I'll be doing a vid on this but for now here's pics. This uses 20' of black and 12' od. The steel bearing is 1.5" & weighs almost 1/2 pound. Sliding adjuster allows anywhere from 18" overall to 34"

A paracord slungshot. Kinda cool, and probably hurts like heck when you get beaned. Just don't take it out in public. New Hampshire, and a lot of other states, don't like those.

http://law.justia.com/newhampshire/codes/2006/nhtoc-xii/159-16.html

EDIT: How did you get the ball bearing to stay put inside the monkeysfist? I tried making one using a large marble, and I couldn't get it to stay put when I was taking up the slack.

With doug ritters helP that wAs overturned last yeAr in nh. I worked the monkey fist little by little with 8 passes so to completely cover. I also shrunk in boiling water then next to me heat to finalize

Another amazing project. The workmanship is excellent.

Very well done.

A customer came in with another great idea you might try. He had a section of nylon web tubing that a roll of quarter fit into. Without the quarters, it appeared as a very nice key lanyard.

He stated that when flying, he kept the roll of quarters with some other parking meter money in his brief case.

Cliff I've travelled with long tube socks and a roll of quarters with the same idea in mind. Thanks!

Nice monkey fist. The metal being smooth and entirely covered, unlikely to scratch delicate topsides, makes such a unit ideal for attachment to a throwing line for both rescue and boating use.

Hint, usually you will want to try to throw over your target. Bouncing a half-pound lump off a drowning person's skull tends to change the nature of the call. On the up side, they tend to make a lot less noise and thrash around less.

You might try a half-pound lead, or less toxic bismuth, sinker. Same weight but a little less pocket filling.

My favorite for weighted defense devices is a pair of discount store knee-high nylon socks, one inside the other, and a considerable weight of lead shot or BBs. An interesting variation is to substitute a pound of dried beans. Shot or beans have a knock-on effect because they don't rebound on impact.

You can wear the socks and make soup of the beans.

I once used a sock full of dried beans to true up a vertical mill when my usual hammer got left behind.

That's quite cool looking. But I wouldn't want to count on it for self protection. You are dependant on the bad guy playing by your rules. They have to stay back away from you by just the right amount, present their unprotected head for a clean shot, and keep their arms down so it doesn't just harmlessly wrap around a few times. Most criminals aren't very smart and probably wouldn't figure this out, but stepping forward *towards* you would completely defeat this device.

Yeah, that looks cool. However, I wouldn't carry it as a self-defense device. Real attacks tend to be lightning quick, chaotic and without rules. When I think about defense, I imagine that somebody is already within the process of attacking me violently. The attacker, who has the advantage of making the first move, could easily neutralize this device. Again, it does look cool though.

Not exactly. Knife Rights helped remove the prohibition on switchblades (switch knives), dirks, daggers and stilettos. The rest remains to be dealt with by someone else. As to whether this would be illegal, that is subject to interpretation. Put it on a short lanyard as a key chain, and you probably have a much better case in that regard. Disclaimer: IANAL

Thanks for clarifying and thAnks again for your help here in nh!!!

My thought is I've got my keys in hand opening the car door, office or home. It is a loop 15" in this case. With this I prefer my chances over bare handed. It amOunts to my own little surprise. Once I neutralize the attack I can use it to bind the perps hands

At first thought I looked and thought "what's so impressive about a long paracord braid?" Then I scrolled down.

ouch.

thanks garland.... I think!!!

Maybe a hi-tec Boleadoras

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Boleadoras.gif

In many municipalities this is known as a fistload or blackjack.Many think of a blackjack as being made of leather but many were made of cordage.They are very illeagle most any where you go.
Kevin,I really like to see a young person taking up knot work.When I was a young sailor,knotwork and splicing was a favorite pass time.It is nearly a lost art.YOU DO BEAUTIFUL WORK!
I recommend "The Ashley's Book of Knots" by Clifford W. Ashley.You will love it...

BOATMAN
John

Come to think about, the weapon would be classified in California as a blackjack, billy, billy club, or billy jack. They are typically leather with a weighted device inside. They are very much illegal in California and most (or all) other states. Check your laws.

