In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie a small pineapple knot.

The pineapple knot is one of the most commonly used interweaves for a regular turk’s head. If done in a single color it may resemble a herringbone knot. Usually though, you will make the base knot in one color and then interweave it with another to get that colorful, pineapple-like look.

Since these knots are a bit harder to show in photos, I have made a video for a small pineapple knot. Basically it can cover a very small object, for example a marble. The knot is also often used as a button knot.

The supplies needed

The knot requires very little cord or rope.

I recommend the following tools:

• a mandrel. A PVC pipe or a part of a broomstick will serve you well.
• a lacing needle is also a very common tool for this type of work. Make your own lacing needle using this tutorial!

The video tutorial

In the video tutorial below I go through tying the knot. It is not hard at all, as you will see.

The knot is interwoven into a 5 lead 4 bight turk’s head, so be sure to tie one before you begin the tutorial!

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Let’s tie a proper pineapple knot!

I already demonstrated how to tie a pineapple knot out of a 5L4b turk’s head.

In the video tutorial below I feature a tutorial on making a 12L12B pineapple knot, which is larger and in my opinion much more useful than the smaller brother. It can be tied onto handles as a decorative knot or around spherical objects.

Another look at the untightened knot.

You can get the best look for the knot when you tighten it around an object such as a wooden ball or ball bearing. You can then see why this knot is called the pineapple knot!

The supplies needed

A few items are useful for tying turk’s head knots in general:

I recommend using the following tools:

• a mandrel, which can be any round stick or PVC pipe
• a lacing needle. You can make your own lacing needle.

Tying your own

This knot is an interweave of a 7L6B turk’s head, so be sure to tie one of those before you begin the interweave.

See this tutorial on how to interweave the 7L6B turk’s head into the pineapple knot:

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The Norton knot is a beauty!

In this tutorial I will demonstrate how simple it is to tie a Norton knot.

My first encounter wit the knot was in the book by Tom Hall (Introduction to Turk’s head knots). I have soon found it to be tied very similarly to a common, type 1 pineapple knot. It has a similar tying process, although the resulting knot looks much more like a gaucho knot to me.

You can interweave a variety of knots into a Norton knot, getting the attractive effect. The most common interweave is the one onto a 4 bight turk’s head though, so I though I’d show you guys how to do it using a 5 part 4 bight turk’s head. Using the same principles you could interweave a longer knot which would make an awesome paracord bracelet (I’ll get to that soon :)).

For those more into turk’s head knots, the regular Norton knot is an interweave of a casa and a sobre-casa knot.

A great looking knot in my opinion.

Preparations

To tie this knot I recommend the following items:

The tutorial

I decided on a video tutorial since it allows me to explain the basic principles in tying the knot. Be sure to tie a base knot such as a 5L4B turk’s head knot before starting the tutorial!

Enjoy the following tutorial!

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In this article I present the multi strand star knot.

I have in the past shown you how to tie a single strand star knot. While the knot has many decorative purposes, the multi strand version is at least as beautiful, as well as practical.

In my opinion the best use for the multi strand star knot is to use it either as a button knot or as a knot that transitions a braid into another knot style.

Indeed, I have so far mostly encountered the knot to be used at the start and end of a braid and to some wonderful effect.

There are more ways of tying this knot, but I really think that the one featured below is one of the easiest to do as well as quite practical.

I learned this technique from the Ultimate book of decorative knots by Lindsey Philpott and have modified it to make it a bit easier to follow.

You can also find about the same tutorial in the ABoK under number 727.

The knot can be tied with different numbers of strands. Since the knot is usually used to finish braids, the 6 and 8 strand versions are the most common.

This time, the tutorial is in video form, since I think this is a more precise way of showing it. Enjoy!

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In this tutorial I demonstrate the 2 strand wall knot.

This knot is very handy. It can be used in making keychains, lanyards and even bracelets.

I have in the past shown you how to tie a multi strand wall knot, but the 2 strand version is harder to figure out.

It looks similar to the snake knot and basically fills the same role. It does look different as well though, so in this quick tutorial I will demonstrate how to tie it.

For those who use the ABoK, the knot is listed under number 775, while the multi strand version is listed under 729.

A keychain made using the 2 strand wall knot.

With all that said, let’s get a piece of cord ready and tie a few wall knots!

The tutorial

Fold your cord in half, then make a loop with the right strand.

