How to smooth knots

[ljensen]

First off, thanks everyone for sharing all the great advice and wisdom about braiding. It has helped me out significantly. Now on to my question.

I braided this key fob the other night. I was using some rawhide strings that I bought that were not beveled. I need to get a beveler but I thought I would try it anyways. So things looked great when finished. However after drying overnight, the knot ended up not being as smooth as I thought it would be. Is there anything else that I should be doing besides beveling the edges?

[megabit]

While it is still wet pound the snot out of it with hardwood stick. If it has started to dry out add some moisture and pound it. Beveling will help a bunch too.

[KnotHead]

Bevel and then I usually roll it out on a hard smooth surface like a counter top or something like that.

[entiendo]

I have a cutting board and a piece of good hardwood for my rolling. I also use the round end of my bone folder to finish it off.

[ljensen]

Thanks for the tips. I had a practice scarf slide that was similiar, so last night I moistened it up and when to whacking and rolling. The knot seemed to lay more even this morning when I checked it.

[8thsinner]

I would try rolling it between a suede lined block of wood and a hard slab with foam or thick soft leather suede, it can't work for all knots but it absorbs the shape a little better than rolling on purely hard materials.

[rawhide1]

I think splitting your strings down some plus the pounding and rolling will show a big difference.

Mike

[jerryrwm]

Roll the knots on a hard surface. The strings must be of proper moisture like you would have for braiding. The firmness of the surface will cause the strands to 'set' in place. I use a piece of polished oak and my marble slab. Makes a smooth knot when rolled properly. You can use the mallet to help keep it's shape.

Jerry

[Stan]

Howdy! I have a pile of braiding books. My most recent - and one of the best - is by Enrique O. Capone - called Rawhide and Leather Braiding (in English or Spanish on Amazon). In the book he shows how to shape knots using several styles of normal and some rebuilt pliers. He also shows how to make some neat tools for working up Rawhide into lace. In Argentina, they bolt two pieces of wood together and put a sharp blade in between and sticking up. Then they cut or file a groove on each side of the blade. Makes a great tool for cutting the corner edges of lace. Also visit You-Tube and look at Cesar @ El Rincon del Soguero, or Ismael Paula and Cristian Buchner. If the Spanish or Portuguese languages get in the way, just turn down the sound and lower the speed. Watch their hands! These guys lace edges, braid all sorts of stuff and do applique work. The best to you. Stan