Thanks Kris, I'm somewhat touchy about my work as you might tell.

It took me many months to settle on the ideal materials and then to track them down. It isn't a simple thing to develop a new product that will withstand scrutiny as well as everyday use.

Frank, the reason why these balls appealed to me was because they are like a magic trick -- it's hard to figure out how they could be done in the first place. I really appreciate your comments nevertheless and if you're ever in Texas look me up and we can discuss knot technology.

best to you both

Hi, Eric.

Any chance for a chop-cup ball? I just got the Dennis Loomis/James Riser mini chop cups and routine and would like to use my leather balls with them.

Thanks,

Mike

At this time the only place to find chopped Balls of either the Gordian designs or Monkey's Fist is through Jim Cellini; at his lectures.

Many of the balls that I make are a limited run, sometimes extremely limited. Most of which is due to the fact that so many materials that I use to make these items are only available for a short time.

Guess that leaves me out. I doubt he's coming to Alaska to lecture.

Thanks,

Mike

When people talk about the Gordian design, are they refering to the Turk's Head knot? This is essentially a braided ring. It was used for capping tillers and whips etc. The monkey's fist was more used for weighting ropes so that they couldbe thrown further.

Michel,
As this thread is over three years old, it may be hard to backtrack and know exactly what they were talking about. The two tone balls I've seen after this thread started are a modified Turk's Head with a second strand interwoven, usually called a "Pineapple" knot (or something very similar).

I played with the Turk's Head design for a while, but as you mentioned, it's a ring, not a ball and they weren't exactly what I'd call "round."

I used to make monkey fists, and sold them for a while, but like Eric, I don't have much more than sore hands to show for it. I only make them now for my own use, assuming I can even get good materials anymore. My last set cost me twice what I charged in discarded spools of substandard lace. It just wasn't worth that kind of expense to continue offering them.

Dave,
I have seen some Monkey's Fists around that are made from leather thonging, and I think I have even seen two-tone ones. I can't say I have ever seen Turk's Head style though.

I make my balls from turk's head knots, but use braided cord. Because the cord has a nice round cross section the balls end up quite round. In fact, they are much rounder than a coreless monkey's fist would be.

As far as the Gordian Knot reference, I have found elsewhere that it is believed in some quarters that it was a Turk's Head, so I will assume that's what people were meaning here.