Loop Shackles/Connectors aka The Nacrabiner

[GrizzlyAdams]

Nacrabiners, or loop shackles, replace carabiners. They give you a load bearing segment with a latch.

They improve on carabiners by being a fraction of the weight, soft, and inexpensive.

Where you would use a carabiner, you may use a loop shackle.

yes but with one exception. Some uses of biners involve looping cord through it, cord that slides across the biner, e.g. in a suspension. Concern for abrasion would keep me from using a soft shackle as a biner replacement in that kind of context.

[MacEntyre]

yes but with one exception.

I don't like carabiners for running rigging, in any case... but I'm a fo'c'sle hand, not a mountain climber.

[nacra533]

The video below calls itself a diamond knot, Mac does not think that it is...does anyone know what knot I mistakenly learned this morning while practicing making some biners?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn4dLvaiCEM

jamie - nfa

I don't think so either, at least what I call a "lanyard knot". We as a group keep using diamond and lanyard knot interchangeable I don't know if they are the same or not. The video is VERY close, almost as if he was on the right track and screwed up a step. Notice when he spins the knot at the end, it is not symmetrical. The side he shows last looks correct. The side he shows first when he spins it does not look correct, at least to me.

All of these methods, this video and Mac's picture post of ABOK 718??? or whichever are WAY more simple than the method I tie them. I keep waiting for one to show up using the "fold both ears down" method.

[nacra533]

I don't like carabiners for running rigging, in any case... but I'm a fo'c'sle hand, not a mountain climber.

For the loop shackles (nacrabiners)...
Running rigging and control lines are my primary usage. I have yet to trust them for standing rigging other than the (fixed) spin pole for an asymetrical kite. I just like the security of pins and metal shackles.

I never liked riding up front. The work was always a little tougher than trimming.

[MacEntyre]

I never liked riding up front. The work was always a little tougher than trimming.

Never sailed aboard a modern vessel like the one you pictured... the most exciting work I did was aloft.

[jaydweight]

Here's how I replaced a toggle with one of these as a pseudo-'biner:

I'm wondering what length of amsteel 7/64 I should use to make my own nacrabiners. I want them to be the same size as the ones pictured above in this post.

[MacEntyre]

I'm wondering what length of amsteel 7/64 I should use to make my own nacrabiners.

I use 24" of Amsteel 7/64 to make an 8" nacrabiner, which is about the size of the one in your picture.

[NCPatrick]

Never sailed aboard a modern vessel like the one you pictured... the most exciting work I did was aloft.

Is that you Mac, 2nd from the left in the picture?

[nacra533]

I'm wondering what length of amsteel 7/64 I should use to make my own nacrabiners. I want them to be the same size as the ones pictured above in this post.

My biggest suggestion is leave yourself plenty of "tail" to work with to tie the knot. You can always trim the ends, but it's very tough tieing the lanyard knot with short ends.

I would plan on using 2-4" per leg for the knot. In a 3/16" covered line, the knot uses 4 inches. Smaller uncovered line use less.

If you want one that is 3" long when closed and loaded...
2 legs x 3" for the loop= 6"
2 legs x 4" for the knot = 8"
2 legs x 2-3" for ease of tieing = 5"

Start with 19" and once you are comfortable tieing them, you can probably cut out 5 inches or more.

[jaydweight]

My biggest suggestion is leave yourself plenty of "tail" to work with to tie the knot. You can always trim the ends, but it's very tough tieing the lanyard knot with short ends.

I would plan on using 2-4" per leg for the knot. In a 3/16" covered line, the knot uses 4 inches. Smaller uncovered line use less.

If you want one that is 3" long when closed and loaded...
2 legs x 3" for the loop= 6"
2 legs x 4" for the knot = 8"
2 legs x 2-3" for ease of tieing = 5"

Start with 19" and once you are comfortable tieing them, you can probably cut out 5 inches or more.

Thanks nacra, I'm looking forward to making some as soon as I get my amsteel.