How to figure out the length of paracord for a Solomon Bar

Decorative
1

Hello -

I’m new to your forum.

I wrote this blog article describing the method and formula I use to figure out how much paracord I’ll need in knotting projects. I only explain figuring out the square knotting of the solomon bar. But it also works for all similar knot chains. It really is simple, I just hope I haven’t made it complicated. Please take a look if this interests you.

http://devilchasnme.blogspot.com/2008/12/figuring-out-length-of-paracord-for.html

Thanks,
Dave
http://devilchasnme.blogspot.com/

2

Welcome Dave.
I think that all of us who teach, either in a formal setting, just in passing or on websites, have to tackle this.
My personal mantra is ‘experiment’.
Des Pawson teaches ‘Make notes’, so the next time you can work it out without spending time and efford.
I think your blog page is a good one too.
(But just realize, when you teach a group of people, each will draw the knots differently and will need different lengths, and with experience or getting bored the length may even change within a project.)

Willeke

3

Hello Willeke -

Yes, I agree. That’s why I stressed that people should experiment and do it themselves. I figure people have more confidence in the numbers when they work things out.

What I found valuable though was that for the smaller projects I do, that simple formula holds up for any diameter of rope, cord because it’s based on ratios, not on the type of cord or style of knot chain. I’ve tried it with clothesline, smaller diameter “sportsman” cord, string, and parachute cord.

There’s alot of people out there now who are looking for any information because they just want to make a bracelet or something cool they can hang off their knife but they don’t want to spend the time or they don’t have the time to devote to a serious understanding of knots and taking notes and all that.

I hope that once they have some success, they will stick around and enjoy tying knots just for the sake of tying knots, like I do.

Thanks so much for your comment.

Dave
http://devilchasnme.blogspot.com/

4

Dave ~

I found your blog via a link from StormDrane’s I believe and commented there too ~ this is just a follow up to say, I’ve put your suggestion into practice in a recent set of projects. I had come across a tutorial on Instructables for a wide paracord bracelet and while i took their suggestion for cordage length when I made my initial copy, I found that I had some really long waste pieces which while they will eventually get used for small zipper pulls, etc; made the construction more challenging given the length which was ultimately not needed.

SO ~ I took your suggestion and built the ratio of finished project length to the amount of cord used for both the outside and inside strands + 12" for working slack and now, am nearly spot on regardless of what length bracelet I need to construct. (knitters have been doing gauge tests for a long time, this is simply our analog)

So ~ to parrot Pawson (and plenty of others who for the first year I’ve ignored this advice) MAKE NOTES. I sketch the work, record cord source, manufacturer and diameter, starting lengths, waste left over and any gotchas. For more complex projects, I also list the “recipe” of knots/sennits used as well as the sources (complete URLs) for any hardware, clips, buckles, safety releases, etc. I use 8.5x11 paper to do this and keep in a binder. Leaves plenty of room for additional “revisions” as well as allows for organizing by project type (bell rope, key fob, bracelet, etc) and you can build any number of cross-references you’d like.

Trick is to have the discipline to do it.

Many thanks for your blog post ~ it’s saved me time and cord…