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.
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