the next color an opposite sequence will be used. When going up, we will go over all the green cords, when going down we will go under all the green cords.

The second cord is now introduced to the left of the standing end of the first cord.

The cord follows to the right of the standing end to the top of the knot. We go over all the green cords- we will always go over all the cords of the first color when going up.

At the top we turn back down and go under all the green cords until we reach the bottom. We cross over all the blue cords.

At the bottom we turn back up.

Going up we again cross over all the green cords and go under all the blue.

And down again, using the same rule when going down- under all the green.

We do this until we have created an over-under sequence (you will be able to tell when the knot is done by the look). The end is then tucked next to the standing end of the second color.

A video of the entire tying process is available here:

The post Barber’s pole knot appeared first on Paracord guild.

This time we take a look at a simple paracord bracelet design.

The hangman’s noose paracord bracelet is an adjustable bracelet that is quite easy to make. Still, you need to come up with it and I had the chance to see one that was made by Arty Transit, a fellow paracord enthusiast that posts some really cool and inspiring projects.

I instantly liked the bracelet for two reasons:

Not only it is a neat bracelet, it can be used to hold your hair in a pinch. While that may not seem to be a big issue for many, it is frickin annoying to have your hair obstruct your vision half of the time! Hair straps exist for a reason and this bracelet can do the job if needed.

Fiancée in her natural habitat. Note the hair strap/bracelet.

Supplies needed

You really do not need much to make this bracelet:

A quick tutorial

If you play around with this design you can figure it out yourself. Still, a tutorial to make things faster:

Attach a lacing needle to one end of the cord (optional)

Make a loop

Wrap the end with the lacing needle around itself and the other end

Make a few wraps, as many as you would like

Take a lacing needle and go under all the cords

Pull the cord through

Finish your end using a decorative knot. I used a simple overhand knot here. Finally cut and melt the ends.

 A video on tying the bracelet is also available:

The post Hangman’s noose bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie the Serpent river bar paracord bracelet.

This exotic looking bracelet was designed by Gian Oneil and I have been wanting to try it for a while now. It is definitely not a bracelet that gets lost in the many bracelet designs out there. It has a non traditional shape which indeed resembles both a serpent and a river, hence the name.

The bracelet is reversible and I think it is quite had to decide which side looks better:

Front side.

Back side.

So, let’s tie one!

Supplies needed

I recommend the following items for making the bracelet:

As far as the length of the cords you will need, there are two colors used, the primary and secondary (purple is the primary color in my case). In a 6 inch weave (this does not include the length of the buckle), I used a bit more than 2 feet of purple and under 3 feet of the tan color. You should also take into account the cord used for the core naturally, in my case it was a foot for the core.

The tutorial

The Serpent river bar bracelet is started by joining two colors of paracord. I use the “Manny method” which is in my opinion the most reliable way to join paracord together.

The next step is to setup the bracelet (I used a bracelet jig, but it is not a must at all). I set up the bracelet in much the same way you would setup most two color paracord bracelets.

The bottom is setup using a lark’s head knot.

The top is secured as well. Note I hid the joined end inside the core of the bracelet.

Now let’s weave this bracelet!

Place the secondary color (tan) over the core and the other cord (purple) over it. This creates a loop to the right side.

Go under and through the middle. Tighten.

Place the secondary color over the core again, making a loop to the right side.

Place the other cord over these two cords in the middle, then under and through the loop on the right. Then tighten.

Like in making the first section, the secondary color/cord is now passed over the core.

The other color is then placed over it. Note that the loop faces the left side this time.

We now pass under and through the middle. Tighten.

The secondary cord now forms a loop again, like in step 2, but this time facing the left.

The other cord goes over the middle cords, under and through the loop to the right.

We now start the same sequence we used in step 1, meaning we are forming a section on the left side again.

We place the secondary color over the core, the other cord over it.

And continue the same way you did in the first step.

Try tying the bracelet a few times and you will notice the tying pattern easily.

When you reach the other end, snip off and melt the ends.

Enjoy your bracelet!

The video tutorial is available here:

The post Serpent river bar paracord bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

The double stairstep stitched paracord bracelet sure is a beauty!

I have already demonstrated the single stairstep stitched bracelet. The double stitch is made in a fairly similar way, with two lines of stitches. The result, as seen below is a beautiful, chain like pattern that I really enjoy. Although I demonstrate it here on a cobra knot bracelet, you could easily use this lacing style on a belt or any other item you would like to decorate.

Supplies

You will need these few supplies:

The technique- short tutorial

The first thing you will need is a regular cobra knot bracelet. A lacing needle is attached to the lacing cord and we can now begin our lacing.

Cobra knot bracelet before the lacing.

Our lacing cord is placed behind the bracelet. Half the length is to the left, half to the right.

We first stitch on one side, in my case the right. The sequence is over three sections and up under one. We exit to the side of the bracelet.

Repeat until you reach the end. The sequence is always over three, up under one.

The other side is then stitched, over three, under one. We always exit the cord to the side.

Repeat on both sides until you reach the end.

To finish, the ends are tucked under at least four sections on the bottom of the bracelet.

Not hard at all for such a nice looking bracelet, huh?

I made a video as well if you prefer those:

The post Double stairstep stitched bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this quick overview I demonstrate how I made a paracord jump rope.

