(Part 2) Top products from r/paracord

My cord craft kit

Detail of select tools

DIY Fid, Finished paracord end, Kleen-Kut Paracord scissors & buoy wrap scissor cover

I've accumulated quite a few tools in my years as a knotter/rigger but you really don't need very much to get started in the hobby. When I first started tying, my most commonly used tool was the Dr. Slick Spring Creek Clamp, 5", Black, Straight. You'll find many less expensive "hemostats" on Amazon, this just happens to be the one I picked up at an outdoor outlet many years back. It served as a fid, a "pusher" and a puller. I don't use them for tying much any more, I "thread" with a fid more than I pull through these days, but I do use them for finishing the ends of paracord — see below.

As I said, I now use "fids" or lacing needles regularly. My first fids were homemade — machined by spinning an aluminum Chicago screw in a drill press and shaping it with a file. I progressed to using a pair of the Tandy Leather Long Jumbo Perma-Lok Needle 1193-05 that I'd modified by shortening and shaping the tips to be more needle like. I wouldn't bother these days because purpose made fids are readily available: 3 1/2" Stainless Steel 550 Paracord Fid, Lacing, Stitching Needle. I have fids and Perma-Lok needles in a variety of sizes to accommodate different cords — I don't use 550 exclusively.

Though not completely necessary I do find the Knotters Tool II (Stainless Steel) w/ 3 Different Size Stainless Steel Lacing Needles by Jig Pro Shop to be handy and it includes three fids. An aluminum version is available too, but I'm never one to shy away from investing in a tool that will last. I also use a 4 3/4" Paracord Tucking Tool (Stainless Steel) for tucking and smoothing. You can probably find a similar tool at the local pharmacy, and maybe even at a dollar store.

The best cutting tool I've found for paracord are the Kleen-Kut scissors sold by Paracordist.com. Unfortunately, the store is currently down so I can't supply a link. You can use good quality flush-cutters, bandage scissors or a good, sharp pair of "Fiskars" (or similar scissors) and they will all work. However, I tried everything I could to avoid buying the "special" scissors and, in the end, wish I'd just done it sooner.

My technique for finishing the ends of paracord: Clamp the end of the cord at a 45 degree angle with the hemostats. Cut the cord flush with edge of the clamp. Run a lighter along the edge of the cord to seal. While the cord is still warm, remove the clamp and, if necessary, re-clamp to the very end to squeeze and seal the end. Tuck the end back into the workpiece. If the end is going to be exposed I will sometimes remove a small length of the core first, then trim and seal just the jacket for a flatter, neater finish.

I do sometimes use a hot knife for finish work. Most often the Weller P2KC Professional Self-igniting Cordless Butane Soldering Iron. If I'm at my bench I do have an Engel Heat Cutter HSGM Hot Knife w/ Type R Blade available (used for "big rope" and purchased when I was rigging boats professionally) but it's total overkill for paracord work. I am intrigued by the Hand Held Electric Hot Knife Rope Cutter Set - 100 Watt, Cutting Blade (HHHK-HS18. The tool is probably not as durable as the Engel, but if one isn't using it all day, every day it's likely suitable. One Advantage of these "rope guns" is that they heat up almost instantly but, truthfully, the Weller doesn't take very long to come up to temperature and it's much more portable. Whichever you choose, it’s easy to mar your piece with the hot knife so I generally use the hemostats as a shield. (And again, I'm more often just using the lighter/hemostats for paracord work.)

I also keep a needle case with sail-makers needles and whipping twine (wrapped around the needle case) handy for stitching and whipping. (In a pinch, a single strand of 550 core makes a decent twine, particularly if you pass it along a block of wax.)

I want to emphasize that you don't need all of these tools, you might not really need any of them, but I do find that assembling a good kit and having the right tool available can help overcome tricky problems. I'd say that the Knotter's tool (admittedly, my attachment to this tool may be due to my love for marlin spikes in general) with it's fids—or barring that, just a set of fids—the hemostats, a good pair of scissors and a lighter would make a decent field kit. Add the rest of the stuff to your knotting bench over time. Or not.

I'll also say that there was a certain satisfaction to making and improvising my tools in the early days but now that there are so many quality purpose made tools available via Amazon I don't find it's worth my time any more. (I have a wooden bracelet/collar jig that I made but I recently acquired the aluminum jig from Acid Tactical and I think it's just brilliant and even assigning a lower value to my time than I normally would, much cheaper to buy than build.) I do have a plan to machine a set of Delrin fids and pushers for low-profile air travel "one of these days"

Hope this helps.

https://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Book-Knots-Clifford-W/dp/0385040253/ref=pd_sbs_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0385040253&pd_rd_r=e0ab9849-0e7d-4ba9-a032-9a9d01f9ee48&pd_rd_w=DsijS&pd_rd_wg=En3yr&pf_rd_p=1c11b7ff-9ffb-4ba6-8036-be1b0afa79bb&pf_rd_r=PE3RHZF1NQ3W6QAF2VF8&psc=1&refRID=PE3RHZF1NQ3W6QAF2VF8

That one is the holy grail of ropeworking books. I have yet to get my hands on it so I have never seen it but everyone serious about the hobby loves it.

