Recommend splice kit for a beginner

[Nahbrown]

I am looking to do some soft shackles and other loops. Any recommendations on a kit?


Thanks

[Nahbrown]

Rigger doctor on youtube used these and they seem good

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=33532#

[slowneasy]

I have a fid kit but find I use my homemade wire fid as my first choice. I made mine with some piano wire I had on hand. The link below shows basically what I made.

https://theboatgalley.com/an-easier-...-double-braid/

[Dsanduril]

My #1 favorite tool for working with "exotic" ropes is Cuisinart Elements Ceramic Knives. In grabbing the link it looks like maybe they don't make them anymore, but it's the best $20 I've spent. These have 100% ceramic blades, not the "ceramic coated" ones. They're delicate, but they cut through Dyneema and Kevlar (and just plain fiberglass) like butter. Mine are five years old and still deal with the Dyneema just fine.

Similar stuff also available as scissors although the blades on mine broke quite early on. Either way, super sharp ceramics make the cutting for things like tapers very easy and much less frustrating. Plus, doesn't destroy the edge of your rigging knife.

[Bycrick]

At the advice of a professional rigger, I bought a set of 4 ceramic knives at Costco for under $40. If you don’t sit on them or twist them while cutting (don’t ask how I know), they cut fancy high tech line like butter. Mine are five years old and still cut like they were new. But they’re delicate and require care when using them or they’ll break. Easily.

[psk125]

Just saw a mention in “Sailing” magazine for a $188 kit of all the things you’d need for splicing - fids, knives, pushers, tape... Ridiculous.
Many of the fids in splicing kits are aluminum tubes with pointy ends. While they may work OK for bigger stuff, the line you’re leading through often gets pulled out of the fid...
Selma makes a kit of stainless steel fids that have a hook that keeps the strand from pulling out. Not cheap, but having to pass a strand three times because it won’t stay in the fid is expensive in other ways. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/selma...SABEgK30vD_BwE The Selma fids are also in smaller sizes, which may be more useful with the thinner modern high-strength lines that are more and more prevalent on boats.

[neflier]

Originally Posted by psk125

Just saw a mention in “Sailing” magazine for a $188 kit of all the things you’d need for splicing - fids, knives, pushers, tape... Ridiculous.
Many of the fids in splicing kits are aluminum tubes with pointy ends. While they may work OK for bigger stuff, the line you’re leading through often gets pulled out of the fid...
Selma makes a kit of stainless steel fids that have a hook that keeps the strand from pulling out. Not cheap, but having to pass a strand three times because it won’t stay in the fid is expensive in other ways. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/selma...SABEgK30vD_BwE The Selma fids are also in smaller sizes, which may be more useful with the thinner modern high-strength lines that are more and more prevalent on boats.

As a beginner myself, I stopped by the Marlow booth during the Annapolis show. They also recommended, and sold me, the Selma fid kit. That, along with watching the Marlow Youtube video, worked well for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUfVd2QExQo

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Nahbrown

Rigger doctor on youtube used these and they seem good

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=33532#

That's the one I have. I use it for polyester double braid rather than more exotic things though. The only drawback is that the fids are round and roll off the deck with remarkable ease. There are other designs that don't do that.

[Benz]

I recommend a set of Samson fids, available at West Marine. You can spend more on a more complete set of Yale fids, but few have use for a fid that will do 1" double braid.
Make a few pull fids out of SS welding rod, get a ceramic knife like has been mentioned, and off you go.

[Dsanduril]

For fids I have tubular fids, wire fids, and Brion Toss' Splicing Wand. I use the Wand about 75% of the time and find it very useful with most double braids and with 12-strand. It takes a slightly different technique so not everyone's favorite, but it's the one I use the most.

[tenchiki]

While noticeably more expensive, I find that Brion Toss' Splicing Wands (https://briontoss.com/) to be be much better than fids for most uses. I think that they definitely fall into the "Better Tools (are more expensive)" category...

[dfelsent]

I’ve got a bunch of Samson fids Of various sizes that I use for double braid. Sometimes twelve strand. For soft shackles and other most 12 strand work I use a cut up wire clothes hanger and masking tape to hold it together.
I’ve used pencils and old ballpoint pens for all of this too.
The Brion Toss fid has always looked cool and effective though. One day I’ll break down.
My grandfather taught me that money spent on good tools was never wasted.