I’ve found the plans for making an Nantucket sailor’s bracelet (//knotical-arts.com)… & i have a little problem.
I was trying to make a bracelet with “even” lead turk’s head knots.
I have made a “skeleton” bracelet but I don’t know how to “triple” the leads. Do I triple them with the main rope or do I have to cut a bunch of small pieces and try to follow every lead line until i triple them? If it is the way to do it then how will I (when I reach the end with the working end) tie the ends? Do I glue them or what?
hello Josip…
…i’m glad you are able to follow the instructions for the Nantucket Sailor’s Bracelet…(odd lead and even lead)…
yes, you use the same cord to triple the cords (however i’ve seen a few bracelets where someone put in a different colored cord in the middle after doubling the cords)…to seize the ends i use Marlow No. 2 Whipping Twine (West Marine has it in several colors/sizes (1-800-BOATING)…i seize the ends with the “common whipping” knot which is in most knot books (The Marlinspike Sailor by Hervey Garrett Smith has a nice drawing)…i usually make these bracelets with cotton or hemp…
Dan-Alaska http://knotical-arts.com/nantucket1.html
Thank you very much for the info. I had a delusion that i needed to make a whole bunch of little strands and try to triple the leads with them (imagine how difficult wolud it be to tie up the ends? )
One more question.
When you are making the A-B corssover… how much “slack” should I leave between the “A” & the “B” so that I could easily do the “triple” (how much space should I leave so that the lines wolud easly pass during the “triple” proccess)
I’ve wanted to make these handsome devils for some time, but I cannot figure out how to size them. you don’t make them from elastic or stretchy cord, so how does the wearer get them on or off?
Is it the case that they are like bangles, and are a loose fit over the wrist, and can be slipped off over the hand?
If you make a template and tool to tie a bracelet, I have used 3" PVC pipe. The OD is 3 1/2", which is enough room for almost anyone to get a hand through the knot when it is removed from the tool. When I tie a Turks Head in hand, I just go with what feels right.
I have posted a few bracelet templates that use 3" PVC pipe as a mandrel on the www.KHWW.net website, look for “15x7 Bracelet grid” under the Knot Tutorials. I will also be sending out a bunch of other grids ready to tape onto 3" PVC pipe in the next PAB newsletter, Knot News. They all have odd numbers of leads, but a Turks Head can have any number of leads. If you know how many leads you want, I can create a template and e-mail you a word document ready to print so you can make your own Turks Head tool. All you need is PVC pipe, and a drill.
hello Josip…
…for slack using the “A-B Crossover”…just use experience…one or two bracelets should tell you how tight to make them…after you do the crossovers and get back to the starting point take some time to get all the “diamonds” to look fairly even…
drjbrennan…
…sizing is important as i have found that folks wrists come in sizes xxx-small to xxx-large !!!..i have been to every plumbing/electrical/hardware store in town and come up with a nice little collection of abs/pvc pipe couplings…but even now i still need more…at this time i am trying to get a complete custom set of mandrels made out of hardwood…the abs/pvc couplings i’ve found do make nice bracelets for the “average” wrist though…
…you don’t need pins to make these bracelets…it takes me about an hour to make one…4,5,6,7,8,9 leads no problem…but i mostly just make 4,5 and 6 lead bracelets…
Dan-Alaska
hello Josip…
…there are turk’s head calculators…but the best way is to cut the first one longer than you need and then put that information in your notebook…
…for a 6x17 bracelet i use about 20’ of #36 (approx 2mm??) cord…so if you cut your first bracelet about 22’(±??) that should be long enough…after the bracelet is finished keep a record of how much cord you used!!..
Dan-Alaska
As for size and how to slip them on and off, there are a few options there.
If you make them to sell at a show try to make some different sizes.
If bought ready made people will fold their hand as small as it will go and force or just slip the bracelet over their hand, depending on their preference.
If you make them to order you can make them on the wrist, and tighten it so much that it must be cut to get it removed. Or you can make them just big enough to slip over the hand as in above. It might pay to make a test set of sizers. Like a yeweler has a set of ring sizers. In this case it should be strips of sturdy materials in the size you can make bracelets, or the ones you were not pleased with when making your first bunch,) write the size or the lenght needed and the mandrel used, if any, on the test bracelet.
Or use trial and error till your costumer is pleased with the fit.
If you do not know where to measure ask the girls next door to fit on some of your bracelets and see how they get their hands smallest. ;D
When making a bracelet for a specific person - use a large plastic ‘cable tie’ as a guide like Willeke suggests. Pull it up carefully around the widest part of the hand (with the thumb tucked well into the palm) then MARK IT (in case it gets inadvertantly pulled). Take this home and make your bracelet on a mandrel the same size.
If you have the bracelet size and a mandrel and the material used is a natural fiber (e.g. cotton), after the bracelet is firmly tied, you might wet it and let it dry on the mandrel.
Depending where the wrist hangs out, this might help the bracelet maintain its size. This might also help the bracelet’s finished form and appearance.
I just learned “the mule” and tied my first Nantucket Sailor’s Bracelet this past January. It’s a 5 part x 14 bright Turks Head with 14’ of 1/8 nylon line from Wally World. My thanks to Dan at The Pineapple Knot Forum for all his help. I think getting the A B crossover was harder for me than doing the mule. I finally figured it out with the help of Boatswain’s Mate, Volume 1.
What I found out about the bracelet “fit” when tied in nylon is that you can pull it/stretch it out before putting it on, and then once you have it on, you can push it/squeeze it in from all sides to make a perfect fit.
One thing I have found out about using Para Cord. Wash and dry it first. It shrinks. I made a hat band (turks head) for a friend and it shrunk up, distorting the knot and almost ruining his hat!
I have tied a lot of these generally in 3L x 11B using satin cord. I make them in 3 common sizes which covers most. Large is 2 3/4 inch diameter; Medium is 2 1/2 inch and small is 2 1/4 inch. Another trick is to use fabric stiffener which helps them hold their shape.
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Have also done these which are a combination of 5L and 7L
Did one of Dan’s like above but the Bar maid at the local watering hole talked me out of it - 3 Beers in return.
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