Twist it in a clockwise direction to get the loop facing the right.

Feed the left cord through the loop, under-over.

Pass the left cord over the right.

Then behind the top loop and through the left loop.

Tighten. At this point simply repeat the sequence to line up more wall knots:

Make a loop with the right cord.

Pass the left cord through, under-over.

Pass the left cord over the right.

Then pass the left cord behind the top loop and through the left loop.

And tighten.

That’s all folks

If you prefer video instructions though, here is the video:

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In this tutorial we take a look at the sailor’s cross knot.

This is another great way to make a paracord cross. This design is quite popular and I have been tempted for a long time to try it. I have already shown a tutorial on making a paracord cross in the past, but I was quite pleased with the look of this one, so I wanted to make a tutorial on how to tie it. This knot was popularized by Don Burrhus.

Although this project may seem complicated, once you try it, you will see that it only takes about 5-10 minutes to make. Still, it may be intimidating at the start, but keep at it and you will tie it!

For those familiar with turks head knots this project will be even easier!

So, let’s begin with the basic supplies for this project.

Supplies needed

You will need these few items:

Supplies needed for the sailor’s cross. 5 feet of paracord, a cross-shaped mandrel and a lacing needle

Now let’s move on to tying this knot.

Sailor’s knot tutorial

Attach your cord to the mandrel.

Wrap around the bottom part of the cross once.

Then around the left part.

Wrap around the top part.

And around the right part.

Go under the standing end.

Under again at the back.

Another look at going under at the back.

And under again, this time at the top of the bottom part.

Wrap under and to the right side.

Now go paralel to the standing end, under the first cord.

Under the second cord.

Flip the cross around. Take your cord and wrap around the left part.

Under the previous cord.

And over the working end.

Wrap around the top.

Again go under the cord of the previous pass.

And over the working end.

Now wrap around the right part.

And again under the cord of the previous pass.

Over the working end and under the next cord.

From now on, go paralel to the cords on the left and right in an over-under sequence until you reach the bottom.

So over the next cord.

And under the next.

Then over.

And finally under. We now exit the knot at the bottom.

The standing end and working end are now together.

Now double up the knot by following the standing end with your working end.

When you reach your standing end again, the knot is doubled.

Bonus- making a loop for a keychain or lanyard

Now if you wanted to make this knot into a keychain/lanyard or use it in some practical way, you would need to form a loop at the top.

This is how I do it:

The knot now looks something like this. One cord is facing up, one down.

The cord facing down (standing end) is worked into the hole where the dowel rod was before.

The top cord is worked through the center of the knot.

And out the top, where the dowel rod was before.

Then back in through the same hole (must resist puns here. It is not easy.).

And out the bottom where the standing end exits. Voila, loop achieved!

So ladies and gentlemen, enjoy this wonderful knot and remember what it stands for!

Oh, and there is also a video tutorial for your viewing pleasure:

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In this quick tutorial we will learn how to tie the Lambda knot.The knot is also known as the ABoK number 554. It is a neat little decorative knot that has a place on lanyards, keychains, necklaces and basically everywhere where you are working with a single strand.

It has a sort of trefoil look, so in a way it could also represent a clover. It is also very similar to the cloverleaf knot.

In any case, this is an easy knot to tie. Try the tutorial below and if you have any issues, the video should clear everything up!

Lambda knot tutorial

All you really need is a strand of cord. We will only be working with one end of it.

The starting position. Our working end is at the bottom.

Place the bottom cord into the left bight.

Then use the same cord to go under and through the top loop.

Then over the top and through the bottom bight.

Then loop around the bottom bight. This completes the ABoK 554.

To make the knot more practical I usually run the working end through the middle, between the two top loops.

This makes it much more practical.

And the video tutorial:

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In this tutorial I demonstrate how to make a braided paracord belt.

I really like how braided belts look like. Sadly they are a bit underused and I think this is mostly due to the fact that braids are a pain to end.

Still though, I’d like to show you a few tips and tricks in making a braided belt that may spice up your paracord crafts.

Making a belt is very practical after all. A paracord belt holds a lot more paracord than any bracelet could as well as being an asset. Pants are quite a widespread piece of clothing after all :).

So with that said, let’s first take a look at the braiding technique that was used in making this belt. It is the 11 strand flat braid which I have already covered in the past. I really wanted to try it out and finally I got the chance.

