Advice on proper knot for replacing bridle lines

[behindThePeak]

Hi All,

I've been reading the forum for a while but this is my first post. I've learned a ton from browsing the history here so i'm hoping someone out there can help with this.

I'm looking for advice on how to replace a piece of my bridle. The pulleys in the bridle for the front lines run along a small section of line secured on either end by lark's head loops. When i bought the kite i thought "neat, an easy way to replace a pulley worn line". Sadly after sufficiently wearing them down I've come to discover that no one actually sells the replacement parts. Bummer; so i'm trying to fashion my own out of a new piece of spectra rope. I can't decide how best to tie the knot on either end so the lark's head loops will hold. When you replace line sections, how do you duplicate the knot?

This is the original knot, standard stuff: looks to me like a simple knot was tied and the tail has been folded over, spliced into the line, then sowed for good measure.



Is the splice and sow step critical? I don't have the skill and local shops are saying it isn't. Can i get away with a simple knot folded over like this? This is on the bridle so i won't be removing it for years (hopefully).



Any advice appreciated. I want to make sure i go with the safest possible repair. If anyone knows of a better knot or method i'm open to that too.

thanks

[Kamikuza]

Bigger pics would help

Splicing and sewing is more or less critical ... but very easy to do.

Get your spectra/amsteel line, tie a knot* in it say 15cm from an end. Splice the end back into the line, sew it.

* knot ... you can do an Overhand knot which is nice and small and neat but give me the willies that the Lark's Head might slip over it. A Figure-8 knot is more bulky but my favourite is a double Overhand knot ... looks nice and isn't as bulky as a Fig-8.

Splicing is easy, plenty of option out there and sewing you can either do by hand or with a machine - the idea behind sewing is to stop the line moving ... probably not critical for this application but always a good idea. Use polyester thread ...

Zacher knot is what you want IIRC what it's called ...

[criznach]

Like Kamikuza said, this type of splice isn't that hard if you have the right kind of line. Depending on the size of your braided line, you can use a ball-point pen tube, a chop stick, or anything that will fit inside the braid to pull the loose end through. Something hollow works well because you can feed the loose end of your line into the hollow end, then thread the whole thing into the center of the braid and back out. Sewing locks it in place. Check and re-check your length. A splice will shorten the line slightly.

[Seaman]

do a figure 8 knot to a spectra line


aply a bit of duck tape to the end of the line

pass a big needle throw the center of the rope and the duck tape throw the needle hole

gently pull the needle

and it's done

now just cut the remaining rope and sew with a bit of poliester line jut like this