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Ropecraft-Stuart-Grainger/dp/1574092480/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=creative+ropecraft&qid=1566544712&s=books&sr=1-1

That is the creative ropecraft. The illustrations can be a bit difficult but its a great beginner book.

https://www.amazon.com/Pawsons-Knot-Craft-Rope-Mats/dp/1472922786/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2/136-7070516-4175455?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1472922786&pd_rd_r=2e8898cd-24a4-48de-a09f-b99388849af1&pd_rd_w=rUDOx&pd_rd_wg=zQIMo&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=CTJM8EXWXXN8V6FQH32G&psc=1&refRID=CTJM8EXWXXN8V6FQH32G

This is one of Des Pawson's books. I borrowed it from a friend once, tons of info. I had to give it back though. ><

https://www.amazon.com/Marlinspike-Sailor-Hervey-Garrett-Smith/dp/0070592187/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3/136-7070516-4175455?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0070592187&pd_rd_r=2e8898cd-24a4-48de-a09f-b99388849af1&pd_rd_w=rUDOx&pd_rd_wg=zQIMo&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=CTJM8EXWXXN8V6FQH32G&psc=1&refRID=CTJM8EXWXXN8V6FQH32G

This is a nice cheap book too, I have never seen it myself but it is one that is recommended a lot on various youtube ropecraft channels.

For cutting I use flush cutters, something like this.

I've found split ring pliers to be really useful for digging in there to get things really tight at the end. (I originally got them for actually attaching split rings (aka keyrings) and I actually really like these for making keyrings and attaching charms and such

I'm not sure how to help with the knots coming undone. Are you finishing the ends before you start? Your description of the problem there is a little unclear as I'm not sure if you're talking about the cord fraying (in which case always start with nice clean-melted ends), or if the knot itself is coming untied (a more technical issue that could just need adjustments to the way you hold it and how much initial tightening needs done).

This is the custom 550 paracord watchband that I ordered form Trilobite Tactical (aka TriloTac). for my original black Pebble. You may have seen me talk about this before, but until recently I was rocking a prototype. This is the final version!

You can customize your own Trilotac watchband for Pebble, here: http://shop.trilotac.com/Tactical-Watch-Band-Fits-Pebble-Smart-Watch-432474393847.htm

About my custom order: My band is a Trilobite weave, with black paracord primary, and a secondary paracord that has both reflective, and glow in the dark tracers! The accent rings are anodized red aluminum. The lugs and clasp are powdercoated black. Lastly, there is a waterproof compass that's wove into the band. The compass has glow in the dark markings, as well as three tritium vials for alignment and north, that glow all the time. The compass is very much like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Cammenga-Tritium-Wrist-Compass-Black/dp/B0016SRA58/

NOTE: The magnetic field of the compass, screws with the Pebble's magnetometer pretty bad, so I can't really use the new compass apps. So if that's important to you, don't get a watch band with a compass! I ordered this a year ago though, long before we had such apps.

You can see more of TriloTac's work at these links:

http://www.trilotac.com http://instagram.com/trilotac

http://www.facebook.com/TrilobiteTactical

http://www.ebay.com/usr/kahaila

https://twitter.com/TriloTactical

The wrap I have, is a black Carbon Fiber SlickWrap: http://www.slickwraps.com/Black-Carbon-Pebble-p/sw-pw-cfblk.htm

The watchface I'm using is Glance: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.finebyte.pebbleglance

Let me know if you have other questions!

I got the clasps off of Amazon, but as it sits now I wouldn't recommend them. I've tried a few different ones, and even some that don't say "break away" but do give under pressure. They all break free to easily or end up getting weak after time.

I ordered the only actual break away dog collar I've seen and I'm going to test out it's hardware. If it works I'm going to use it on a new collar for him.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002H3ZTO/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?keywords=breakaway%20dog%20collar&qid=1409764229&ref_=sr_ph&sr=1

As for the tutorial, I always work best off of pictures instead of videos, so here's the one I used.

http://m.instructables.com/id/The-shark-jaw-bone-bracelet-instructions/

Perma-lok needles are great, but sometimes I prefer to use plain old needle nose pliers (link is the exact pair I use - I broke them once, just walked in to my local Sears and exchanged them). Also consider a pair of electrician's long-nose pliers (like the ones on the right here, they have textured jaws so you can really yank on the paracord to tighten/loosen it.

As for cutting the cord, some people have recommended sewing scissors. I can't speak for how well they work because I just use the trimmer that I bought to trim my cats' claws. They're tiny so they pack away very easily, and they make a super clean cut. In a pinch you can use angle cutters, the cutter part of a regular pair of needle nose pliers, normal scissors, or a knife - they just won't give you a very clean cut. An exception to this is a knife you don't care about: get it hot and cut the cord on something you don't care about (like a block of scrap wood) at a 45 degree angle; this will "cauterize" the cord and let you thread the newly cut end into a perma-lok needle, the knife doesn't even need to be very sharp.

I use a Bic lighter to singe the ends of my cord, but a butane torch is next on my list of tools to get - I think it'll be faster and cleaner.

For paracord, buy 100' at a time. For some of my projects I buy 1000' spools, but you don't need that to start. If you ever want to make a whip or a hammock though, 100' just won't cut it.

I just made my first last week with this 3/4 inch steel bearing.

I didn't need a jig whatsoever. Found a tutorial on youtube and it was easy as pie. I wish I got a pack of larger bearings though. Next time I'll order a pack of 1 inchers.

Open for suggestions! Looking to start a new project with a Citizens dive watch I found when I was diving in Florida.

Edit: Like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032FOTRA/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687602&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0032FOTT8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1X1KGQ52K8B1DYN9X2SJ

Bought this back in 2011. I don't use it all that often, but it still works just fine 5 years later.

I just found these puppies http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037W5W2O/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER Awwwww yisssss. It'll be expensive to put all my cord on them though...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000950R3

I got mine on Amazon.