The belt in practice.

So, what are the supplies you will need for this project?

The supplies

Making the belt

You will need 6 strands of one color and 5 strands of another, a total of 11 strands. For this I first determined the length of the belt I wanted, than added 75% more to each strand.

Note that I did not actually cut 11 separate strands. I used cow hitches to attach the core to the buckle. I used 3 double pieces of cord to make the 6 cords on the one side and 2 double cords and one regular one on the other side to make up the 5.

Before I cut I planned out how to attach these cords to the buckle. With the width of the buckle I was using I was able to use 2 cow hitches on each side of the buckle, which meant I was able to attach 8 cords easily. I added the rest as shown in the images below.

The left side:

6 cords on the left.

The right side was done similarly, with the last cord being spliced into itself to secure it.

Attaching the last cord on the right with splicing.

Before moving on to actually braiding the belt, you need to decide if you are going to use a belt loop. I decided on a braided belt loop made with the 3 pass Spanish ring knot.

Metal and braided belt loops.

Spanish ring belt loop on the belt.

Then, the braiding is done to reach the desired length. Belts are usually fitted to the smallest part of your waist. As mentioned, I used the 11 strand flat braid to make the belt.

When done, you can use a belt end tip to easily finish your belt. I’d recommend at least 1 1/2 inch wide tips.

I hope this gives you a few ideas on how to make or improve your braided belts.

Be sure to see the video for more information as well!

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In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie the Kringle mat.

This is another neat looking rope mat that you can use to make door mats, coasters or similar projects.

Although it may seem complicated at first, it is actually fairly simple to make. It can be made with a different number of the outside bights. I found that using 5 or 6 loops (shown below) will produce the best result.

This knot is quite well known and it is featured in a few books on decorative knots including The ultimate book of decorative knots.

Another look at the kringle mat made using 6 loops. You can tell it is made using 6 loops by the hexagon in the center.

Usually you will want to at least double the knot to gain a nice look. I also experimented with two colors, which turned out quite well.

Kringle mat tutorial

Take a piece of rope or cord. I suggest that you tape one end to your working surface, it makes things a bit easier.

We will only be working with one end, the working end.

Our cord with one end taped up to the table.

Make a loop, going over the standing end.

Place your working end under the loop.

Weave through the loop, over-under-over.

This will form another loop.

Go under the loop with your working end.

And again weave through the loop over-under-over.

This will create a new loop.

Go under the loop with your working end.

Weave through the loop, over-under-over.

At this point we have formed a total of 4 loops.

We will finish the mat at this point, but you can continue making loops if you so choose.

With your working end go under the loop.

Now untape your standing end and remove it under the loop. Place it so it goes over the loop (over two).

Go over the standing end with your working end.

Weave through the loop where the standing end is. This time we go under-over-under.

Weave through the bottom loop now, going over-under-over.

Place your working end next to your standing end.

Follow your standing end with your working end through the entire knot to double it up.

Voila, a great looking mat!

See the video tutorial for a closer look:

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In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie a triangular mat.

Triangular mats are like a trophy wife or husband. Good for sitting in a corner and looking pretty :).

This is a simple triangular mat that you can make out of paracord or rope and it serves the role of decorating various shelves and corners of furniture.

This particular design is featured in the Ultimate book of decorative knots by Lindsey Philpott. The ABoK also has a varied selection of triangular flat knots (numbered between 2338 and 2346).

As with most flat knots, I find the doubled and trippled version works best.

I used about 9 and a half feet of paracord for this project.

With that out the way, let’s make our mat.

The tutorial

Before we get started, just a quick tip. This mat is made in an almost simetrical way . The tying will seem familiar to tying any turk’s head knot (it basically is a flat TH).

Start by folding our cord in half and making a loop.

With your bottom right cord go over the loop.

Weave the bottom left under-over-under the loop.

Pull out the bottom two bights a bit.

With your top right cord go over and under the right bight.

Weave the top left cord under-over-under the left bight.

With the same cord (now the bottom right) go under and over the right bight.

And then back, under-over-under.

Take the other cord (the left) and go over and under the right bight.

Then weave back, over-under-over.

Spread apart the bights a bit.

With your right cord, weave over-under-over the left bight.

Then back, under-over-under.

With your left cord, weave under the other cord, then over-under-over-under.

