theXman

No. I was working on building an ultimate basal lowering device and searching for components to build it. When searching the antal site, I found the rings and bought them to try them out. BUT, in 2012 or 13 when there was an upset on a forum in the USA (when some acted like I was ripping people off by re-branding); it caused me to research on google the words ANTAL and LOW FRICTION ring to see if anyone else in tree work ever talked about the rings and I found that very same thread at that time. Interesting. Someone pointed it out that they might be good and only 3 or so people had some interest and then it was dropped. (gotta run, I'll check forum later tonight or tomorrow)

To go along with my friction article I wrote, I threw together a video. With so much going on, it's hard to find any time, so this video could have been much better; but who knows when I would ever have finished it. (I have videos I started over 2 years ago, just waiting for me to ever get some time.) This is not an entertainment video; it is for those that want to see how we are using the rings and also how we use the X-Rigging THT. To those that say they would never trust using X-Rigging Rings for large heavy wood; I would say that during my ignorance 3 years ago, I would have likely said the same thing. Now, using them exclusively for big wood over the past year, I'll never go back to a block for big wood lowering ever again. (Even I was slow to try them when it came to the BIG negative rigging; I was so use to using blocks for most of my whole career). [ame] [/ame]

Hi ArbTalk people. Some acquaintances told me about this video and this thread on arbtalk. Good job explaining Reg. Some of the same topics XRR users have been trying to pass on for several years now, but it sure helps when someone well known explains it in their own words. I respect you more and more. I know you are associated with certain products, but these rings have nothing to do with you, so it shows me that you care about other's safety and you want to truly give useful information to your subscribers. I'm sorry to say this, but I always thought you only gave a review of a product or did a video when it had monetary value in it for you. Now I see first-hand that you don’t have to be associated with a product to share information on it. I’m sorry I thought that; I just figured you would not have time unless you were paid to do so, we all gotta work. The X-Rigging Rings are not a hyped up tool. The more that people actually try them out, the more they will become the main tool people will go to when rigging down trees. No exaggeration. That’s just what is going to happen. I'm a small tree service owner and very small arborist supply company owner. I was told in the beginning that rigging tools are very slow to spread the news and sell. Good climbing products spread fast and sell fast, but not rigging tools. Well, I tried to change that and these rings have spread in popularity quite fast. It has been very expensive to do so; testing, shows, testing, expos, testing, giving away samples and testing and filming. Now if a product was crap, no matter how much money and time I put into promoting it, it would fail. These X-Rigging Rings are no failure, they are growing in popularity because they are truly a better tool to be using. It looks like Paul that works in Japan tried to put the friction in words, he tried to show a scale, instead of using % he might have been more understood if he used numbers. Say, 10 being natural crotch rigging. 0 being a pulley/block. These rings are around a 2 to a 3 in that scale on friction. I would agree with this. Lots of questions on where to purchase them in European Countries. TreeKit which is a sponsor of this site, I think, has them in stock. They sell them individually and spliced to slings. X-Rigging Ring - Featured Products TreeStuff (a sponser of arbtalk) and Sherrill in the USA also ships worldwide. I kept looking for a reputable distributor in Europe that could take on larger quantities and supply small shops. There must be lots of very small shops all around Europe, because none of them could take on many rings at a time. Some would ask for just 2 rings of each size. This was going to kill me. Then, finally one larger company contacted me from Germany. FreeTree is the arborist tool store, but they are part of a group of climbing schools and they also put out technical articles and perform testing. When I looked into them, they seem to have a passion for arboriculture and want to advance the industry. They also respected the work I invested in using and promoting this type of ring. www.die-nuernberger.info - Translator or the freetree site: X-Rigging Ring - 38x28 mm They expect to have their completed SLING configurations on-line THIS week; any day now. They have had the rings for a long time now, but they wanted to do testing and gets things just right. We supply any supporter with the information we have learned over the years, we send them sling designs, videos, advertising material and advice. Antal in Italy makes the X-Rigging Rings for us. They are not experts in arborist rigging operations, they are experts in marine/sailing tools. I put their rings to use in my tree service in 2011. After seeing how great they performed, I asked if I could introduce them to my industry and I would educate, test and determine the safe working practices for them. In turn, they imprint them as X-RIGGING RINGS. The X is for my social media name; The X man. Also for Xtreme Arborist supply, the arb supply company I started. About a year later we asked antal if they would make a larger ring, the extra large beast 38x28 ring. I gave them the dimensions and they said yes and produced it. Now, you see me write the word “supporter” at times when I talk about companies that sell the X-Rigging Rings. What I mean by this is people or companies that recognized that I put a lot into this and want to sell the rings marked X-Rigging Rings. Yes, the antal marked ring is physically the same exact ring except for the lettering on it. I would assume that if there was an accident or some problem with antal marked rings used in arborist rigging; they might immediately say that it was not used in sail rigging as they were intended for. I’m not saying they would try to weasel out of it. I’m just saying THAT would be the probable, honest reaction, because it’s being used in a way that they don’t have experience with. They are a very stand up reputable company that makes high quality gear, they are in the marine industry. The antal marked rings and the X-Rigging Ring prices should be near the very same. Whether you get them wholesale as a distributor or whether you are an individual buying one ring from an arb store. So, why not get the ones marked X-Rigging Rings and support the guy that put effort into them? I have learned that in the modern day product business, there are few with honesty and integrity. As soon as some big businesses learned that antal made the X-Rigging Rings, they tried to cut me out and see if they could get rings straight from antal cheaper. All the work I did, all the money invested. Not even a thanks. Luckily the North American antal distributor is honest and has integrity. They respected the work I put into these X-Rigging Rings and told the arb stores to work with me. Now in Europe it’s going through that phase right now. Some want to use the marked X-Rigging Rings, some didn’t even ask for my pricing and assumed if they bought marine rings they were getting a better price. I picked the X-Rigging Rings as the first major product because it was already being made and the easiest to take on. I learned that even the “easiest” is NOT EASY. But we are doing it. The THT is my own designed product and I have a lot more products to bring from paper to product. Only supporters will get these new products, I guarantee that. After seeing the benefit of some friction in the rings, I wanted more friction and created a “top-of-the-tree” friction device. The THT. I wrote an article a few months ago on ‘Where Should Friction Be in our Rigging Systems?’. ArbClimber Magazine will post it in their spring issue magazine. I think it’s issue 7. I wish it would be published sooner, because it touches on the many things discussed in this thread. The old strops, friction, how much rope is being used, etc.

You are correct. THAT IS the business that I feel is true to advancing arboriculture and not being a greedy corporation. That IS the business; FREETREE, that I shared our knowledge with and supplied X-Rigging Rings to. (Also, most pages translate to English, just right click on them.) The rings and slings will be displayed soon I'm sure. TreeKit is an awesome growing business and it would be great if you UK guys gave them support. I failed on my deadline of my story today for you. I shall try to post a short story tomorrow. Today was clustered with different unscheduled events. I offer a picture from this season in return:

Thanks for notifying me of this thread Merle. A lot going on behind the scenes and it would be good for me to tell you all. It's going to take me a bit to write it up and I hope I can explain well, I've been very sick for a month and anything I try to do is exhausting right now. In short for the moment; FreeTree in Germany has come fourth to be a supporter and main distributor for European Countries and Russia for the marked X-Rigging Rings. (this has been created over the last 3 or 4 months) and they have a large supply of XRRs in stock. I will explain why we choose to do business with them and lots more. Plus my story of who I am and why I promoted these antal rings with markings of X-Rigging Rings. Worse case, I should have this information written up and posted by tomorrow night. My family is leaving for a small vacation tomorrow and I'm staying behind due to being sick and work on these types of things; so I better spend some time with them before they leave. FreeTree Is the good guys They are also very willing to supply small shops with rings or complete spliced rings with slings a good prices.

someone has been writing me asking for breaking strength of the XRRs, I've responded via email three times and they still can't see this chart. So I'm trying it here because others might ask anyway.

Kevin, Your Avatar picture is similarly irritating to some of my pictures I post:

Mike, I have a few OLD tutorials on my youtube channel that show some of the basics and thoughts. Most of it is still decent material for getting started. I dare not watch it myself, because I don't like watching myself explain things. We have progressed way past these tutorials, but I have not made a new video yet to show what we are up to. I will get back to the videos this winter. my youtube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/user/thexmanjdd then click on LOAD MORE at the bottom of the page to find more videos I uploaded. Then do it again, etc.

Kevin, as you all say, "Cheers mate".

this one? Or is there a different book in the UK? This is the one here in the USA. I'm proud that i was a small part of it. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Practices-Rigging-Arboriculture-Industry-Association/dp/B005NHW4IQ[/ame] some of my pictures and diagrams I drew were included in it. Actually that's me on the front cover upper left too

So, out of curiosity just now, I clicked on treequiped's link he posted for antal rings. the biggest ring I found useable for rigging on the marine site was what we call the medium ring. The 20mmx14mm. We hardly ever use a ring this small at work. But that doesn't matter, anyway the marine site he linked sells it for 15.65. TreeKit lists it as 14.31. so, where are they marking it up for arb use? Or am I missing something? Looks like treekit is selling them too cheap to me. The marine site looks low priced at first, but that's because they are quoting the tiny ring. The 7mmx5mm. Anyway, I just thought i had to speak up for them when i looked up the numbers just now. If you find that I'm wrong, let me know.

Hey Kevin, When treekit or others get THE X-Rigging Rings from Xtreme Arborist supply, they should be very competitive prices, due to the low cost we can supply them for. We have lots of experience and testing with the rings and have insurance on the products we sell. Arborist work is quite different than the sailing industry and we help set up stores with the knowledge that we have learned over the years and our past sling designs. If there is a difference in prices that you are seeing at the moment; there are reasons for it I'm sure. It is likely costing them a good bit to get them. When they get the ones imprinted for the arborist industry (that includes with us backing them up), they should be selling at very competitive prices compared to the marine industry. Hold tight, be patient. Support the Arb people.

Hey Kevin, No, it should not have a higher Arb pricetag. Actually, TreeKit should be getting them at a lower price from us. Let me find an old thread maybe that explains the history so that I do not have to write it all again.