It does look cool, but there are a lot of cool weapons I can't carry because of laws, unfortunately.

I don't think the device is a "loaded fist", unless you grab the ball and punched with the ball in your fist. This weapon doesn't appear to be intended for that purpose.

Kevin,

Beautiful work, you are tempting me.



Art,

You WANT it to have it bounce, it doubles the impulse. The shot or beans give a good thump without the likelyhood of crushing (or leaving as big a bruise) but you have to decide which you want, more effectiveness or less evidence.

Respectfully,

Jerry

It's really cool, but in Wa state, this is specifically called out as a monkey's fist and forbidden as a concealed weapon. Which is unfortunate as I have been trying to teach myself to tie a monkey's fist as it has legitimate use for line throwing.
I am impressed with your handiwork.

thanks boatman! I love ABK although I only have PDF version. there are so many to learn LOL! I know when I get through that book I'll have all the tools to come up with a paracord solution to world peace!

is it ok in your state if its not concealed? Here in NH just about anything goes for lawful purposes, as it should be.

A Design Option

1. Snap one end onto a large billfold full of phony money.
2. Braid the steel ball into the monkey fist.
3. Connect with at least 10' of elastic shock cord.
4. Retreve assembly from thief smacked by monkey fist.

LOL I love it. America's funniest home videos winner, that would be.

I love monkeys fists, always been on of my favorite knots...

Here is the video:
http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showthreaded&Number=217696#Post217696

i pity the fool who messes with me LOL!!!!!!!!!!

First thing I thought of when I saw these... bolas.

You could also use the same for launching your rope over a limb when hanging a bear bag. Real cool.

LOL!! Excellently wicked. You need to use that as your profile pic!
-Blast

That's actually what they were originally used for. Sailors, in the day of wind propelled sailing ships, would use them to throw over lead lines. They would tie the lead line in a monkeyfists knot over ballast or lead shot and sling it to shore or a waiting boat. The sailors on the receiving end would use the lead line to pull over the heavier rope. Quiet literally "slung shot".

The sailors would also attach short loops to the knotted weight and use them in brawls. This subsequently lead to their outlaw.

great idea blast, I'll do that!

I've thought of making a smaller bola version, but I just don't want to throw it around lol.

I recently bought some 3/4" bearings. I'm going to make a smaller version with just a small loop and no lanyard. We do lots of tree climbing/rope swinging with the kids (and safety gear). I'm going to keep one handy to attach via sheet bend for throwing over branches w/ smaller diameter cord to then pull the climbing rope over. I had the idea for this because I did the same sort of adjusting knot on my keychain lanyard years ago.

I thought of the bear bag thing; but being practical, who wants to carry the extra weight.

thanks for looking

Off Topic I guess...but..
For throwing lines over limbs etc, I use a plastic bag filled with sand or dirt. The line is bio-degradable string.

When the line gets tangled in the trees (which is quite common) the rig will eventually rot, the sand will drip out and it will all "go away" in a few years. I have seen a number of rock "fruit" on trees.

Also, don't need to carry a special "throwing weight".

Not to mention that if it springs back and lands on my windshield it will not break it. At least so far.....

Nomad

I agree; thats why I mentioned it as being impractical for use as a bear bag. incidently, I just made one around a small 3/4" bearing. its only 1.5 oz but I was able to throw it with 35' of paracord trailing. it was not as heavy as I thought, but worked well. that said, I put it on my key lanyard but won't be taking it hiking.

obviously there was lots of heartburn over my original lanyard with the 1.5" ball. this approach is a little more subdued; each 3/4" monkeys fist is a fob for individual keys. Also shown in tan is one "fob" with a 1" monkeys fist. combined with a heavy carabiner the whole end weighs just over 12 ounces. This is my keychain, it was made with a 3 strand braid. the manrope knot looks a bit different but works the same way.

just made one in red to match my wife's dinner dress and lipstick ;):

This is getting quite intriguing. But you are going to have to slow down. I haven't even caught up with the basic braiding yet!!!