And finally back over-under-over-under.

Each of the end follows the other end to enter the knot. Simply follow both ends to double the knot.

I hope this tutorial works well for you. Be sure to post any questions you might have!

Also see the video tutorial:

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This time we make one of the most basic ranged weapons.

I have in the past featured a basic paracord rock sling design. This tutorial is on a slightly more decorative version of the sling.

As far as the uses for the sling it can be a very accurate hunting tool, but it requires regular practice.

The rock sling was also used in warfare. In the ancient times for example, slingers were often valued higher than archers. A sling can throw a rock longer than a arrow could travel.

Because of it’s potential for harm, practice and use the sling responsibly. Make sure you can not harm people or property before using it.

The ammunition used was usually rocks or lead “acorns”. To achieve consistent results, the rocks you use should be of a consistent weight and shape. This is why clay was also used to shape ammunition that was of the same weight.

I do not want to keep you waiting, so let’s move on to the tutorial.

How to make a braided rock sling

The first thing you need to know when making a sling is how long it will be. For me, I like to use a sling that is about the same length as the distance from my extended arms and my knees.

If you would like a recommendation on the length of paracord or rope to use, I would recommend 10 feet for your first sling.

With the cord ready, we can move on to making the basic three parts of a sling: the loop, the pouch and the knot:

First we will form a pouch.

Start by making 2 bights.

The bottom cord will be our working cord and it should be longer than the top cord, which should be the length you want your sling to be.

Weave your bottom cord over-under-over the two bights.

Then down, under-over-under-over.

And up under-over-under-over.

And down under-over-under-over.

And up. You can see the pattern is the same every time.

When you need more room, slide the woven sections to the left and continue weaving.

Once you have run out of cord, we will remove the slack.

Pull on the cord at the start to remove the slack.

Work your way up to the end of the working cord.

Make sure to pull out as much slack as you can.

When you have removed the slack, it is time to shape the pouch.

Pull out the slack in the bights we made at the start. Start on the left.

Continue on the right.

Pull out the slack with the left cord.

Now pull on both ends to make a cup shape of the pouch.

With this the pouch is complete.

We now make a stopper knot on one end.

I use a basic overhand knot.

The knot is ready. Now we make a loop.

You can use a slip knot, but I prefer the bowline knot.

Make a loop.

Feed the end through the bottom of the loop.

Go behind the cord and through the loop.

The bowline knot is complete.

For a video tutorial on the sling, see below:

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In this article I show you how to tie a 3 pass Spanish ring knot.

We have already covered the 2 pass Spanish ring knot. The 3 pass version is in my opinion nicer looking. The knot itself has a decorative role in many a project.

As a refresher, the Spanish ring knot is a gaucho knot that only has a “V” shape runing down the center. As such it resembles a flat braid.

The knot has many applications. Wrapping it around a coin or a concho can make a nice medallion.

Below you can find a photo and a video tutorial that shows how to tie the knot.

The tutorial

First tie a 2 pass Spanish ring knot.

2 pass Spanish ring knot.

Remove your working end from alongside the standing end.

Enter the knot on the left side of the standing end. Follow the standing end to the right side, going under two and to the right.

Note how we went over the standing end on the right.

Enter the knot again, following the standing end, under two and to the right.

Like this.

Again, enter the knot under two and follow the standing end.

Always exit over the standing end.

When you reach your standing end again, it will have a paralel cord next to it. We split these to by going under three cords.

Then exit on the left.

Split another pair, again going under three.

Continue splitting pairs until you reach the standing end on the left.

Finally, tuck your working end next to your standing end (under three cords) to complete the knot.

I have posted a video showing the entire tying technique here:

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This time we take a look at the exotic chevron knot.

This knot has a V-pattern on the center of the knot, which makes it quite different than most turk’s head knots. It is made in two colors.

It is demonstrated in the book by Ron Edwards (Advanced Leatherwork, Volume 2, Round knots and braids). As you will be able to see in the video tutorial below, the knot is not tied the way I usually tie knots, by interweaving them. It is tied in its own way, much like the barber’s pole knot I featured a while back.

All in all, it is a beautiful decorative knot that you can expect to use on various handles and items that require wrapping. It will probably appeal most to those that like to learn new, fancy knots. It is not widely used to say the least.

