New to Riggers site

[prioritytree]

Hello I am a newbie here. I am also an arborist by trade. Before that I worked in a boat yard in Sausalito CA having dreams of making boats with hand tools but I ended up scraping hulls with toxic paint and using a torch.
I still love sailing, but more of a windsurfer. I know the basic principals of tacking and the wind clock and all.
But I have a question here now friends, I have been splicing my own rope and before I bought my Toss Wand from Sherrill back in the 90's.
I have Brion's original video on Splicing New England Safety Blue, (whew that is tuff stuff) I find Samson's Blue streak the easiest to splice, (for a Tree Climbers rope).

But now I am looking at getting some of this new "Vortex" rope (the fatter version of Velocity) by Samson also.
So will the same basic formula I use on Brion's original video work? Or has there been a new update on the formula and technique for ropes like, Vortex or Velocity?

I searched the forum first and I did find the thread on Velocity and the overlap question.
But I just wanted to double check.

-Thanks , Scott

[Brion Toss]

Hello and welcome,
Yep, 16-strand is tough stuff, but Vortex is a different construction, and should be much easier for you. That's because it takes a normal old double-braid splice (what Samson calls a "Class I"). The cover taper will be a bit different, as the braid is so coarse; you'll remove whole strands, well-spaced. But the principle is the same.
In any event I am glad you asked about this, because much stress and many accidents are attributable to doing the wrong splice for a given rope. Always ID the rope and find out how it is meant to be spliced, before splicing.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[prioritytree]

Thanks Brion,
So I assume from your reply that the method for 16 strand will work just tapering the cover is a little different.
I guess you are saying just use some commons sense.
I have the old VHS of your instructional video from the 90's, on splicing. (btw, I have done at least 20 blind eye splices of 16 strand rope, about 6 with safety blue, 1 poison ivy, and the rest Blue Streak.) I have replaced the snag loop for the wand only once, I converted to the new synthetic stuff.

I converted the VHS to a mpeg.4 file so I could put it on my computer and save it on my hard drive. As no one I know has VHS players anymore, that work at least.

Since it took so long to convert to a mp4 I only saved the, 3 strand splice onto a chain, and of course the Arborist blind eye splice, for 16 strand braid over core rope.
I still have the old vhs kicking around somewhere.
I should get the whole thing converted over to digital. I might need some of those maritime rope splicing techniques, maybe the class 1 braid on braid method is there and I did not notice it.
thanks
-Scott

[Brion Toss]

No, no, no,
Sorry if I wasn't clear. 16-strand is its own splice, nothing like the conventional "double-braid" splice. There are lots of ropes with a core and a cover, but they don't all take the same splice, and disaster can result if you put the wrong splice into a rope meant for a different one. Please look up the specific splice for your rope. If you are not sure what it should be, post a picture of the rope,or send me a sample, and I will tell you.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss