What is the best method to secure a Turks Head Knot?

AVigil

AVigil

Adam Vigil working the grind
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I am working on a Kwaiken for a friend and I plan on putting on a Turks Head. What is the best way to secure the Turks Head? I plan on cutting shoulders on the tang for the wrap and Turks head to sit up against. Besides epoxy is there anything else I should consider to secure it?

Something along the lines of this.

Hartsf-Kwaiken.jpg
 
If you tighten it properly, a turks head needs no extra securing. Not even epoxy. That is a very strong and tight knot. Give it at least three passes, run through the length once it's tied a few times to pull it very tight and remove ANY slack, and you'll have nothing to worry about
 
Thanks

Now I need to practice :)
 
Make a knotting hook. It is sort of like a large crochet hook. Use it to pull the runs tight as you go round and round, once the knot is made.
 
I wish I could tie one! I have a big ol' tanto I made that I want to put one on. I've tried a hundred times and I've never cussed so much in my life! :p
 
Tie it on a round object first. Then slip it on the knife and tighten the runs. The tightening is harder than the tying.

Here is a link that really explains how one is formed. It looks scary at first, but read through the instructions and all of a sudden the light will come on.

If you make a tying jig from a piece of 1" PVC and use cribbage pegs, the knotting will really be easy.

Here is a super tip on making a "tying pony" jig :
Take a piece of 1X6 about 20-24" long. Drill a hole near the end that will fit a piece of 1" dowel. Glue a 6" long piece of dowel in the hole. Take a 12-18" piece of 1" PVC pipe and make a tying jig like the one in the link below. Sit on the board with the dowel between your knees and put the PVC jig on the dowel. You can now quickly and easily tie the knot by turning the PVC as you go over and under the bights. Make a PVC jig for each knot size you tie.....5X3, 7X4, etc.
You can shape the board in sort of a dulcimer shape - to fit your legs and butt , and round the edges for a really nice pony.

A "lacing tip" can also make the task easier. The Perma-Lok needle tips are the best. They can be screwed on cord or lace.
You can just use super glue to make the last 3" of the cord hard all by itself. Stretch the cord tight by putting one end in a vise and tying the cord to something to keep it taught. Apply super glue to the 4" section at the vise. Allow to dry completely, then remove from the vise. Cut the end of with a sharp knife at an angle....instant lacing tip.

For a small object, like a knife handle, a turks head should be kept to 3 or 4 leads. Five bights by three leads works as a good starting point. Once you do one that looks good, use that number of bights and leads on future knives with the same cord type.

http://www.folsoms.net/knots/tejay/index.htm
 
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You can use needle nose or round nose pliers to help work the last bits of slack out of the knot. Depending on the effect wanted, I either melt the cord ends flush with the knot or bury the ends of the cord below the knot (pre-planning by tying the knot over a loop of strong twine or wire will help with this. Slip the end of the cord through the loop and pull on the wire with pliers to force the end of the cord below the knot)
 
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