DSJackson

I hope mine turns out that good. The tri-colour gives it a bit of dimension hey? How far down the main lead did you backbraid to form the handle loop?

Possibly posting a picture of the two sides might clarify.

Excellent thanks guys, I also have this book. I'll look this up tonight also.

I've never done a terminal knot but I have several knot tying books with a few variations. I'd pracice these before getting elaborate of course, and assuming I'd mess them up and come here for help haha. Do you happen to have any pictures of a lanyard incorporating what you've explained here, entiendo?

I've MSPAINT'ed up a couple of crude drawings of what I'm thinking about. Hopefully it doesn't confuse the matter. I don't have ANY neck lanyards made yet but I'm ready to give 'er a crack. Figure 1: This is what I meant in my original post. The first and definately do-able idea. Make the braid, fold the ends back over their own leads and backbraid to make an eyelet which will have the hardware attached. Cinch the two braids together near the hardware with a decorative knot. The depiction on the left is exaggerated, on the right is "complete". Figure 2: Make one long lead, middle it with a bolt snap and join the leads where they would be at the back of the neck. Perhaps a longer covering knot to hide the join of the two ends, and a knot at the hardware to keep everything in place. Problem with this is how can you join the two ends? Figure 3: An adjustable length neck lanyard, is this doable? Two seperate braids to form the whole, all braid ends have some type of decorative terminal knot. One braid overlaps the other and both held together by larger decorative knots that would allow the two braids to slide back and forth underneath to create the adjustable length. The terminal knots would stop the whole thing from coming apart under pressure. Also possibly two knots on either side to hold the two braids together. Figure 4: One braided length backbraided to form the neck loop and backbraided at the end to form the hardware eyelet. Covering knots hide the joins. Fairly basic, and simple design. Any ideas on these? Any OTHER ideas? Looking forward to the brainstorming... I'm interested to know if the adjustable lanyard would be realistic and how to join the ends as in figure 2.

I would like to make a braided neck lanyard but am coming up shy with ways to join it all together. At this point the only way I can think of is to have the two ends fold back into themselves and backbraid to form two eyes which will be done around a bolt snap or some kind of hardware. Is there any option to have the two ends meet and join behind the neck? If this isn't clear I can draw a quick picture of what I'm talking about. Let's generate some ideas!

Agreed, this is pretty neat. I'd like to learn something like this too.

Excellent thanks very much, these will be a good start.

Hi all, I'm curious as to where I might find threads for handstitching that aren't the standard "Tandy black/white/brown"? Also on this topic, what TYPE of thread should I be looking for? Suggestions on brand would be fantastic. It's fine if I have to wax the threads myself, no problem there.

I have a few more 4 strand projects I would like to do and then it's on to 6 and 8 strand. Neat that the more strands the more effects you can work into it. I'm looking forward to getting into the pineapple weaving too. Any recommendations on where to begin on this? Also, I should cut shellac for braid finishing with paint thinner, correct?

Yeah, therein lies my problem. When I did this I wasn't concerned with which laces crossed which at the beginning, I was only focusing on the brading technique itself. When it was done i just assumed my subsequent two tone four strands would come out the same lol. I'll have to cut a couple lengths and experiment with the different starting positions of the laces and see what comes of it.

Hi all, I wonder if someone can help me figure out what I did here. This was a piece I made purely to learn the 4 strand round braid process. I used two colours to better see how the laces intertwined. Since this I've made a couple more items but my two tone work has a spiral effect rather than this bisected half and half deal going on here. What lace positioning did I use to get this? I'd like to recreate it in an actual project. Thanks!

Awesome! I love those old popular science magazines. Though before my time, my childhood was spent doing this type of stuff. Later as most boys do, I would move on to making gunpowder and blowing up apples.

Fantastic. Would look great on a pool cue too.

Click for larger pictures. A: Lark's head formed through split ring/whatever attachment. The laces are organized on top of eachother as in the picture. Also note which side of the lark's head knot the picture is facing. The top/center strands are crossed, right over left. B: The right free strand, closest to the split ring, is brought under the two center laces moving to the left, then up between the two left laces and over the left-center lace and back to the right. C: The left free strand closes to the split ring is brought under the two center laces, moving to the right, up between the two right laces and over the right-center lace and back to the left. D: Weave continues in the 4-strand round braid pattern. I hope this helps rather than hinder! Also note that you want the grain side of the laces facing you during the braiding process, so you're going to want to set this up between step B , C and D. This loose braid is exaggerated for clarity.

Thanks guys, I did it thanks to you! Very cool

I'm trying to tie a covering knot found in David Morgan's book Braiding Fine Leather, pg. 101-103. Also the instructions found in this PDF; http://outdoors.free.fr/OM-PDF/DIY/Braided-Leather-Knife-Lanyard-2,160.pdf (scroll down to the covering knot instructions). I'm having one hell of a time trying to get this to work for me but I'm failing somewhere on the third pass/fourth pass. I just can not get my head around the written instructions and when following the pictures in the link above, I am missing something between the picture at the bottom of page 3 and the top of page 4. I can't seem to mimic this position with the laces, I've spent about 2 hours trying this one way or the other, back to the book, back to the PDF. Can't grasp this for some reason. Need some help on this please! Frustrated!!

Hi Alberta! I'm new to this braiding thing myself but David Morgan's book "Braiding Fine Leather" has got me sorted out on the right path, for a beginner at least. Two days ago I made a four strand round braid key lanyard which comes as one of this book's projects. Check it out in the following thread: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=23928 Is this the type of attachment to the split ring you had in mind? When I get back home tomorrow I'll be starting a new one for practice sake. If no one's answered this question I can take some pictures of the beginning, getting the strands sorted into braiding position if you'd like.

I was curious about this too, especially in regards to sanding, burnishing edges or polishing.

WOW!

I was wondering, on this bracelet and any braided item that requires a "covering knot", are the spanish ring knots, pineapple knots, gaucho knots, etc. able to move about on the braid or are they anchored in place? If anchored are they glued or is the tightning of the knot enough to secure it in place?

Love it! Curious, what kind of leather is that you've used?

Yeah! The stitching looks awesome on this, really fits the piece.

Definately have the right to pride on these I'm looking forward to making my own first bags too.

What mysterious contents lie within? Air, that's what! Just finished this simple day project yesterday and it's basically my second leatherwork undertaking. I certainly can't complain for someone who's almost completely ignorant to leatherworking. My last project, a playing card case, and this one served a couple of functions, mainly to learn of course, and secondly was to use up scraps that were donated/bought. I didn't really care too much if it didn't turn out so well as I was mostly interested in the learning process but was definately pleased when it all came together as planned! While working on this I realized with stiffer leather, this could be made to something larger, purse, altered to a backpack even. As small as this one is, I'm not sure how useful it'd be but it's big enough to just dump miscellaneous items in and snap it closed. It has a belt loop on the back which can of course attach to a belt but it also fits on my backpack and messenger bag shoulder straps which is probably where it'll be going. Drop my keys in there when I get out of the truck or something... The pic with the iPod is purely for size scale and is too large to fit inside the pouch. P.S. Can anyone identify what kind of leather this is from the pictures?