I was wondering if anyone knows the tricks to tying the turkshead on the wire wrapped grips?

Spotlight topic: Tying a Turk's Head Knot

I'd seen this series of photos before (scroll past the juvenile squirrel) but just now noticed that instead of following a single strand, Eljay starts with a bundle. This should make things MUCH easier because it's hard to get the individual strands "stacked" properly when following a single strand. Huzzah! Funny...I was sitting at lunch today fooling around with another USB Turk's Head and wondering how to make my wire work neater. The answer is in these photos! Couldn't see it until I'd done a couple the hard way. Now I can finish my Town Guard upgrade! :D

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...ight=turks

PS: I should point out that each of the strands shown here is composed of two lighter strands twisted together. Here's the way I do that--Estimate the amount of wire I need, double it, add enough to guarantee a surplus, fold in half and tie one end to create a loop. Clamp a nail in a vise and put one end of the loop over that nail. Bend a small nail into a hook shape and secure in an electric drill. Put the hook through the free end of the loop, stretch the loop lightly taught and start slowly winding. Keep tension on the loop or it will buckle and twist out of control. Don't use too much tension, though, especially with wire this light. Use the same process for grip wire--to get a herringbone pattern, make two of these loops, turn one right, the other left and apply them to the grip back-to-back. The longer you wind the loop, the finer the pattern, but if you overdo it the loop will buckle.

Be careful not get distracted by the other eye candy in Sean's thread! Homer Simpson's comment keep's popping into my mind: "It doesn't look easy, but I bet it is."

Wait so the TH is not tied in place?

That is relatively easy then. I thought you had to tighten it on the grip and couldn't figure out how to work the strands through with out kinking them.

Thanks

Again Sean, inspirational! I've got about twenty swords awaiting decent THs! I'll have yet another go now I've seen the tutorial photos. Thus far the techniques eluded me and I've been using bronze plumber's olives - not bad but not the same, especially not when you consider the bother I had finding useable rayskin!

Will post some pics if success.
Steve

Sean,
True, I start with a bundle, but my bundle is composed of one long strand folded back upon itself 3X. So my Turk's heads are still of one strand of wire.
--ElJay

Another guess: The TH is finished by passing the free strands upward through the looped end of the strand before tucking them into the slot in the end of the grip. Haven't tried it yet but that seems to be a neat solution that takes advantage of the loop created by the folded strand.

Ok... so here is the jewlers trick to tying a great turkshead out of wire...

the problem is pulling the wire tight at each turn... and then still being able to get the wire through on the next turn...

Step 1: get really good at tying turks heads out of nylon string like thick fishing line (available where salt water fishing supplies are sold).
Step 2: get nylon string in the same gauge as your wire (if cheating and using double strand wire get a gauge that is about that thick or slightly thinner)
Step 3: tie the turks head in place with the nylon string
Step 4: follow the nylon through with the wire removing the nylon as you go... now you don't need to worry about tightening the wire as its already where it needs to be.

presto really well done turks head out of wire... there are all kinds of ways of cheating this method such as braiding the wire straight and then tying a one loop turkshead and soldering the ends but the method above is the easy way of getting it done...

Neat trick, Christopher! Thanks!