Making a jump rope our of paracord is a very practical project. A jump rope is mostly defined by length and making your own jump rope, you can control that! Indeed, the jump rope I made fits me perfectly and is a joy to use. I also made it quite decorative by using a variety of techniques I have featured on the site before. So this article will demonstrate the steps I took to make this fun item.

Naturally, being able to control the length of the jump rope is not the only benefit. It is also quite affordable and in my opinion of good quality (as good as you can make it). This project can range from beginner to advanced, depending on the techniques you decide to use.

So, let’s see how I make this style of jump ropes!

The supplies needed

To make the paracord jump rope you will need:

This list will make much more sense once you see the steps in making the actual jump rope. See below.

A coin acting as a concho on the bottom of the handle.

Making the jump rope, step by step

In this part of the tutorial I will list and demonstrate the techniques I used to make this jump rope. This video also provides some insight into the project.

Naturally if you have a better way of accomplishing a certain step, go for it. All in all, the most important thing is to get the feel for the basic concept, after which you can design your own version easily.

The first step is to cut the three cords needed for the main rope, which are then twisted into a thicker rope. Before cutting, try out the length and take about a foot or two more. You will need this extra cord to attach the rope to the handle.

The rope is then twisted. This is done using a rope twisting technique I presented in this tutorial. I start about a foot from the ends of the three cords, then twist until I reach a length about a foot from the ends on the other side. This means that basically the ends on both sides are not twisted all the way. I secure each end with a crown knot, but you can also just wrap them using a piece of rope.

Next I cut two pieces of a dowel rod. These will serve as the core for our jump rope. The length is your personal preference, in my case just under half a foot.

The three ends, along with a couple of other smaller pieces of cord are then placed around the dowel rod core and secured using a rubber band at the top and bottom.

Using a longer, gutted piece of paracord, I then wrap around this core. This is done tightly. This provides a round core for the handle. The rounder the core, the better looking the plait.

The handle is then plaited over. I used the 12 strand gaucho plait here, but it is quite a task. There are a bunch of handle covering designs in the paracord knots section of this site, as well as the paracord projects section. Choose one you like and go for it.

As you can see, I use an inner strand to secure the end of the plait. Do this tightly and then cut off the ends.

The plaited handle.

The next part is to chose a decorative knot to use. In my project I used a gaucho knot made out of a 7L6B turk’s head.

We then cut a few small strips of leather.

This leather is then placed at the end and the top of the handle to provide a collar onto which you tighten your decorative knot. This gives it more of an oval look. Use some duct tape to secure the leather.

The knot is then tightened around the “collar”. I used a couple of coins at the bottom of the handle to decorate it further.

Once you have done both handles, you have a jump rope you can be proud to use.

In conclusion

This project was really fun to do. I am sure though, that there are many questions that will arise after you have read all of this. Don’t hesitate asking, I try to help when I can!

Be sure to also see the video that shows the steps above:

The post Paracord jump rope appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we take a look at the 12 strand gaucho braid.

I have used the braid in the paracord jump rope project and it turned out well. I got a few messages on how to braid it, so I put together a video (found below) of the braid being made. I also wanted to include a run list here that you can use to start this braid quickly. The braid has a 3 pass gaucho look.

The braid is, as mentioned a 12 strand braid that is done in 6 distinct steps. This makes it more challenging than most braids, so be sure not to give up on it on your first try.

The runlist

We start with 6 strands on the left and 6 on the right. The top on the left or right is always used to execute one of the sequences below. We take the strand, wrap around the back of the braid and then do one of the steps. The O stands for over and U for under and the number next to it stands for the number of cords you go over or under. So U3 means under three cords.

We start with the top left cord.

As you can notice, the middle sequence is always under or over three cords.

In any case, this braid gets easier once you have done it a bit. I highly recommend writing the sequence down on a piece of paper and practicing. You will see the pattern in no time.

For a quick demonstration of how to braid this also see the video:

The post 12 strand gaucho braid appeared first on Paracord guild.

Tying 4 bight turk’s heads is really not that hard!

I decided to show you the two processes that you can use to tie any 4 bight turk’s head that is possible to tie. There are quite a few tutorials out there on the 4 bight TH’s, but there are actually two distinct enlargement processes that you can use. These have been neatly described by Tom Hall in his book.

The 4 bight TH’s are all tied out of a 2 bight turk’s head. The number of parts or the length of the 4 bight version is determined by the number of wraps around the mandrel we make when tying the 2 bight TH.

The processes below can expand a 2 bight TH into a 4 bight TH. Repeating the process using the same principles will create a 6 bight TH and so on.

Tying the 2 bight turk’s head

So, firstly we need a 2 bight turk’s head to expand.

I demonstrate how to tie a 2 bight turk’s head in this tutorial:

The number of wraps around your mandrel will make the knot longer.

Enlargement process number 1

Probably the most common way to enlarge a 2 bight turk’s head is to “lay the tracks” on the right side of the standing end. This produces among others the versatile and popular 5 Lead 4 bight turk’s head. We basically start on the right side of the standing end and expand as shown in the video.

See how enlargement process 1 is done:

Enlargement process number 2

The other way to enlarge a turk’s head knot into a larger one is by starting the process on the left side of the standing end. This will again result in a 4 bight turk’s head, but one of a different number of parts than if you expanded it on the right of the standing end as in enlargement process 1.

So, I hope this helps you tie these useful knots, which serve as an excellent base for many a project.

The post 4 bight turk’s heads appeared first on Paracord guild.