Welcome to all, and thank you for stopping by to look over
my wares. I have been doing fancy-work on-and-off for
over fifty years, ever since I was initially taught it by an
old sailor who lived quite close to me. I used the know-
ledge through my Navy days and have now taken it up again
as a full-time business.
I make belts, lanyards, wheel-coverings, tiller-wraps, hand-
rail wraps, bellropes of varying complexity, instrument
straps, camera straps, luggage slings.... if you can do it with
a piece of line, I've probably either made it or seen it. I
can do MacNamara's lace and mast skirts, but
they tend to get verrrry expensive due to the
great amount of time involved.
Belts are "made-to-length" (although I do keep some standard-length belts
on hand) and vary from simple squareknots throughout, to ten-diamond
designs, open and filled diamonds, chevrons and crosses, etc., etc. Prices
run from $120.00 for a small plain belt up through the roof for specialty
items. I also can make suspenders (galluses) and oneexample is on the
knotpics page.
Wheels are coxcombed along the rim of the wheel (aesthetically, I prefer to leave the spokes un-flemished as it
produces a 'floating' effect on the rim fancywork, but if you wish, I can also do work on them as well) and can
either be done at my location (if you ship me a wheel to work on) or I can travel to your location to do the work.
(See page for details)
Earrings, Rings and Buttons, Necklaces and wristlets are just that: cumshaw* work for those who want to
'knock-'em-dead' at the yacht club or marina. They pack a lotta bang for the buck in that respect.
Instrument straps and instrument decoration are a specialty. Guitar, Mandolin and Autoharp straps are all min.
2-1/2 in. wide and can go to 5 inches, but the price is exponential to size. Saxophone straps are highly useful and
very strong, and they're a vibrant change from the usual 'black piece of string" that most guys use. (page coming
soon) Turksheads on flutes, etc., are most impressive.I also do canes, walking sticks and walking staffs.
As long as we're talking about instruments, I play Irish mandolin (less so now than previously) and have
done something rather special for those who love irish music but cannot READ music: go HERE for
information on this project and to acquire a CD of the tunes involved. I think you'll be impressed!
Bellropes and Boatswain's Lanyards are also a speciality. If you've a certain design you want, just let me know.
Professions which use hand tools (Geologists, Archaeologists, Surveyors, Building Trades) can also benefit from
having some fancy-work cast onto the handles or heads of their tools: They improve your grip and serve to
identify your tool immediately, as well as being a mark of pride.
Thanks again for stopping! Go poke around a bit and I bet you'll find something you like. If you have any
questions on anything here, please EMAIL me. Also, if you see any ERRORS on the page (overlapping text, bad
links, egregious exhibitions of my stupidity, mis-spleeings) PLEASE let me know so I can fix it.
Vince Brennan
The Frayed Knot Knut
*cumshaw: From the Chinese "kahm shia" or "grateful thanks" GI's used candy and nylons
(Gee... you still here?)
Well, since you are, let me switch hats to my non-commercial one and talk a bit about the LIBRARY section of
the site.
In there you will find pictures of fancywork and other nautical-type items (mostly handmade) which occupied the
time of a great many sailor-men during the age of sail. When you were on a whale-ship and looking at four years
before you returned to your home port, and sometimes six months between landfalls, it was next to impossible to
stay occupied and sane, especially when you consider that a whaler carried more men than were necessary to just
work the ship, so most men either did scrimshaw with scraps of whalebone from their harvests or, more rarely,
fancy knotwork. Admittedly, I tend toward the knotwork. Go visit.
There are also pages on Tutorials on making ropework, pages devoted to just one knottyer's work, pages for
knottyers who have gone on to Fiddler's Green and so forth... it's an interesting place I've got here and you'll
never know just what you may find in the orlop!
my wares. I have been doing fancy-work on-and-off for
over fifty years, ever since I was initially taught it by an
old sailor who lived quite close to me. I used the know-
ledge through my Navy days and have now taken it up again
as a full-time business.
I make belts, lanyards, wheel-coverings, tiller-wraps, hand-
rail wraps, bellropes of varying complexity, instrument
straps, camera straps, luggage slings.... if you can do it with
a piece of line, I've probably either made it or seen it. I
can do MacNamara's lace and mast skirts, but
they tend to get verrrry expensive due to the
great amount of time involved.
Belts are "made-to-length" (although I do keep some standard-length belts
on hand) and vary from simple squareknots throughout, to ten-diamond
designs, open and filled diamonds, chevrons and crosses, etc., etc. Prices
run from $120.00 for a small plain belt up through the roof for specialty
items. I also can make suspenders (galluses) and oneexample is on the
knotpics page.
Wheels are coxcombed along the rim of the wheel (aesthetically, I prefer to leave the spokes un-flemished as it
produces a 'floating' effect on the rim fancywork, but if you wish, I can also do work on them as well) and can
either be done at my location (if you ship me a wheel to work on) or I can travel to your location to do the work.
(See page for details)
Earrings, Rings and Buttons, Necklaces and wristlets are just that: cumshaw* work for those who want to
'knock-'em-dead' at the yacht club or marina. They pack a lotta bang for the buck in that respect.
Instrument straps and instrument decoration are a specialty. Guitar, Mandolin and Autoharp straps are all min.
2-1/2 in. wide and can go to 5 inches, but the price is exponential to size. Saxophone straps are highly useful and
very strong, and they're a vibrant change from the usual 'black piece of string" that most guys use. (page coming
soon) Turksheads on flutes, etc., are most impressive.I also do canes, walking sticks and walking staffs.
As long as we're talking about instruments, I play Irish mandolin (less so now than previously) and have
done something rather special for those who love irish music but cannot READ music: go HERE for
information on this project and to acquire a CD of the tunes involved. I think you'll be impressed!
Bellropes and Boatswain's Lanyards are also a speciality. If you've a certain design you want, just let me know.
Professions which use hand tools (Geologists, Archaeologists, Surveyors, Building Trades) can also benefit from
having some fancy-work cast onto the handles or heads of their tools: They improve your grip and serve to
identify your tool immediately, as well as being a mark of pride.
Thanks again for stopping! Go poke around a bit and I bet you'll find something you like. If you have any
questions on anything here, please EMAIL me. Also, if you see any ERRORS on the page (overlapping text, bad
links, egregious exhibitions of my stupidity, mis-spleeings) PLEASE let me know so I can fix it.
Vince Brennan
The Frayed Knot Knut
*cumshaw: From the Chinese "kahm shia" or "grateful thanks" GI's used candy and nylons
(Gee... you still here?)
Well, since you are, let me switch hats to my non-commercial one and talk a bit about the LIBRARY section of
the site.
In there you will find pictures of fancywork and other nautical-type items (mostly handmade) which occupied the
time of a great many sailor-men during the age of sail. When you were on a whale-ship and looking at four years
before you returned to your home port, and sometimes six months between landfalls, it was next to impossible to
stay occupied and sane, especially when you consider that a whaler carried more men than were necessary to just
work the ship, so most men either did scrimshaw with scraps of whalebone from their harvests or, more rarely,
fancy knotwork. Admittedly, I tend toward the knotwork. Go visit.
There are also pages on Tutorials on making ropework, pages devoted to just one knottyer's work, pages for
knottyers who have gone on to Fiddler's Green and so forth... it's an interesting place I've got here and you'll
never know just what you may find in the orlop!
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