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Thread: Hello, my name is KL0AN and.... I'm a paracord junkie..

  1. #1

    Default Hello, my name is KL0AN and.... I'm a paracord junkie..

    I've been tying knots for many a moon now, started out when I was working at job on the island of Shemya, AK (It's not the end of the world but, on a clear day you can see it from there) if anyone was ever stationed there, I apologize for the nightmares you'll have tonight..

    Anyway, they had some black paracord and I got ahold of some and started tying bracelets, handle covers for gear bags, simple stuff.

    Then I got a spool of some finer cord they used for launching weather balloons every day. They has a ton of it..

    That got me looking for things I could do with that cord.

    I went a little crazy (ok, as my wife says "A LOT CRAZY") and started tying all kinds of knots.. Then, when I was working a job in Phoenix, AZ, I came across an internet post where someone said they were using Jimalax cord.. I googled it.. surprise, surprise, their main (and only) office was right there in Phoenix.. So off I went.. I found the place even though the sign outside said something about safes, Someone came from the back and looked at me a little strange (I get that a lot) and said "Umm, can I help you??" I said "Yeah, is this JimAlax?" and he said "Yes it is." and I said "I'd like to buy some cord!"

    He went in back and got one of the managers, I don't recall if it was Jim or Alax but, we hit it off pretty well. They had spools of cord in the smaller size in every college color you can imagine.. after all, the lacrosse teams are the ones that usually bought it for restringing their racquets..

    He gave me a tour of the "factory" and they had 4 ginormous machines the size of Volkswagens that came over by ship from Germany.. (See what I did there??)

    They could weave the cord in any pattern you wanted.

    I bought about 25-30 spools of cord and went about my merry way..

    I made bracelets, and key fobs, dogleashes and dog collars.. You name it, if I saw one, I could make it..

    I even took a suitcase to Ireland with me when I went over there to work for a year with my tying easel and about 15 spools of cord.. The Irish loved them, never had seen anything like them.. I was tying all the time.

    I've got a bunch of pictures below of how I made my tying easel in case anyone wants to really get into this. The easel started life as an artist's easel, legs fold nice and compact, the whole thing will fit... well, in a suitcase..

    I did forget one picture and it's of the necklace I have with my various tools (EMT Shears, Fids, razor knife, cigarette lighter, etc) but, I think you'll get the gist of what I've done here.
    Last edited by crashdive123; 03-08-2021 at 02:25 PM. Reason: Restored deleted post


  2. #2

    Default

    5 Picture limit.. Hmm.. Here's 5 more

    Attachment 12028 Clamp for pipe
    Attachment 12030 Bracelet examples and colors
    Attachment 12031 Buckle and Small Knife
    Last edited by kl0an; 03-07-2021 at 03:07 AM.

  3. #3

    Default

    OK, that took a while to put together but, if you have any questions about making a tying easel, feel free to ask.

    I think the paracord is a pretty small industry these days and the kids have moved on to other hobbies. There are literally hundreds of different knots you can tie and use for hundreds of things.

    It's a hobby for me but, I've been able to donate over $700 to a no kill animal shelter and another $200 US to an Irish animal shelter with what I've made while sitting in front of a TV in a very lonely apartment or just going out into my shop and not having to listen to the television all the time.

    I can go out there and fire up my tablet and listen to Pandora or IHeart radio and nobody ever complains..

    Learning different knots is a VERY important part of any survival situation from tying stakes together to help hold your tarp up making an improvised tent or bundling things together to make them easier to carry, climbing trees, rappelling off a mountain..

    I even made about 100 pink and white corded bracelets and took them to a Bikers for Boobie rally and sold every one.. I donated that money -20% to Breast Cancer Awareness.

    Good times.. And they didn't even tease me about riding my GoldWing with a bunch of Harleys..

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