Pete #2

Pete, here is the video how-to on the braid and the manrop knot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyoLpz5IvtI

Thought I'd share.

A friend who's a martial arts puff by day and security guard by night saw me reading this thread and exclaimed "now were talking" immediately when he saw this picture.



So I asked why and he said the longs ones make a large arc, easy to pick and parry by reflex. Just grab the long line and you've basically disarmed your opponent, but the short one (according to him) produces 80% of the momentum of the big one, cannot be grabbed and is a lot more difficult to spot quick enough to parry.

I assume he pulled the percentages from his ... hat. Sure, longer radius of an arc reduces speed the ball travels that arc, but I still can't be bothered to try to figure out the math of skull crunching.

And I'm jealous of your knot making skills. Mine always end up twisting or uneven.

-jh

your friend makes sense. 90% of the time I have my keys in hand, I'm in the "short" position shown in the pic you showed anyway. The ability to stretch it out to 30" is just "cool" I think. the reality of stretching it out in a self defense situation is slim; but lets say there were multiple attackers who were unsophisticated. perhaps no one would be brave enough to take their chances as you whirl the thing around? I don't know. I'll tell you what, I can swing this thing so fast and so quick using "rock sling" technique I'm guessing your arm will be in a huge world of hurt if you stick it out and let this thing wrap on you. just saying.

Whooo ... no additional photo's. That's a relief :-)

I was getting worried that by now you'd figured out a way to braid an entire Smart Car out of paracord. Guess I've got a few more days to catch up.

Pete #2

I admit to me it would be a lot more formidable sight someone whirling the full length one over their head. Even if I figured the momentum would stop after first strike, so if you survived that...

I'd keep my distance.

My friend is a scarily fit and agile guy who has put ten hours a week for past 12 years in various martial art dojos, and I think his "just grab the line and do this (insert a confusing half a second motion which ends with him making stomping motions against somebody's imaginary body part)" would end differently from my "shut my eyes while trying to grab the line and hope for the best"-approach.

-jh

A walking staff held between you and the Line may help aswell, it would in theory just wrap around it no?

yes with much force; may knock the stick out of other person's hand, or allow me to pull the stick out of other persons hands.

Kevin

Finally had some time to check out your YouTube video with the braiding instructions. Thanks. I'll start working on it.

I have been looking at this thread primarily as a guideline on how to weave & braid paracord, so I can make it into thicker ropes, cords. That part I find very interesting.

However, I noticed that a focus of your work seems to be to use these braided cods and balls as a self-defense weapon. That may take some time and effort to perfect as a skill. I'd be careful about leaping to the conclusion that you've got a breakthrough. It's worth remembering that in all the martial arts approaches that use weapons, skills and techniques have developed and evolved over very long periods of time. There's nothing wrong with innovation ... nothing at all. But quite often there are pitfalls that are not obvious unless you try something out repeatedly over many different scenario's.

Let me give you one explanation of what I'm talking about. You apparently have in mind that you will flip one of these balls (with steel core), on a short piece of paracord, at your attacker. OK, if you manage to catch him in the face, then you have attained the initiative (at least for a short moment). But trained fighters will cover their faces with their hands, and they will do it very quickly. Otherwise they get punched. So in this case your ball wraps itself around your opponent's forearm. That's very bad for YOU. Why? Because his next move is to snag the paracord line, which can easily be done with a quick movement of his wrist. Then your opponent swivels his hips, and uses his own body weight to drag you off balance. Remember, you are attached at the other end of the line. If you let go of the paracord, then he now has possession of your weapon. And if you don't let go immediately, your own body is thrown off balance. Then your opponent steps forward, wraps the paracord line around YOUR head, steps around you to the rear (of your body) and chokes you with your own weapon. If you're fighting against somebody who knows what he's doing, he could perform these steps very quickly. Once you're in a serious choke, you're down for the count very quickly.

