Help Turn back

[megabit]

Ok, I gave it a try in rawhide now. I tied a 4 bight on my gaucho knife. How's it look? It is certainly straighter than my paracord practice one.

[CLH]

Ok, I gave it a try in rawhide now. I tied a 4 bight on my gaucho knife. How's it look? It is certainly straighter than my paracord practice one.

Megabit, Something you may want to do on your nose button is ,when you get done with your first knot, and turn back, you look down your lines and have her straight, well ,try to move it over i/2 bight to the left. Do this on any long knot because when you start to tighten it will creep around.Thats how Nate get's his so digustinley straight. Also ,doin't make your first knot really tite,just lightly snug. Otherwise you'll pull it up over the ends as you put in your pairs and split them. Hope this helps some one, Clint Haverty

[Alan Bell]

Hey Mike, that is great improvement over your first practice! Congratulations! Now I will mention something that does not really apply to how well you braided the knot but to simple aesthetics, The braided handle is now too large for the knife. You have changed the balance of the handle to the blade so much that the form and function of what you are creating seems to be lost. In other words you would need much smaller strings for this project. A knife, any knife should have a balance to it and the knife maker goes through the steps required to create and maintain this balance. As braiders of cowboy gear I feel it is important to always consider the form and function of the gear we are trying to create. I just cut off a nose band because I felt that it came out too large for the balance of the bosal I was creating. My base was too large so I had to cut off the braided cover AND the base to start over. That being said you could use your knife for a while and continue to practice braiding and improving but at some point (you know what I'm gonna say.....) cut that knot off and start over! Remember, to keep any knot you cut off to show future aspiring braiders the kind of commitment that is required to improve. My box of cut off knots is getting pretty full I may need to get a shoe box!!!

Vaya con Dios, Alan

[megabit]

Clint,

So you are saying once I get the strings turned back to make the bights at the bottom to put a bit of counter twist in before I pull along side the strings coming down?

Thanks,

Mike

Megabit, Something you may want to do on your nose button is ,when you get done with your first knot, and turn back, you look down your lines and have her straight, well ,try to move it over i/2 bight to the left. Do this on any long knot because when you start to tighten it will creep around.Thats how Nate get's his so disgustingly straight. Also ,doin't make your first knot really tite,just lightly snug. Otherwise you'll pull it up over the ends as you put in your pairs and split them. Hope this helps some one, Clint Haverty

[megabit]

Hey Mike, that is great improvement over your first practice! Congratulations! Now I will mention something that does not really apply to how well you braided the knot but to simple aesthetics, The braided handle is now too large for the knife. You have changed the balance of the handle to the blade so much that the form and function of what you are creating seems to be lost. In other words you would need much smaller strings for this project....

So I need to weld on more blade?

Too bad you weren't still out here on the coast this last weekend, I think you would have enjoyed Vaquero Days. Do you know Ron Titus? He was giving some braiding demos and a short class on making a reata. He also teaches braiding I plan to try to get together with him for some in person instruction.