What you will need

You will need the standard setup for tying turk’s head knots:

The tutorial

Below you can find the tutorial in video form. I avoided a photo tutorial this time, it may be too complicated to follow.

In any case, enjoy tying this beautiful knot!

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In this quick tutorial I show you how to make a paracord grenade, a neat way to store paracord.

This paracord grenade design is probably one of the simplest to make. It is basically a three layer cobra knot keychain. As such it stores quite a bit of paracord in a nice keychain design.

Because paracord is always handy, you will want it around and what is better than a keychain for that? Where you go, the keys usually follow.

Now I made this 3 inch version using about 8.5 feet of cord. You can make a larger one, just make sure to account for the length by using more cord.

So, let’s make one!

Basic supplies needed

The tutorial

We start by folding the cord in half.

Move up about 3 inches from the bottom.

Place the left end under the folded cord, forming a loop.

Place the right cord under the left cord.

Pass the right cord over the top and into the loop on the left.

Tighten up.

Step 1:

Start a knot to the right side by passing the right cord under the center cords and over the cord on the left.

Pass the left cord over and into the loop on the right.

Tighten up.

Step 2:

Start a cobra knot on the left side now.

Place the left cord under the core cords and over the cord on the right.

Pass the right cord over the top and into the loop on the left.

Tighten up.

Now start with step 1 again, forming a loop on the right side again.

Reach the bottom, leaving a small loop at the bottom.

I think that using 6 or 7 rows of cobra knots is optimal.

Now flip the grenade around and start a cobra knot to the left. This is step 1 in this layer.

Pass the right cord over the top and into the loop on the left.

Tighten.

Start the next knot on the right side. This is step 2.

Pass the left cord over and into the loop on the right.

Tighten. Now start step 1 again.

Cover the previous layer, but leave one row at the bottom free.

It looks best when you place your knots in between the knots of the previous layer.

Flip the grenade around  to start a third layer.

Step 1:

Start a knot on the left.

Pass over with the right and into the loop on the left.

Tighten up.

Step 2:

Start a knot on the right side.

Pass the cord over and into the loop on the right.

Tighten. Start step 1 again.

Continue to the bottom.

Place your ends through the bottom loop.

Tuck them through the back of the grenade.

Attach a key ring at the top.

With that your paracord grenade is complete. See the video tutorial for a video demonstration:

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In this article I wanted to share with you my experience with a wholesale purchase of paracord.

Because I use up a lot of paracord and I also want to expand my business, I have decided to go with a wholesale purchase. Having talked with suppliers, delivery services, logistics companies and such, I got a bit of experience in handling these kinds of purchases.

So in this article I wanted to share this experience any maybe make your job a bit easier if you ever want to buy paracord wholesale.

What is wholesale?

Wholesale (bulk) purchases revolve around buying a large quantity of a product. Usually this is done directly from a manufacturer or a regional supplier (a company that imports and sells wholesale).

In contrast with buying retail, wholesale purchasing comes with a few advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages

The price you are getting is lower than buying from a retail store.

Disadvantages

You usually have to buy a large quantity (there is usually either a minimum price or a minimum quantity you need to buy). Because of this you have to buy a lot. In case of paracord, this would mean buying spools of paracord. Since you are buying spools your purchase is a lot more homogeneous, meaning you can’t usually buy a lot of different colors, because your budget is limited and you have to buy a large quantity of a product.

For example, in buying from a retailer you can afford to buy 10 ft of one color, 10 ft of another and so on. But when buying a spool, you are paying per spool, not per foot.

Is wholesale worth it?

Wholesale is worth it for two groups of people:

1. retailers who sell their cord on with a profit
2. people who use a lot of a product.

So basically, if you plan to either sell or use a large amount of cord, then it is worth it.

How worth it is it?

Well, it depends entirely on the price you get from the manufacturer, your shipping costs, taxes, customs and various fees. So it will depend entirely on your location and supplier (more on this later).

Was it worth it for me? Well yes. Using a rough estimate, I saved over 50% comparing to a standard retail price. But you need to know that you do go through a hassle of putting out a lot of funds and work in the process.

More on cost

There are basically three major factors you need to account for when buying wholesale:

Let’s break these down a bit further!

Price of your goods

The price of wholesale goods is usually already lower than retail prices, because it does not include the various expenses such as transport and other fees. An additional discount can be gained when buying a larger quantity. For example, when buying 25 spools, the price per spool may be cheaper than when buying 20 spool. Basically, the more you buy, the more discount you get from your supplier.