Practice, practice, practice. :-)

Pete #2

Id suspect that If they are covering their face with their hands in a fighter style the Ball would be hitting their hand If your aim is good. In that case they would prolly have a broken hand and dislocated jaw if you had enough momentum.

all good points I don't deny; however somewhere in the middle of the scenario you described I pull out my glock 33 indiana jones style. end of story.

frisket, you are indeed correct. also, if Pete's scenario, once wrapped around their hand, who's to say I can't jerk them foreward into a front kick to the chicken mcnuggets?

just though I'd share this foliage/black I made cuz it looks cool

I did this little segment of braid for just one reason - to test the stopper knot known as the Double Wall Knot (ABOK p. 117, knot #676) for use as a stopper in my self defense lanyard. "your_comforting_company" from another online forum asked me why I didn't so some sort of decorative knot stopper for the sliding loop on the lanyard. It was a "duh" moment for me; I should be using something nicer. So I made this little piece to see how the knot would work (its the ring-like knot) in the middle. I think its going to be perfect. thanks!

Looks like a hidden black jack on a key chain to me. Grab the "Lanyard" and Swing the "Charm" around at people.

well, not so Indiscriminately as "at people" but I think you found one possible use....

Kevin ... no question that a Glock 33 would even the score if available :-) Ha! Ha!!

Pete #2

As has been stated, check your laws before you carry it. If anyone traces your carry to this thread, they have the means to show your intent that it was for self-defence... which means you carry it as a weapon. In CA, it would be a felony.

That means as soon as you have it in your hand during an engagement with a person*, you just gave him justification to shoot you. Dead. End of story.

If you hit someone with it, you could be charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon (CA).

Pretty neat though, huh?

Get real. If you want to use sub rosa devices for self defense, get something that won't get you arrested or shot in the first place.

EDIT: *Unless you are using it in response to a threat of deadly force.

I appreciate the concerns, really. If my life or the life of my wife or children is in imminent danger by someone with intent and means, then perhaps I'll use my firearm instead of my keychain so I don't get in trouble with the law. Hows that for getting real?

That's more realistic, but it won't guarantee that you won't get in trouble with the law. Every situation is different, just understand ahead of time that whenever you get involved in a deadly force situation, you will most likely need to justify your actions down the line. If you are able to articulate to the police or a judge your reasoning for your actions, it will benefit you.

I've seen forums where some folks advise to not talk to the police until you get a lawyer if involved in a deadly force situation. It's their choice, I hope they understand that will probably lead to arrest and booking for the most grievous crime apparent at the scene. Then, you can call a lawyer from jail - or a family member who will contact one for you - but that still leaves you with an arrest record for...? ADW... Attempted Murder... Murder?

Understand as best as possible what criminals do, understand how the responses you carry in your "toolbox" are percieved by the legal system in your area and plan and train accordingly.

Any device, whether firearm or slungshot, doesn't guarantee a successful outcome of an incident or freedom from prosecution.
I just don't see how someone can promote a device like this without also presenting it's shortcomings, limitations and legal implications. You may be talking to folks here with little knowledge of what occurs on the street and in the courtroom and giving them false hope.

The right to self-defense comes with responsibilities.

This is just my .02, I'm no expert. This device may be new to a lot of folks and I'm just trying to provide some things for them to process for a more informed decision.

I hear you. I'm not marketing any device however. I'm just showing pics of something I came up with that I think is very cool, and took the time to make a video so folks can learn some new knots.

I'm gonna to take out the steel ball now however and replace it with marshmallows. that way if I'm ever lost in the woods, I'll have paracord for shelter and marshmallows for smores.

[thumbsup :D]

Here's the first one I actually made with a decorative stopper after someone suggested I try; its the double matthew walker knot. I like this knot (lower right in photo) and use it to end my firesteel paracord sheath, and to end my alice pack paracord handle; it is solid and just a perfect 'bump in the road' to prevent loss of the loop through the manrope knot. This is also the first I braided spiral rather than diamond on the 4-strand round braid:

above are two just finished next to each other with the double matthew walker stopper knot on the grey one, and the double wall knot on the tan one. I like both stoppers.

