550 Paracord

[rugerla1]

So my daughter and I made survival bracelets for the first time ever last night. It was really fun and we want to try some more projects. Can't believe I haven't made anything with them until now.

I know you can buy this at gun shows and some gun stores, but is there an online store that y'all use most of the time? Looking to buy a few spools so we can try some new projects with it.

[Ron45]

I don't know where to get it, but a friend of mine has made a few rifle slings with it.

[rugerla1]

I don't know where to get it, but a friend of mine has made a few rifle slings with it.

I actually watched a few videos last night on that very thing after she went to bed. Done very similar just a lot more cord to deal with and more time. We made two bracelets each and a couple of key chains. I remember looking at those bracelets before and thinking "How in the hell do they do that!?" but it's pretty simple once you get the rhythm going. 

[luvmyberetta]

I've ordered some camping gear from here. They have a lot of cool items & sell real 550 paracord (a lot of what you find is cheap made & poor quality) & even have videos showing how to make knife grips, etc. from 550 paracord. http://countycomm.com/cord.html

 

You can also order it from Smoky Mountain Knife Works... http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/main_front.jsp

 

When I was a teenager in Boy Scouts I once wrapped a knife blank with paracord & then dipped the whole handle in 2-part epoxy just to try it out. 20 years later the knife is still getting used. Now I'm a volunteer leader with my local Boy Scout Troop & we buy this stuff in bulk & use it for everything.

Edited February 17, 2015 by luvmyberetta

[rugerla1]

I've ordered some camping gear from here. They have a lot of cool items & sell real 550 paracord (a lot of what you find is cheap made & poor quality) & even have videos showing how to make knife grips, etc. from 550 paracord. http://countycomm.com/cord.html

 

You can also order it from Smoky Mountain Knife Works... http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/main_front.jsp

 

When I was a teenager in Boy Scouts I once wrapped a knife blank with paracord & then dipped the whole handle in 2-part epoxy just to try it out. Now I'm a volunteer leader with my local Boy Scout Troop & we buy this stuff in bulk & use it for everything.

 

^^^And that's another reason I was asking here, I'd read that some places are selling fake 550. I want to make sure it's the real thing just in case I do have to use it for something requiring strength. 

Thanks for the links!

[Mark A]

Amazon shows 1000' rolls. I'm not qualified to say if it is real or not

[Grand Torino]

I just both 100' on Amazon.....at a pretty decent price.

[173rdABN]

I used to just get mine at the PX or get it at supply in 1k rolls. Now, I just use Amazon. It's cheap and easy. Just got some off there for the mammoth sniper challenge befor I left. 550 is 550. Doubt you'll get a knock off

My buddies Company also sells it. He's a good dude. Worked with him overseas.

http://www.spiritussystems.com/new-products-1/omega-project-parachute-cord Edited February 17, 2015 by 173rdABN

[Wingshooter]

I have bought this before. It's not the cheapest on amazon but appears to be the real deal. Although, it was quite a bit cheaper when I bought it

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D9DJQ8C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Edited February 17, 2015 by Wingshooter

[gun sane]

I won't speak against buying in bulk, but the 100' lengths at Walmart are satisfactory.  I used some of it to tie a tree that was growing crooked and four months later in all kinds of weather, it's still holding.

[btq96r]

... or get it at supply is 1k rolls.

 

I'm still working with the spool of 550 cord I left the Army with.

[RED333]

Ya bunch of hippies :rofl:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macram%C3%A9

I did this stuff back in high school and the scouts.

[Omega]

As a former parachute rigger I used plenty of 550 cord, still have plenty of od green but have purchased a few hundred feet from Lowes in assorted colors.  I make a few bracelets and such but like the monkey's fist better, not as a survival item, though they can come in handy for that as well.

[analog_kidd]

Ya bunch of hippies :rofl:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macram%C3%A9

I did this stuff back in high school and the scouts.

 

Ha! When I told my wife I wanted to try and make some paracord stuff, she said, "Oh, you mean macrame? I have a book on it around here somewhere."  I lost my interest.