Usually, when you contact a supplier, they will present to you a table that shows you the discount rates depending on the quantity you are buying.

When negotiating with a supplier it is also very important to ask about the minimum price and quantity. For example, with some, you need to buy at least 500$ worth of goods. Others may have a lower or higher minimum.

Other restrictions may also apply (in my case for example I had to order a minimum of two spools per color).

Always check if you can find a local distributor. These deal in wholesale in your area and can possibly offer you a good price, avoiding some of the transport expenses!

Price of transportation

This cost depends on where you are in relation to your supplier. If you are from the US, you can expect a low transport cost. If you need delivery to another continent, your transport cost will be higher. For those living in the US, utilizing a delilvery/courier service will work just fine.

Those that need overseas delivery though have two options: transportation via sea or air.

Delivering via ship

Ships are very economical. The cost is much lower than using an air delivery. Traditionally, ships allowed you to purchase (hire) a container, which is expensive to hire if you are not shipping an entire container.

Nowdays containers can be shared, which means you can hire a small part of it. This means the cost will be lower. There is still a minimum space that you have to rent, which is usually 1 ton or 1 cubic meter. WHOA! That is a lot right?! Well, it is still quite affordable. It is a good idea to check on this option even if you are not using up all the space.

The delivery timeframe for this type of transport is usually longer than air transport.

Delivery and logistics companies can organise this for you, which is what I recommend using.

Delivering via air

Air delivery does not mean that your goods will be parachuted into your back yard. Although with parachute cord, that would be even more thematical.

Basically this is delivery via plane. Again, courier services organise this for you.

This method is usually more expensive, but is faster. In my case for example, it was more economical to hire air delivery than via ship. Have I ordered more, using

Weigh both options and get the best price!

Haggling

It is sometimes a good idea to get a few offers and renegotiate prices for your delivery. The companies that deliver goods have quite a bit of space to maneuver when it comes to price of their services. Using offers from other companies as leverage is a good and easy technique.

Taxes, customs and other fees

When shipping outside of the US, you are importing goods. With this come some fees and taxes you can usually not avoid.

So what are these taxes and fees?

Insurance?

When you organize transportation, a courier service will offer additional insurance. Although this is not a huge expense, you will be offered this service.

Naturally you don’t want your shippment lost or worse, but after talking to people I realized it is not worth it. Often the transport provider is obligated to do a basic insurance of the cargo and for my shipment this was about 20 USD per kilogram which would cover the entire value of the shipment (this is by the IATA-International Air Transport Association regulations).

Still, do your research!

In conclusion

So guys, I hope this article helps you save some funds, time or patience!

I’ll leave you with a little trick I have seen some people using when they can’t afford buying a large amount of cord by themselves.

A little trick- rocket science?

I have seen some people organizing a wholesale purchase as a group. So if you have fellow paracordists around your area that you can trust, you can go about it as a team!

But beware, it takes even more coordination that way and may complicate delivery and payment.

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In this tutorial I show you how to make a gaucho fan knot bracelet.

This style of bracelet is quite rare. It takes time and patience to make and also a basic understanding of turk’s head knots.

Still, it is enjoyable to make and the result is well worth it. So I decided to put together a quick rundown on how to make a bracelet like this.

So, let’s start with what you will need.

Basic supplies

These are the basic supplies I recommend using:

With all these items ready, we can begin tying our bracelet.

Note that the tutorials on all the parts of this bracelet will be in video form, since I find this to be easier to demonstrate and learn from.

Tying the gaucho fan knot bracelet

The first thing we need to do is make our gaucho fan knot that we will be using for our bracelet.

This is done using the two pieces of type I cord.

The first cord we use is going to be used to make a base knot, which is a 4 bight, long turk’s head.

You can see how to tie one in the video tutorial below. In the tutorial I use 8 wraps around the mandrel. You can do more or less depending on the length of the bracelet you would like.

Once you have set up your base knot, it is time to interweave it using a second color. This is a bit more challenging, but with patience, you will make it!

Finally, we take our gaucho fan knot and tighten it around a core. The core is just a folded piece of paracord 550. We finish the two ends using a stopper knot. For a stopper knot you can use a lanyard knot, but I very much recommend using the ABoK 615, a toggle knot.

