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PRODUCT CATEGORIES
NEWS
Celebrating
13 years
in business!
Y Knot Rope Tack
began in
March, 2007.
Thank you to my many customers for your support and loyalty!
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Event Schedule
Midwest Horse Fair
Madison, WI
I will no longer be attending as a vendor
for full story
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We have moved! Check out our new address on the contacts page.
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New flag colors:
black, yellow,red,blue,purple
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with God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:26
NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP PRODUCTS
Unique Trim ~ Leather Accessories
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Rope Halters, Lead Ropes, Long Lines,
Reins, Sticks & Strings, Hackamores,
Headstalls, Mecates & More
Please click here for Braiding Cord Color Choices and General Information
Tassels with Turkshead Knots
Individual tassels can be permanently attached to some items or made with an adjustable connector so you can put one anywhere you want or take it off when you don't want it there anymore. I can make them in different sizes. All sizes are made with a turkshead knot - some can be made with a pineapple knot.
For tassels with the adjustable connector, I start by making the connector. This is essentially my chin strap but made a bit differently. I braid a mini ring knot as the slider to open and close the adjustment loop. I use one end for the adjustment piece, the other end holds and tightens up around the tassel strands. The two tie cords are added in with the tassel strands - leaving one end to be part of the tassel, the other end is used to braid the knot. I whip everything together with waxed cord then braid the knot over the whipped area.
The mini tassel is too small to have the adjustable connector so there is just a simple loop.
It would be helpful if I know what you are planning to put the tassel on so I can make the connector with the appropriate spacing on the adjustment cord.
Triple Pattern
Photo Gallery of Tassels with Turkshead Knots
click on the pictures to enlarge
Mini Tassel- no connector, just a loop
Whole tassel is about 3" long
6 tassel strands
Choose 1 color for knot, 1 or 2 for tassel
TASSELS
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Tassels with Pineapple Knots
Large Tassel
Knot, tassel and connector is about 10" long
20 tassel strands - about 7" long
Choose 1 or 2 colors for turkshead knot, DW or IW
Choose 2 colors for pineapple knot
Choose 1 - 3 colors for tassel
picture shows shorter tassel strands than usual
For pricing - go to individual product custom trim pages
The pineapple knot is excellent for securing tassels. Because of its construction, the pineapple knot naturally makes a ball and will close around the end of the rope and tassel strands. (For more details on this knot, please go to Pineapple Knot Buttons) The large pineapple knot is the size I use for 1/2" and 5/8" rope. I do not make pineapple knots and tassels on 1/4" and 3/8" diameter rope - the sizing is just not right.
You can choose 2 colors for the knot. The more contrast between the colors, the better the details of the knot will show up. (You are paying a lot for these knots so you might as well make it stand out!) As with the turkshead knot and tassel, you can choose one or more colors for the tassel strands and the normal tassel is about 7" long with 24 strands. I can customize that as to length and number of strands. Each tassel strand is knotted, then melted so the cord won't unravel.
The pineapple knot and tassel is a large knot and may not fit through slobber straps unless they have large holes and long slits. On mecate reins, the popper end can be threaded through on both straps so the knot doesn't have to go through the hole.
Doubleweave Pattern
The tassel can be 1 or more colors (usually 2 or 3) to match the rope or to coordinate with the knot and the rope or other parts of your tack. Each tassel strand is knotted, then melted so the cord won't unravel. I normally make the tassels about 7" long with 24 strands on 1/2" and 5/8" rope. On 3/8" or 1/4" rope, the knot will be smaller and the tassel will have fewer strands. As you can see by the pictures in the photo gallery below, I can make tassels any length with as many strands as you want.
These are fairly large knots. If you plan to use them with slobber straps, they will need to have a good sized hole and slit.
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Tassel-ettes
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Small Tassel
Knot, tassel and connector is about 6" long
12 tassel strands - about 3" long
Choose 1 or 2 colors for turkshead knot, DW or IW
Choose 1 - 3 colors for tassel
picture shows connector at 2 different settings
Photo Gallery of Tassels with Pineapple Knots
click on the pictures to enlarge
Adding tassels to your tack is a great way to give it some pizzazz! While tassels are generally for decoration, they can sometimes function as shoo flies or spankers. Tassels are most often placed at the ends of loop reins, or the halter/bit end of mecate reins but you can substitute a tassel for the popper on a lead rope or romal plus I make individual tassels that can be attached anywhere.
All tassels are made with the polyester braiding cord. They are easier to maintain and keep clean and they pick up fewer burs, sticks, etc. than tassels made by simply fraying the end of the rope - the method used by many other businesses. (This type of tassel looks nice for a while but usually ends up as a matted ball.) The length of the tassel is up to you but the number of stands in the tassel will be determined by the size/type of knot that secures it and the diameter of the rope it is attached to. Generally, the thicker the rope - the larger the knot, the more strands in the tassel and the longer the length to keep everything in balance.
For the usual tassels on reins and leads, the tassel strands go through a base knot at the end of the rope but are not attached to it. The decorative knot is braided over and around the base knot and tassel strands to secure them in place. If the strands become uneven, simply find the shorter strand and pull to even them out. By using this method of attaching the strands, there is some "give" to the tassel so it shouldn't be destroyed if it gets stepped on or caught on something. The tassel is also separate from the knot so if something happens to the tassel, the knot should still be intact.
The turkshead knots used to secure tassels are sized to fit the diameter of the rope and may be larger or smaller than the ones used as trim on the standard 1/2" diameter reins and lead ropes but the construction is the same. (For more details on the knot, please go toTurkshead Knots & Buttons ) The knots are doubled or tripled so the options for pattern, colors, etc. are the same for these knots.
- Doubleweave Pattern (DW) The second strand is threaded through the knot beside the first strand - "following" it around the knot on the second pass. Choose 1 or 2 colors.
- Interweave Pattern (IW) The second strand is interwoven with the first strand - which means going over a cord with the second strand when the first strand went under that cord. This is more complicated but it creates a very interesting pattern. Because it takes more skill and usually more time, turkshead knots in the interweave pattern will cost a bit more. Choose 2 colors.
- Triple Pattern or Doubleweave 3 (DW3) This is a doubleweave knot that I follow around with a third pass. I can not do an interweave pattern with the triple knot. Since this knot also takes more time for the third pass, it will cost a bit more too. Choose 1, 2 or 3 colors.
Medium Tassel
Knot, tassel and connector is about 8" long
16 tassel strands - about 5" long
Choose 1 or 2 colors for turkshead knot, DW or IW
Choose 1 - 3 colors for tassel
picture shows longer tassel strands than usual
These tassels do not have the fancy knots so they are more economical. I first make a back splice in the rope so it has a nice finished end. (For more details on splices, go to About the Rope) I then insert 3 pieces of braiding cord through the end of the rope, then back down through the middle. This creates a small tassel with 6 strands. I normally make them about 5" long. I tie then melt the ends of each of the tassel strands. You can choose 1 - 3 colors for these tassels.
Because the rope is backspliced, you will need to leave a few inches of "tail" when tying on. The backsplice makes the rope thicker and stiffer so it will not bend/fold like unspliced rope.
Individual Tassels
for pricing, go to Other Items
Interweave Pattern