Jamie

Looks good carl, we need to get a good close up of the eye and bury to see how smooth it is. Stitched eyes have a number of benefits. it's done by machine and each stitched eye is therefore identical and machines don't generally have bad days, make as many mistakes etc like pople there is no extra cord to fatten and stiffen up the cord i'm sure insurance companies and LOLER prefers stitched eyes the downpoints involve loss of human craftsmanship. Large scale commercial splicing is slowly making way for solid eyes with the rope wedged into the eye. Of special note Carl for the project you have just completed is that Samson recomend a minimum distance of 5 Fid Lengths between the extraction point on eye eye slings made from doublebraid. that would mean that on your 9mm cord you should have a distance of 945mm between eyes. (a fid length is 21 times rope diameter, 9 x 21 = 189, 189 x 5= 945) here is a link, scroll down to the minimum lengths section i use Yales whiplock to stitch them as i think it looks nicer and is easier to inspect. i've had no damage to any of it. Jamie

I was told that they are the basics and if you can tie them you can work a tree. every other knot is just refining and improving the system. Jamie

I think that list is pretty good, it takes everything you need to do and compiles it into one list. Safety is everyones concern. It's a list to aspire to and also to work with. Jamie

my only problem with roping out big bits is that it's all very well getting it out of the tree quicksmart but then the poor guys on the ground then have to shift and sort out a huge bit of wood. Jamie

if you can try to smooth out the braid at the throat of teh eye. massage it away from teh eye, get some whipping (a whip lock) or a lock stitch in it. we can't really see the taper and how smooth it is. a smooth taper is stronger, suden changes in diameter reduce the rope strength Jamie

I used to sport some dodgy goatee type thing (did it for a past girlfriend, young fooolish foolish love) brother in law said at a family christmas dinner with my dads family 'i have hair like that, just not on my head' Jamie

i've heard fast tracs don't like heavy PTO use Jamie

I do, every day i stretch up and take my harness off the hook, bend over and do up my spikes then i'm good to go. Jamie

for some instructions that are more indepth try the samson class 2 doublebraid eye splice. they are based on core dependant ropes. i find samsons instructions the easiest to follow and the most in depth Jamie

2 eyes, cord 68.5cm long very nice cord, the lucky winners will be very happy i hope Jamie

well done bob you beat me to the post. Jamie

moi:blushing: R+D honey Jamie

Just to whet your appetite. Its a nice feeling cord, quite stiff yet flexible. It has a blended technora and polyester sheath over a dyneema and kevlar core. Jamie

I like our 575, nice to use. bestest feature in my eyes is the slightly chunkier front handle. Jamie

thats the kind of hint and tip i was after Jamie

it was your 'tennex on the inside and something else on the outside' statement that threw me. i do like the hammer in you avatar though Jamie

like i mentioned above a winch up front is great for self rescue stick a hook eye and some sliders and drag chains and it becomes a mini skidder. Jamie

i was under the impression teh wraps gripped and the braids kept the shape of the hitch nad almost buffered the load. What is tenex stuff i had some beeline just its a tad expensive. i've been toying with getting some marine samson stuff, its a technora core with a poly cover but thats a different thread. Jamie

ok, well as i ahve some regate to hand i'll be using that, i may take the marlow braid out and see how it works. what function do the braids and wraps do and which is best to alter jamie

i like the one my boss has, e have a pto chipper, pto winch and a butt plate up front oh and a chip box, they are not without their problems and they are a bit of a comprimise but i like it Jamie

i've tied a Vt in regate and it seems ol. i got some Marlow marine doublebraid ages ago and the core and sheath were so badly balanced i was able to splice it one handed. The Marlow braid is really stiff tying it loose and tugging it it won't bite but the regate will. Advice on wraps and braids? why is the regate crap cord while you advocate the marlow doublebraid? Jamie

from all you VT users any advice tips etc? i've got some 10mm regate and 10mm marlowbraid spare i can play with to be used on 13mm 16 strand. the regate is quite supple and the marlowbraid is quite stiff. any advice on how they hold or the minimum wraps and braids to take. figured with my fancy ropeguide i've been using for about a year now i might as well back it up with a fancy hitch. and start moving quicker. Jamie

but it was far from being all over the shop. top marks for a good eye Jamie

both pairs have lasted about 18 months, a few rips around the ankles and the odd small pull here and there but nothing a needle and thread wont fix. Jamie

I'm not able to offer anything but what other skills do you have that might be of use to an employer. driving licence held etc. I started in a similar situation to you. Good luck Jamie