Hello everyone! I make custom turkey calls and want to try my hand at making some lanyards to use with them. I have picked up some lace to practice with, and also a copy of Bruce Grant's Encylopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding. I am getting fairly comfortable with the braids and knots I want to use, but what I am unsure of is how to put everything together to achieve the finished product that I want. I would like to create a lanyard that is sort of a cross between the styles seen here: http://www.lbbyj.com...products_id=394 and here: http://knotsmith.com/T2DCL.htm
Specifically, I would like to use the eight strand herringbone with over braid for the main part of the lanyard as seen in this photo:
But I would like to use a single drop with a sliding knot like this example:
Where I am confused is whether the drop should be a continuation of the strands making up the rest of the lanyard, or if they are two independent pieces that are "spliced together" under the cover knot, and if so how? Along the same lines, how are the opposing ends of the main length of the lanyard joined together (using the example in the first photo, the opposing ends of the 8 strand herringbone)? I guess what I am trying to figure out is just what is going on under those cover knots.
My final question pertains to the drop. What I think I am seeing in the second set of photos, and what I think I would like to try and use is a length of four strand round braid ending in a terminal knot, then doubled back on itself with a sliding knot built over top. If this is accurate, should the terminal knot somehow be secured into the sliding knot, or will the sliding knot be able trap the terminal knot inside on it's own? The other possibility I see here is a short section of 3 strand braid doubled over to make a static loop then and transitioned into a 6 strand round braid for the length of the drop, with the sliding knot just closing down on the loop to hold the call. Both methods seem like they would work, but I would love to hear some thoughts on this.
I apologize if the answers to my questions are already readily available on the forum. I feel like I could probably find what I'm looking for if I just had a better understanding of the correct terminology to use in my searches. I hope I have been clear enough to get across what I am trying to do, and I greatly appreciate any help that I can get.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Here is a photo of some of the calls I build:
