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  1. #1
    Senior Member spidennis's Avatar
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    Blackbird Amsteel knot failure

    Blackbird Amsteel knot failure:

    On the foot end of my Blackbird the Amsteel that connects to the suspension system had the knot slip and undo during a short nap.

    I took the hammock down (the rest of the way) and looked at how it all went together. I retied the amsteel with a square knot backed up by a half hitch on each end, put it all back together and gave it a short test and it seems to be holding.

    Instead of a square knot, what else could I use?

    I searched and found that splices vs knots are the way to go for strength, but with the amount of material I had to deal with, about a foot, this seemed like all I can do.

    I have been using my blackbird extensively for about a year and a half and fully happy with my lefty footbox blackbird. Usually with anything I own, I have to modify it to suit my needs, but the blackbird hadn't required any tinkering til now.

    so, how do I make a bomb proof amsteel knot/splice for my bb?
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    Last edited by spidennis; 05-13-2011 at 07:23.

  2. #2
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    that's alarming. i hang over some stuff that i wouldn't really like to fall down on sometimes.

  3. #3
    Senior Member JohnSawyer's Avatar
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    Amsteel is slippery. Instead of a regular overhand knot, you can use a surgeon's knot, also known as a double overhand knot. (Tie the same way, but go through the loop one more time) You can also back up the knot by tying the loose end in a double overhand knot.

    http://www.animatedknots.com/doubleo...e=LogoGrog.jpg

    I like splices... never had one fail...

    Single overhand knots fail... they'll roll over off the end of the rope... if the amsteel is REALLY slippery, you can tie a triple, I'm told..
    "Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda


  4. #4
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
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    A foot is plenty of length to make a continous loop using a brummel splice.
    Don't let life get in the way of living.

  5. #5
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    spidennis,

    Are you looking for a knot to tie Amsteel to the Blackbird, or a piece of Amsteel to another piece of Amsteel? A square knot is not an appropriate choice for either application. I'd use a double sheet bend for the former, and a fisherman's knot for the latter. To add insurance against slippage, I'd use a figure 8 knot rather than a half hitch for the stopper knot.

    FarStar

  6. #6
    Senior Member exup's Avatar
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    That is quite alarming. I've read about how knots don't work to great with amsteel but never expected an actually slip at our minimal human weight. I spliced one end and left a knot in the other, so I could tell the head end. The head end has the knot, haha. Looks like iill be doing a locked brummel.

  7. #7
    Senior Member spidennis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FarStar View Post
    spidennis,

    Are you looking for a knot to tie Amsteel to the Blackbird, or a piece of Amsteel to another piece of Amsteel? A square knot is not an appropriate choice for either application. I'd use a double sheet bend for the former, and a fisherman's knot for the latter. To add insurance against slippage, I'd use a figure 8 knot rather than a half hitch for the stopper knot.

    FarStar
    I'm tying to itself to make a continueous loop. this piece is what attaches the hammock to the suspension system.

    I gather I'd be looking up these suggested knots and splices later today.

    btw, my square knot held overnight. I've been camping out every night for about two weeks in southern colorado, between south fork and del norte. Last weekend I broke two personal records, highest elevation and lowest temp, 12.6 degrees at 8800 feet and it snowed a half a foot to boot! I still have almost two more weeks to go and hope to get higher, which isn't all that difficult around here. this altitude takes some getting used to for this here flatlander that's used to sea level.

  8. #8
    Senior Member spidennis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bubba View Post
    A foot is plenty of length to make a continous loop using a brummel splice.
    Nice link to the splice. I don't think I got enough length though, not from the pics I saw. I'll have to go and try this though when I get a couple of extra pieces of amsteel, then I'll just replace what is there.

    Until then I'll try out a knot with a suggested knot replacing my square knot.

  9. #9
    Senior Member lazy river road's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by spidennis View Post
    Nice link to the splice. I don't think I got enough length though, not from the pics I saw. I'll have to go and try this though when I get a couple of extra pieces of amsteel, then I'll just replace what is there.

    Until then I'll try out a knot with a suggested knot replacing my square knot.
    PM me your address and Ill send you 6 foot of amsteell early next week so you can splice some continuous loops.
    Sometimes I like to hike and think, And sometimes I just like to hike.

    Hiking is'ent about waiting for the storm to pass its about learning to hike in the rain.

  10. #10
    Senior Member dragon360's Avatar
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    Triple or Double Fisherman's are great for continuous loops.
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