My first attempt at splicing soft shackles as per Stingy’s site (and l-36.com) can’t wait to try em out
Soft shackles
- Thread starter Grotto
- Start date
I've suggested soft shackles but the admiral is having none of it. 
Seriously though... nice work.
I've seem them for sale at what i think are crazy prices and I shake my head.
For the price of one, you can buy a book on knot tying and splicing
Seriously though... nice work.
I've seem them for sale at what i think are crazy prices and I shake my head.
For the price of one, you can buy a book on knot tying and splicing
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Nice! I just bought a soft shackle to see how they work/have a good example if I try making my own. Haven't used it on the boat yet but it did a good job of hanging a lantern from a line.
I'm planing on replacing my mast step, adding a halyard plate and replacing my deck-mounted halyard blocks with dyneema-lashed/soft shackle blocks.
I'm planing on replacing my mast step, adding a halyard plate and replacing my deck-mounted halyard blocks with dyneema-lashed/soft shackle blocks.
Nice! There are many versions and many are easy to make. The turban stopper is the hard part.
They dont all need to be high tech fibers either.
Lots of uses. Never had one open. You are however supposed to wire shut a solid shackle.
Heres i few i made from cheap line, and a few dyneema ones.
1) Keep knots away from outhaul purchase
2) Clean loop to hold boom during trailering
3) Extras in toolbox
4) Keychain to swap house keys and car keys. Feels nice to hold.
They dont all need to be high tech fibers either.
Lots of uses. Never had one open. You are however supposed to wire shut a solid shackle.
Heres i few i made from cheap line, and a few dyneema ones.
1) Keep knots away from outhaul purchase
2) Clean loop to hold boom during trailering
3) Extras in toolbox
4) Keychain to swap house keys and car keys. Feels nice to hold.
Attachments
That's why I wonder why people buy them for the goofy prices they go for. There have been websites and books with info on making them, for a long time.
As @BobbyFunn says, they are great for piles of uses. I've used one to attach a thermal mug to my belt at music fests every summer, since the cheap aluminium, "carabiner" it came with, failed the first weekend. LOL
Knots and splicing are fun. My wife got addicted on them for a while, and made coasters, floor mats etc. She even has a monkey fist keychain.
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some people are really just ... erm, well, lawyers or accountants! No hand skills built in. Others are just plain lazy.That's why I wonder why people buy them for the goofy prices they go for. There have been websites and books with info on making them, for a long time.
As @BobbyFunn says, they are great for piles of uses. I've used one to attach a thermal mug to my belt at music fests every summer, since the cheap aluminium, "carabiner" it came with, failed the first weekend. LOL
Knots and splicing are fun. My wife got addicted on them for a while, and made coasters, floor mats etc. She even has a monkey fist keychain.
I paid a whole $4 for mine. If I wasn't interested in learning to splice for other rigging projects down the road buying would be a no-brainer. I'll probably have spent more on the DIY by the time I figure out a solution for tensioning the stopper knot. On that note @Grotto , @BobbyFunn what methods are you using?
Video for diamond knot 2-strand
How to tie soft shackle
They used to be like $20 bucks so if they have come down then just buy them. I enjoy the challenge, like a video game on hard. No reason. If you are being efficient with your time you ain't having fun.
That's cheap ! Most I've seen were around $20 and some even higher depending on size and type of line used.
Any idea what your shackle is made from ?
This is from California Cordage via Amazon, it's a 'small' and it's made of 4mm (5/32") DynaTech® UHMWPE fiber. I can't find any details about that, so I assume it's 'generic' dyneema. It feels nice in hand, the knot seems solid and it was easy to use ashore. I could probably go a size down and still have a shackle strong enough for any purpose I might have.