Forums > Technical Discussion > monkey fists

Posted: 22nd Apr 2003
https://www.realknots.com/knots/faqknot.htm

they are kinda fun to make, but a bit time consuming....

just made my first pair, actually. i used 5/8" kevlar rope so they came out HUGE. can't wait to try them out

Posted: 23rd Apr 2003
what did you use for the core?...i'm thinking of making some for myself, but i have no idea what i should use for the core, and seeing as how you said you made your own, i figured i may as well ask...it can't hurt...anywho...yeah.
Josphin

Posted: 25th Apr 2003
I don't think you need a central core, I made some last night out of abseil rope to practice with and they came out pretty damn good even if I do say it myself.

Dilbert's Words of Wisdom -
I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow is not looking good either!
You are slower than a herd of turtles stampedeing through peanut butter!

Oh yeah.... Don't tell the ants

Posted: 25th Apr 2003
yeah like chorin said you can just leave it hollow but i would imagine (and i have yet to properly mount and try the new wicks so i don't know for sure) that if you fill it with cotton or some such absorbent material (like towel wicks that really old school people like sage use) it would give you a super long burn...i've seen towel wicks burn for like 15-20 minutes....

Posted: 27th Apr 2003
15-20 minutes??

Now thats a long burn!!

Raph

Posted: 30th Apr 2003
Excuse my ignorance... what are towel wicks?

Posted: 1st May 2003
Wicks made out of towel rather than Kevlar.

They only last a few burns...

So much fire, so little body hair...

Posted: 2nd May 2003
Here is an idea I have been knocking around for building monkeyfist poi heads.

use a bit of leftover kevlar rope as the core, and for an attachment point for your chains, make a loop of 1/8 inch aircraft cable, with both ends crimped in sleeves making it a loop and the ends crimped with stops to keep them from pulling thru the sleeve-can get at any good hardware store-

then put the leftover kevlar rope thru your cable loop and tie off a few overhand knots so you have a knotted up bunch of kevlar rope on one side of your loop...
use this as your core of the monkeyfist, only insert it befor you begin the final set of loops when tying the knot, and **important** feed one of the loops of rope thru the loop in the cable so the cable is then tied in and thus securely structured within the knot...finish knot...spin!!

Oh and maybe thread a swivel onto the cable loop before you crimp, so it has swivel attached before putting into the knot.

I'm gonna try this as soon as I get time...let me know if anyone does indeed try this!

PLAY!!!!!

Posted: 2nd May 2003
Hey I have heard that monkey fists are actually illegal in a few countries becuase they are actually used to kill people.

Oh well. Hopefully somebody knows the truth.

When a man lies, he murders some part of the world.

Posted: 8th May 2003
On other threads we have established cathedral wicks are better than tube wicks. I like the way monkey fists look, but my question is which is better for burns: monkey fists or cathedral wicks?

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