infantry bracelet

Please read this first!

I've been getting a lot of links pointing to this entry and some people have complained that there are no photos that show how to do the knotwork. While it's true that there are no photos in the body of this entry, there are photos in the links that show you step-by-step how to make the knots for this bracelet.

Please, actually read the post and follow the links - they are bright pink so you can find them easily - for the instructions instead of complaining!

File this post under "neat stuff to do with parachute cord."

Trueman and I traveled to the other end of town yesterday to meet with a fellow militaria collector and traded some items that Stephan had sent me for selling / trading, as well as some things we had. In the process, I got a spool of parachute cord, also commonly known as 550 cord.

With that much 550 cord at hand, it was only a matter of time before I was going to do something crafty with it, and I ended up making an infantry bracelet, which you can see in the image above. I figured some of you might have vast amounts of spare time and an excess of 550 cord at hand and might want to make your own (they make nice gifts for family and friends), so here are instructions.

You will need:

• a very long piece of 550 cord (about 5 feet) in your choice of color
• a knife, scissors, or other method of cutting your cord
• a cigarette lighter

First, you need to take your piece of 550 cord, which should be about five feet long, and use the lighter to burn the ends so they don't fray while you're working. Fold the cord in half to get a double strand. Then fold it at the two-thirds point so that your "loop" where the cord is connected is shorter than the lose ends. You will later use the lose ends to do the knotwork running down the bracelet, thus using more of them than you do of the other two strands which form the core of your infantry cord.

At this point you're going to make the "knot" at the top, which will later serve as the clasp holding it closed. This knot is called a Chinese button, and instructions that are very easily followed can be found here. The only difference is you're making it with two strands instead of one. Simply hold the two strands close together and consider them "one" when making this.

Once you've gotten your knot nice and tight, which might take some doing and adjusting, you're ready to start on the infantry cord portion of the bracelet. The actual knot to make it is called a Portugese Sinnet, and you can find instructions for making it on this website. It is way, way, wayyyy, easy. Keep your Sinnet going all the way down, using the two strands in the center as the "core", and making sure it's nice and tight. Don't worry, it'll still be very flexible when you're done. Since this makes up the actual bracelet, you should keep going until you've reached the desired length, minus about half an inch.

When you're at your desired bracelet length, take the ends and loop them back through the last step of the Sinnet, and pull tight. You should now have the two ends sticking out at the back, and the two long strands going straight out from the Sinnet. Cut the two short ones as close to the bracelet as possible, then use the lighter to melt them down so they won't come lose. You want to get them as flush with the bracelet as possible, else they will rub and the bracelet won't be comfortable to wear.

Now you've just got to finish with the two strands at the bottom. Cut the loop so you have two separate pieces of 550 cord, and burn the ends again to keep them from fraying. Use a Connection Knot to finish the end of your Sinnet. How to make the Connection Knot is explained here. You can do a three-loop one as shown in the instructions, or two loops, which is what I did. Move a little further down your strands - enough to fit the "button" into - and then make another Connection Knot.

To finish up the two lose ends, use a Flemish Eight, which is a stopper knot. Instructions are found here. Cut excess 550 cord as close to the knot as possible and use your lighter again to melt down the ends so they won't fray or come undone. And voila - an infantry bracelet, ready to wear or send to your girlfriend, mom, etc.

That's my finished bracelet. It's up to you whether you want to wear the knot up or down. I find it more comfortable this way. You can also use the Portugese Sinnet to make helmet bands, gear straps, and all sorts of things. I once made a rifle sling out of it - but beware, you're going to need a huge amount of parachute cord for a big project like that.