[RED333]

As a former parachute rigger I used plenty of 550 cord, still have plenty of od green but have purchased a few hundred feet from Lowes in assorted colors.  I make a few bracelets and such but like the monkey's fist better, not as a survival item, though they can come in handy for that as well.

Here ya go, 15 lb steel ball coverd in 1/2 inch rope.

[URL=http://s896.photobucket.com/user/redintn/media/Monkey%20fist/monkeyfist3_zps220a6064.jpg.html][/URL]

[Trekbike]

 know you can buy this at gun shows and some gun stores, but is there an online store that y'all use most of the time? Looking to buy a few spools so we can try some new projects with it.

 

Here's one option.   Don't know how their cost compares.  It says you can buy spools at Home Depot, shows various colors, etc.   Link below is for the in store items.  

 

http://www.homedepot.com/b/N-5yc1v/Ntk-Extended/Ntt-550%2Bparacord?NCNI-5&browsestoreoption=1

[rugerla1]

I'm still working with the spool of 550 cord I left the Army with.

If it was just me, I probably woudn't go through a spool that fast either. But she likes to make stuff, make up new projects so they are her design, etc. I have a feeling between the two of us, we could run through 500 ft pretty fast. I'm glad she likes to make things, hell she teaches me stuff. You know, since I'm the old geezer :)

 

Thanks for the feedback and links guys, I really appreciate it. And Red333 that monkey's fist is crazy! I'm gonna have to make a couple of those too but not that size unless I get bored and just wanna do it for fun.

Edited February 17, 2015 by rugerla1

[RED333]

Youtube has some good how to's on how to make a jig to hold the ball as you wrap the cord.

[Omega]

Here ya go, 15 lb steel ball coverd in 1/2 inch rope.

Haven't done one that big, mine usually have a marble instead of a bearing due to ease of finding marbles and since I also use them for zipper pulls they are airport friendly. I have also made bracelets but not too many.

[Omega]

Youtube has some good how to's on how to make a jig to hold the ball as you wrap the cord.

A simple one is made with a wire hanger and it works great.  I sent out three of them as a pay-it-forward on castboolits not too long ago, I sent a complete one and a kit with instructions to make at least one more. 

[nightrunner]

Here ya go, 15 lb steel ball coverd in 1/2 inch rope.

That's more like a gorilla fist

[rugerla1]

That's more like a gorilla fist

:rofl: Ain't that the truth! You could hang it from the hitch on your truck and have plenty of weight for ice and snow driving ha ha.

[Hotrod]

Try Camping Survival.com .. They had some cord made in the USA. I bought some there. Not sure he still has it. They are great to deal with.

[RED333]

:rofl: Ain't that the truth! You could hang it from the hitch on your truck and have plenty of weight for ice and snow driving ha ha.

It is not very easy to swing, by the time you get it going you could move 3 feet away.

[Guest Broomhead]

I pick mine up from the local Army Navy surplus place. I really need to replenish my supply, though I may just hit up Lowe's this time.

 

Try the double bracelet, basically do the same thing back over what you just did. My daughter an I experimented some and found a really cool look. Melt two different colors end-to-end and use another third color for the core and then make that joint your starting point. It ends up being two bracelets in one with one color being the majority on one side and the other color being the majority on the other side. You can color coordinate with your outfit easier, lol. You can weave charms into the bracelet at various points by either placing them on one of the outer cords or on the inner core. Try to stay away from using white, though, it starts took dirty fast and is hard to get clean looking again.

 

If your daughter gets really into it and wants to sell them at school or something, then make or buy her one of the jigs that holds it for you. I want one mainly to get a much more accurate, repeatable length.

 

Monkey fists are great key chains but are much more time consuming having to tighten it down, and a pain try to work the short end back into the fist so it looks seamless. I make them mostly with 3/4" bearings, but 1" bearings look really impressive. You can make them bi-colored also, it's just more complicated.