A few insights on finishing this style of bracelets:

I hope this helps, feel free to post any issues and comments and I will do my best to help you out!

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In this article I show you how to make a herringbone paracord bracelet.

This is another bracelet that you can make with type I paracord. I have in the past shown you how to tie a gaucho fan knot bracelet, but this one has an entirely different pattern.

So I decided to show you how to make one, again with the use of video tutorials. I find these to work better since tying such a bracelet requires a bit of explanation.

A bracelet in yellow and green.

Basically, this bracelet is made by interweaving a long 4 bight turks head with the herringbone interweave. By this you get a cylindrical knot that you can tighten around a core to make your bracelet.

A black and yellow bracelet.

So, what do you need to tie such a bracelet?

The basic supplies

For tying such a bracelet I use the following items:

The final ingredient which money can not buy is patience. Do not rush your bracelet or it will come out sloppy. Take your time.

Tying a herringbone bracelet

This is a 2 color bracelet, although you can make it using a single color as well.

The first step is to naturally cut the two cords needed. As mentioned, I use about 9 feet of each color. This length does vary though depending on the diameter of your mandrel, so if using a larger mandrel, be sure to add some length to your cords.

The first thing to do then is to attach your first cord onto the mandrel and make a base knot. This base knot is a 4 bight long turk’s head, which I cover here:

After you have tied your base knot, it is time to attach your second color on the left side of your standing end and then make a herringbone interweave. I covered this technique in the following video:

After finishing the interweave, it is time to tighten your knot around a core. The core is usually a piece of paracord folded in half to make a loop on one side and a stopper knot on the other.

As far as the stopper knots go, I really like the ABoK 615 or “toggle knot”. You could go with a lanyard knot as well, but I find the toggle knot to be much more eye pleasing.

I covered finishing turk’s head bracelets in the following video as well:

So, I hope these steps help you make a herringbone paracord bracelet. I really think this is one of the best styles for such bracelets and really enjoy mine!

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In this tutorial I demonstrate how to make a 2 color hansen knot bracelet.

The hansen knot is an easy way to interweave a long turk’s head knot into a more exotic bracelet. It gives it a gaucho look, while also adding more color.

So I wanted to show you how to use this knot to make a fairly unique bracelet. I really enjoy tying these kind of knots and you don’t often see these kinds of bracelets around. As with most of my tutorials on turk’s head bracelets, this one is done using video, since it is a lot easier to explain what is going on.

So, let’s start by taking a look at the items needed to make such a bracelet.

Supplies

You will need the following:

With these items ready, let’s see how this is made!

The tutorial

The hansen knot is basically tied by first tying a long three bight turk’s head. See the tutorial below to first make this base knot.  I used 7 wraps around the mandrel, so the length of the cord stated is enough for 7 wraps. I tied this base knot using the longer, 14 feet long cord. Once you tie the knot, you will have a length remaining. Don’t worry, this was planned.

Once you have tied the 3 bight base knot, we begin tying the hansen knot. This is done by taking the remaining cord and doubling the knot. This is done by following the standing end on the right side with your working end.

Finally, the secondary cord (yellow) is introduced and placed on the left of the standing end. Now the process of splitting pairs begins. See the tutorial below for the entire tying process.

Finally, once the knot is tied, it is time to transfer it onto a core and tighten it. See this video on a few tips on how to finish these kinds of bracelets.

I hope you are able to follow this tutorial clearly. Be sure to post any issues that arise!
Enjoy your bracelet!

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In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie the 3 color hansen knot bracelet.

I have already demonstrated how to make a 2 color hansen knot bracelet. The 3 color version is not much different. But the look is even more colorful than the 2 color version, so I enjoy this style as well. This bracelet is, obviously based on the hansen knot.

Again, the tutorial is presented in video form, which I find suitable for demonstrating various interweaves.

So, let’s start with the supplies for tying the bracelet.

Items needed

You will need the following supplies:

That is all you really need. So let’s start the tying process.

The tutorial

The bracelet is started by tying a 3 bight turk’s head base knot which I have covered in this tutorial:

Then this 3 bight turk’s head is doubled and interwoven usign the other two cords. See the tutorial below.

Finally, the bracelet is finished by tightening the hansen knot around a core made with 550 paracord. See how to finish these kinds of bracelets in this tutorial:

If you have any questions on tying this bracelet, please let me know in the comment section!

