Pendants

[Tedder]

My boat is a Southern Cross 31 cutter. I need to make two pendants (pennants) to allow two new jibs to clear the bow pulpit and life lines. The ones on my other sails are 5/16" steel wire, 24" long, one end spliced into the tack.
I cannot work with wire, so I thought to make them out of some NE Rope 3/8" double-braid I have. I have practiced with some loose ends. I find that the first eye splice is easy enough, but I cannot get enough slack to fully bury the cover on the second splice. Brion calls for a 24 x diameter bury, but Samson only asks for a 21 x diameter bury, which makes me think I could probably cheat even more since I believe my rope is plenty strong to hold the jibs.
How much can I reduce the recommended eye splice dimensions and still make a reasonably strong splice?
Any ideas how to make these pendants?

[Jim Fulton]

I made a pendant for my genoa using thimbles and Nicopress sleeves. The sleeves and the protruding ends of the wire rope are covered with amalgamating rigging tape. I don't remember the size wire that I used--probably 3/16." 5/16" sounds unnecessarily heavy to me.

Jim Fulton

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
If you have to cheat tail length, it is one indication that the material is wrong for the job; reducing tail below 21d. means reducing security to a leve that a smaller size of rope could handle, so why not use a smaller rope?
Better yet, make a grommet in Spectra, or a pendant with multiple Brummels. Both will be easier to work with than wire, and probably be even stronger than wire.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Tedder]

Brion,
If I understand you correctly, I make, say, a 24" grommet out of 1/4" Spectra. Then, can I push it through the jib's clew and into itself to fasten, then lead it down to a shackle on deck without any thimbles? If so, that would simplify my job immensely!