Attaching fobs and/or zipper pulls

[Generic Industries]

I am having some fob trouble. Well, problems with fobs. Foblems?

I'm looking for some tethering, knotting or attachment solutions from the forum.

Recently picked up a new bag and while I like how the TB pulls fit and lay flat – without loose ends or exposed knots – the plastic bit is not ideal.

Looking for something soft and smooth I made some fobs from curly walnut. I tried a few methods for attaching them but I'm not 100% satisfied.

An early attempt was to use a split key ring. This one was chrome.



The chrome was too shiny. So I darkened it with some gun blue.



The action on the pull wasn't great with the split key ring.

I tried a few different methods using paracord. Here's what I finally settled on. I'm not thrilled with the knot near the zipper slider. It can interfere a bit with operation of the zipper.



In the near future I will try a few options to eliminate the knots. Using the same walnut pulls, paracord and piece of heat shrink tube. Or the paracord, the walnut and a bit of copper wire wrapped tight and neat.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

[AlaskaGirl]

Greetings,
Would a decorative knot between the zipper pull and the wood be acceptable? Let me know and I'll see what knots might work. elisa

[Generic Industries]

Yes, that would be ideal. I'm not very well versed on knots and regrettably I got rid of my copy of The Ashley Book of Knots.

[haraya]

Could you braid the paracord (maybe with a slightly thinner gauge of paracord) a little ways, to act as a spacer between the end of the fob and the tip of the zipper, but with a little bit more play than a solid knot? And then knot it next to the fob.

I'm also thinking about a fob with two holes, one on each end, similar to how zipper pulls have two openings that you can thread paracord through. I'm not sure exactly how it would work - because then you might also cover up more of the wood, which would be a shame since the tactility of the wood is part of the appeal.

The walnut fobs make me think of netsuke. Have you read The Hare with Amber Eyes?

[Generic Industries]

I like the idea of a knot between the zipper pull and the fob, that could work.

I'm unfamiliar with netsuke, I'll have to do some research and see if I can borrow some tethering methods. And I haven't read The Hare with the Amber Eyes. Sounds like a terrifying and interesting story.

[AlaskaGirl]

Greetings,
I have four ideas.

The easiest knot I can come up with is the Cobra Knot. I don't like the "singe the ends" part myself, but it will work. I can make a demo zipper pull and have photos up on Wednesday.

Another possibility is to work any secure knot between the fob and the pull, then cover it with a Turks Head or Woggle. There are many videos available for these knots.

A Whipping or Sliding Knot could work, but I'd hesitate to use it. The repeated stress on the knot every time you open and close the zipper might cause the knot to fail.

The last idea is a knot that will look like a Diamond Knot or Lanyard Knot, but it's worked over a two strand core. It would only require one strand for the entire thing. While I can show you how to make this knot in person, I don't have a video. I'll see if I can explain it with text and photos.

Figuring out what knots might work in this configuration has been fun. The challenge has been to find a fob similar to your wooden toggle. I'll substitute something, but your fobs are lovely! elisa

[ejvc]

I am not a knot person. But, if I were trying to do what you have, I would put the larks head at the zipper end, not the fob end, and then tie the knot behind the fob hole. It's OK if the fob moves up and down the cords, isn't it?

Hopefully someone will show some other ideas!

[Generic Industries]

Figuring out what knots might work in this configuration has been fun. The challenge has been to find a fob similar to your wooden toggle. I'll substitute something, but your fobs are lovely! elisa

Thanks, Elisa. I really appreciate it! I'll take a look into these knots and see what suits me.

It's OK if the fob moves up and down the cords, isn't it?

Yep! That would be fine. Now to start looking into Elisa's suggestions and tying and re-tying and trying and re-trying.

I'm not a knot person myself, not that I could not become one.

[haraya]

Re: netsuke, this link talks about how the cord holes were carved to be different sizes. The bigger hole was designed to be large enough to hide the knot. So depending on the shape of the fob, and the size of the knot, this could be a nifty adaptation!

I like the idea of a knot between the zipper pull and the fob, that could work.

I'm unfamiliar with netsuke, I'll have to do some research and see if I can borrow some tethering methods. And I haven't read The Hare with the Amber Eyes. Sounds like a terrifying and interesting story.

The Hare with Amber Eyes is not viscerally scary, although it's an account about how one family flees persecution (and manages to preserve a family treasure). But it is a lovely and well-written book.

[AlaskaGirl]

Now to start looking into Elisa's suggestions and tying and re-tying and trying and re-trying.

If you can wait, I'll have photos. I'm busy today, but I've got the knots and the zipper pull parts all sorted. If anyone wants to try a challenging one, a Matthew Walker Knot will work, too. elisa

[AlaskaGirl]

Greetings,
Here is the Cobra Knot version. I used 15 inches of paracord, the thinner/smaller stuff.

Thread the zipper pull like this:



And snug it up tight:



Now thread the fob. I'm substituting a plastic tab, but any fob or bead with a hole will work:



Make that first Cobra tie as tight as you can. I found it to be fiddly doing it by myself, so it might be easier if someone was hold the fob. A quick search and you should be able to find a YouTube video of the Cobra Knot. Let me know if I need to provide a link.

Here are two photos of my results:






The last step would be to cut the ends and singe/melt them. I'm not keeping this zipper pull, so I'm not going to singe the ends.

Any questions? elisa

[Generic Industries]

Wow, Elisa, that is really cool! I'll give it a try as soon as I get the chance.

Thanks for thinking this up and making time to demonstrate.

[moriond]

@Generic industries,

Just a quick note that when Elisa says that she “used 15 inches of paracord, the thinner/smaller stuff”, I believe she means 425 weight paracord, instead of the more common 550 weight. (You can see the explanation that I gave in part of an earlier post which includes pictures and links

https://forums.tombihn.com/general-b...tml#post173757

HTH

moriond

[AlaskaGirl]

Greetings,
It's "95 paracord". The VERY thin stuff, just like the cord that comes with the Tom Bihn zipper pulls.

Moriond, thanks for catching that. I meant to include it! elisa

[moriond]

Greetings,
It's "95 paracord". The VERY thin stuff, just like the cord that comes with the Tom Bihn zipper pulls.

Moriond, thanks for catching that. I meant to include it! elisa

Ahhh… thanks for the additional information and correction.

moriond