Enjoy your bracelet!

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How to price your craft items? This is such a common question in the community that it deserves to be covered in a separate article.

I wrote a tiny bit on underselling before, but this time we are going to take a look at how to properly set a price.

So what we are going to do is take a bunch of commonly and less commonly used pricing models and break them down. We are going to take a look at the pros and cons of each, making your decision making a bit easier. I love talking about economics and I encourage you to read this article dilligently and with interest. It is important and it is not about math. It is about making a living.

But first, let’s talk about a few must know terms.

Terminology

Cost

The costs are one of the most misunderstood terms out there.

Often the costs are thought to be the cost of materials used. This is wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Without taking a serious, honest look at the costs, your life may be very hard.

The actual cost of making an item includes:

In fact that is not all. You also need to account for sick leave and vacation. And that cost needs to be included in the products you sell.

Profit

Profit is what is left over after you have paid your costs.

Profit= total value of sales – total cost of sales

If working alone, you could call your wage a profit and be done with it, or include the wage into costs and add a profit after that.

Whatever floats your boat, but at least cover your bills and put food on the table :).

Pricing models

Now let’s see a few methods you can use to set an actual price. Note that the terms “cost” and “profit” are as defined in the previous section.

Pricing your goods on the a percentage of the cost

This pricing model is quite commonly reffered to.

When determining the price of the product you take the cost of the product and add a percentage or sum that will be your profit.

As an example, for a 40% profit, you would multiply the cost with 1.4. In practice this would mean:

(10$ cost) times 1.4 would mean the final price is 14$. A 4$ profit.

Pricing your goods in regards to competition

When pricing an item, it is a good idea to take a look at the state of the market you are embarking on. You get the feel for the prices and get the idea of how others do it.

So if your competition sells something at a price, you may want to match that and you are set.

But there is a catch! Two people working on an item have different costs for making the item. These include the materials, but also work time, transportation, insurance, etc.

In short, while one person will be doing ok with a certain price, another will be making a loss!

This is a good way to price when your prices are lower than the competition in order to make extra profit.

Pricing by hourly or daily wage

This is a common way to set a price of a product.

You take the cost of making an item and add the time you used to make an item (expressed in currency). If you work 8 hours for example, you will always earn the same amount.

As you may have seen in the basic terminology section, this view may be a bit limited, depending on what “cost” means to you.

Pricing based on your customers

This pricing model is based on the budget and acceptable pricing in regards to your customers. Basically you are asking “how much are they willing to pay?” and then pricing accordingly.

To make this pricing strategy work, you then need to adapt your costs to the price you are getting. This means you will need to organize everything from the cost of materials and time you have to make an item to reach a price. If you are not able to match the price customers are willing to pay, you can not sell that item.

This is a common sense approach and it works, although it is not seen as often.

Pricing in regards to profit

So, you want to raise a specific sum of money? You have a limited number of items to sell and you know the cost.

Simply divide the desired profit with the number of items you have and add that to your costs. Price achieved!

Finally you can save up for that genetically engineered unicorn! (Sorry, imagination runs wild sometimes.)

An example:

Desired profit: 100$

Cost per item: 5$

Number of tems: 20

Price per item= (profit/number of items)+cost per item

Price per item is therefore 10$.

Volume based pricing

Another model that exists, although it may not be applicable in the crafts is to price by volume. Basically, this is usually used by wholesale companies which profit on selling a large volume of a product. This way your total profit is high, but not because of the price, but because of the quantity you sold.

So if you want to supply a retailer or profit from selling a lot, this is a good option to consider.

 In conclusion

These are the pricing models that make sense to me. They all work, you just need to stick with one and make it work. As long as you understand the actual costs, setting a price is a piece of cake!

When setting prices, also remember that prices change. Costs change. Nothing is set in stone. But by having a nice, worked out costs sheet you can easily adapt your price when something in the equation changes.

I hope this article helped you, I wish you well,

Mark

A quick note on ethics

Although I have talked a lot about profit, I feel that I left a big issue out. Ethics. Ethical pricing means that you take a profit that is socially responsible.

This is something that we overlook too often, for we live in a very materialistic system. But there are numerous examples in philosophy, economy and even religion, that point to the problem of “taking too much”.

We need to be kind to one another and make the world better than what is in our nature (to want more and more). I’ll leave you with that and make of it what you will.

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