Made a series of "modular" monkeys fists. From large to small in red 1.5", 1" and 3/4" steel balls. Lots of people have suggested bolas, so I've been reading up on them and making some balls. Some say three balls with two of equal weight and one lighter. Other styles are just two equal weight balls. I'm thinking I can try different combinations as long as I make two of each.


The black one is a 3/4" ball made entirely with gutted paracord. I did my best to keep the monkey fist "clean" looking, but gutted paracord is not the best for a monkeys fist! The final result is quite smaller than the red 3/4" one made with intact strands.

The last quote makes the most sense to me because I believe the slungshot back in the olden days wasn't used the way you guys describe it, like some kind of flail.
Instead, the most effective way was as a weapon of surprise.
Basically the slungshot man simply threw the ball/shot at his victim and used the line/cord to retrieve the weapon for another go if necessary (or used it as a flail for the continuation of the attack).

As a weapon of surprise it was most likely more common with the shadier characters about town which is probably why it was banned just about everywhere.

thanks for the input robs; its an interesting conversation to say the least. I'm wondering if this necklace / lanyard I made fits the legal definition of a slung shot? I'd never even heard the term when I made it LOL.

Steel saints rockin their lanyards! Thanks to Big Al from Birmingham for the idea, and the pics!

You almost make me wish I has a little weight and and longer cord on the monkey fist on my keychain! Of course, I use it as a key holder rather than for defense. Tuck the monkey fist through your belt loop and your keys are secure. Too much weight might be counter productive to that goal. I'd hate to end up with an embarassing plumber's butt.

Just say no to crack.

yeah, thats definitely a concern LOL

I'm calling this the "door knocker"; 3/4" steel bearing, gutted paracord, 12" lanyard (4 strand round braid); attached to key ring via snake knot. Similar to black one I posted a bit ago.

This is a version of the Steel Saints Lanyard, revised for a 1" steel ball insert (vs. the 1.5" ball). I've made this for the sensei of a martial arts academy in Texas, and I'm working on some non-adjustable versions for his students. The difference and size and weight between the 1" and 1.5" steel balls is substantial. Swinging the smaller ball just does not feel right, sort of like swinging a golf club with a low swing weight. As in golf club design, the feel can be adjusted to preference by adding weight to the club head, or reducing the weight of the shaft. Also, with the smaller monkeys fist, I don't want huge knots, throwing off the aesthetic balance of the piece. For these reasons, I've made the following refinements to the design of the Texas Saints Martial Arts Lanyard:

1. The braid is made thinner to reduce weight and wind resistance by incorporating the second color (black) as a gutted strand of paracord.
2. The manrope knot is done with two rather than three passes (also using the gutted paracord)

I hope to try this on a water jug pinata soon to see the difference.

I seriously question the wisdom of giving something like this to kid in martial arts to wear. What a great big, honking thing to grab and choke the wearer with. By the time a student would be in a position of using it, they would be in a position of being choked by it. Bad idea on the sensei's part.

I say this as a holder of a Black Belt.

YMMV

My $.02

these will be carried on the belt, coiled like a whip. not around the neck.

Here is the student version, not adjustable. Same overall length and 1" ball hitting a 1 gallon jug of water. Picture is in the video. Compare to the impact of the 1.5" ball!

‪Paracordist's: Texas Saints ...;rlm; - YouTube

This is the student version of what will officially be named the "TKMA Self Defense Lanyard". It has all the design details of the adjustable gold/black from a few posts ago, except it is not adjustable. These have been designed at the request of the general manager and lead instructor of the Texins Karate Martial Arts school (in Texas of course). I'm excited because they will become part of a weapons training course specific to this item! Students will have this version, and instructors will have the adjustable lanyard style versions. They will send me some videos of these being used in demos down the road, I can't wait.

TKMA, fixed length black and gold

Both Steel Saints on the bikes appear EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE. If the Monkey Knots fail, both are carrying handguns and extra ammo.

A new place for them, more effective than fuzzy dice in self defense. with nothing else available this could be used to bust out the window in an emergency. Just don't stop short and bust the windshield.