The anti-fid

[MikeWhy]

I just bought a set of fids, the New England Ropes Uni-Fid II Splicing Tool. When I opened the tightly taped hard plastic tube packaging, I found inside 2 solid knitting needles with barbed hooks on their ends. The hooks seemed purposely, diabolically, placed to snag inside the braid.

How are these intended to be used? I can't begin to tell you the frustration I had trying to bury a simple eye splice in single braid.

[Omatako]

Originally Posted by MikeWhy

I just bought a set of fids, the New England Ropes Uni-Fid II Splicing Tool. When I opened the tightly taped hard plastic tube packaging, I found inside 2 solid knitting needles with barbed hooks on their ends. The hooks seemed purposely, diabolically, placed to snag inside the braid.

How are these intended to be used? I can't begin to tell you the frustration I had trying to bury a simple eye splice in single braid.

You should find the instruction you need here:

How to Splice

Good luck

[MikeWhy]

I know how to splice. And there are endless tutorials on the web if I didn't.

It's the hooks on the fids that are giving me problems. The point of the hook opposes the direction of motion. They don't grip the braid I'm trying to pull, and the hook point stands wider than fid body, causing them to want to snag. I actually did manage to struggle through an eye splice in StaSet, but only with much cursing and struggling to wiggle the hook past the doubled core portion.

NEW ENGLAND ROPES Fid at West Marine

The included instructions are generic splicing instructions. They don't say anything about the goofy hooks. They seem to have gone to great pains to photograph the fids to not show the hooks. Had they shown them more clearly in the photo, I would not have bought them, as they seem to be built specifically to prevent splicing.

Any ideas? I had been spearing and taping the braid, taking great care to fair the tape behind the fid body. And then kneading and massaging the tenuous connection through.

[PalmettoSailor]

That seems to be some sort of "better mousetrap". I bought a set of NER fids in similar packaging but they are standard with slash cut ends and a void to tuck the cover in and tape over.

Were there no instructions in the packaging that would explain how the "Uni-Fid" is different?

[mdbee]

Why not call them???

[MikeWhy]

I'll try calling them. It hadn't occurred to me, any more than I would call Sears if their Phillips screwdriver confused me. I remain this moment unenlightened as to how these can be "better" in any way than a hollow tube.

I was hoping for an enthusiastic testimonial to their effectiveness, and then the one or two mental twists that will start me on the road to understanding. I'll wait a day or two more for him to show up. Maybe he's out sailing instead of mucking with his lines.

[knothead]

New England Ropes - Splicing Guide

Step 3

Using masking tape place two wraps of tape around the bitter end of the cover. Taper this by cutting the end at a 45 degree angle. Attach the Uni-Fid hook through the cover and tape the tapered point to the fid as shown below. Insert the fid into the hollow core at Mark "2" and out at Mark "3". When exiting of entering the braid with the fid, always go between strands.



Pull the Uni-Fid, with cover tail, through the core until Mark "A" on the cover is exposed at Mark "3" on the core. (Below) Remove the fid.

The link at the top is the instructions for splicing with the Uni Fid.

The hook on the Uni Fid is attached to the taped end of the core or cover. Then it's pulled through.
I prefer regular fids, but I've used these.

[MikeWhy]

Arlo, thanks. The printed splicing guide that came with the set does not have those instructions. But I notice now on page 2 and page 7, the illustration photo does show the hook end taped securely to braid.

Since I was already using it this way, there apparently is no chance of improvement. I'm considering buying a second set so they can be paired, and take up knitting instead. Or maybe I'll just pick up a set of the Samsons and finish the job on hand. (Which happens to involve 1/4" line, a tight nasty fit for this tool.)

[MikeWhy]

Many of the problems I suffered in life turned out in hindsight to be self-inflicted by clamping my fist too firmly over my wallet. Having earlier visited the website of Brion Toss and made a suitably large offering, I now await the UPS man to bring salvation from my current troubles. (IOW: I have very high expectations of the splicing wands and other paraphernalia I just ordered. That I spent twice as much on fids than for rope bothers me only a little bit.)

While shopping around for solutions, I came across the following. I'm not completely certain that it isn't a parody on the Uni-Fid. It had a certain ring of familiarity. Have a look...



Contrast that to this (off topic) vid produced by The Onion:


Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of **** That Doesn't ******* Work