Knot for paracord wrapped handle?

[jackman2]

I am making a wading staff for fishing and navigating streams. I have a 5 ft. section of closet rod that I have sanded and coated several times with exterior polyurethane. It is looking pretty good and I am excited about making my own, as the manufactured ones can cost over $100. Figured I would try to make one out of wood for around $5. When I am fishing, it can float behind me. I will post some pics when finished.

Anyway, I intend to make a paracord wrapped handle. I will be drilling 2 holes at the start and end of the handle. I would like the paracord to form a loop at the end so it could hang on my wrist or attach to my wading belt. What knot should I use? I know that this topic has been probably been covered to death. Any link to an old tutorial / post or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[paracordist]

Look close at this pic for my suggestion to fashion an adjustable wrist strap; rather than integrating it into the wrap.

for the wrap I strongly recommend a turks head; I've done a 4 part series how to starting with this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_arwAHAbx9E

 

[stingray4540]

Don't Do It! Drill the holes I mean...

You can wrap the handle and have a loop at the end without drilling through your staff or tying any knots. This one is SUPER easy to do. Let me see if I can find a good tutorial for you, but in the mean time, here is a pic of one of my staffs as an example:

Well, I couldn't find the tutorial I like, but the first part on this site is how you do it, if you want a lanyard, just double it one more time before you start wrapping it, and make sure the loop is the size you want for the lanyard(a little smaller acrually, because as you pull the tag end under the wrap at the end you will be pulling on the lanyard which will make it slightly larger)
http://runningdogknife.homestead.com/cordwrap.html

P.S. It helps to tie the end of your cord to an immovable object so you can really make it tight as you roll/wrap it. This staff has no holes, glue or knots and it isn't going anywhere.

Also, to help keep the tip/bottom from mushrooming over time, find a copper pipe cap to add to the tip. If you can't find one large enough, file the tip of the staff down to make it a flush fit. Just epoxy it, you probably don't need to add the rivet, but if you want to, that is just a length of household wire that I epoxied in and peened the ends. You can add a spike on the bottom as well. After the end cap is glued on, drill a pilot hole down the center and screw in a eye bolt, then cut off the eye part and file it to a point.

 

[jackman2]

I would like to make this handle wrap without drilling holes, but as I indicated above, this will be submerged for long periods of time. I feel like the paracord being wet, then dry, wet then dry will cause it to loosen and slip off over time, where using holes would prevent that. I am using a pretty hefty stick ~1.25 ". A hole shouldn't be a problem. What do you think? Would be nice not to drill.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Actually, if anything, paracord tends to shrink slightly after it's wet and dried. When I cord wrap knife handles I wrap as tight as I can then deliberately wet the cord and pat it dry. Once it dries completely it's as hard as a rock!

 

[paracordist]

I would like to make this handle wrap without drilling holes, but as I indicated above, this will be submerged for long periods of time. I feel like the paracord being wet, then dry, wet then dry will cause it to loosen and slip off over time, where using holes would prevent that. I am using a pretty hefty stick ~1.25 ". A hole shouldn't be a problem. What do you think? Would be nice not to drill.

you can do the turks around a tube, then pass the finished end through and slip off the tube. place it over the staff and work tight. let the ends you used form the loop. add a spiral of tacky tape (like hocky tape) on the handle if you are concerned for slip. also, use commercial type III cord which can be shrunk. after making and tightening, pour boiling water on it, then place by a heat source. It will shrink to where you could never get it off even if you wanted to.

 

[stingray4540]

I would like to make this handle wrap without drilling holes, but as I indicated above, this will be submerged for long periods of time. I feel like the paracord being wet, then dry, wet then dry will cause it to loosen and slip off over time, where using holes would prevent that. I am using a pretty hefty stick ~1.25 ". A hole shouldn't be a problem. What do you think? Would be nice not to drill.

Soak the cord before/during the wrap, and wrap it tight. Doing this I don't think you will have any problem. I wrapped mine dry and haven't had any problems with it loosening after getting wet. Worst case, if it doesn't work out, just re-do it with the holes. At least you haven't committed to anything since this method doesn't require any modification of your staff.

 

[Rprecision]

So here's another take

Micarta = fabric media impregnated with a adhesive (epoxy). Micarta is very durable, waterproof, long lasting.

So why not wrap the handle in paracord, secure it the best way possible (no need for holes) and soak it in a adhesive?

 

[Cougar Allen]

Then you wouldn't have the cord available if needed, and you'd be gripping hard epoxy instead of soft cord. You might like that, though; some people do.

 

[Clang!]

There is a knot used by bowstring makers that might be good for you. It's used to finish up a the serving (cord wrapping) on the center and ends of the string.

1) Start about 6-12 turnes before where you want the wrapping to end. For the sake of convention, I'm assuming you're going from bottom to top and wrapping CW.
2) Pull out a loop of cord about a foot high.
3) Make 6-12 turns CW inside the loop. Start at top and go down.
4) Lay the excess cord along the staff below the loop. If you want to integrate a wrist strap into it, lay a bight along the staff below the loop and excess cord above it.
5) Keeping tension on the loop you made in step 2, wrap the loop CW around the staff. This will overlay the wrappings about the bight/excess cord layed down in step 4.
6) Pull tight the bight/excess cord.

There's some pictures about half way down the page showing the loop and backserving
http://forums.huntingresource.com/topic/6757-serving-your-bowstring/

 

[jackman2]

So I decided to go this route and it came out pretty good. Just poured boiling water on the wrap ad was blow drying it. Seems dry. Should I continue to blow dry? Seems tight.

I'll post picks when I'm done. Just have to find a copper end piece and attach. Thanks for all the help.

Don't Do It! Drill the holes I mean...

You can wrap the handle and have a loop at the end without drilling through your staff or tying any knots. This one is SUPER easy to do. Let me see if I can find a good tutorial for you, but in the mean time, here is a pic of one of my staffs as an example:

Well, I couldn't find the tutorial I like, but the first part on this site is how you do it, if you want a lanyard, just double it one more time before you start wrapping it, and make sure the loop is the size you want for the lanyard(a little smaller acrually, because as you pull the tag end under the wrap at the end you will be pulling on the lanyard which will make it slightly larger)
http://runningdogknife.homestead.com/cordwrap.html

P.S. It helps to tie the end of your cord to an immovable object so you can really make it tight as you roll/wrap it. This staff has no holes, glue or knots and it isn't going anywhere.

Also, to help keep the tip/bottom from mushrooming over time, find a copper pipe cap to add to the tip. If you can't find one large enough, file the tip of the staff down to make it a flush fit. Just epoxy it, you probably don't need to add the rivet, but if you want to, that is just a length of household wire that I epoxied in and peened the ends. You can add a spike on the bottom as well. After the end cap is glued on, drill a pilot hole down the center and screw in a eye bolt, then cut off the eye part and file it to a point.