Multiple Brummels
 

I've read or heard somewhere that three brummels in a row in HM line is as good as a splice. Anyone tested this? If so, what are the pros and cons compared with a 72-diameter bury? And if three brummels, would you still hide the end by burying? How about a taper in it? The advantage I can see it that it makes a far shorter splice than a standard long bury.
Thanks in advance,
Ben

Not quite
 

Hi,
From my tests, with New England Rope and Cortland Cable, three Brummels, properly stacked, can get upwards of 75% efficiency. Improperly stacked, they're lucky to hit 50%. The trick is making tucks such that all of the Brummels share the load; too much or too little distance between them makes for weakness.
This configuration is meant to be a field expedient, where tools for a long bury might not be available, and/or the relative load is known to be low, relative to rope strength, and/or rope fairness is not an issue, and/or there isn't enough rope length for the real deal. So think of this as a Bowline for Spectra, good enough for many applications, but make a proper splice when you need to maximize the potential strength and smoothness of the rope.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

Thanks a million, Brion!
Ben