How to Wrap a Handle with Cord with Mike Pekovich

For more information: bit.ly/2xuBqzn
To make the wrapping of the handle on his table flawless, Mike Pekovich uses some tricks borrowed from his days building fly rods in California.

[@MarkKelly1307]

No one ever showed me this before - I appreciate you sharing your knowledge! Thank you! Cheers, Mark

[@sarita07000]

This is exactly what I needed to wrap my basket handle. I made the loop with the cord and it worked like a charm. Thanks.

[@joannfritz2947]

Great demonstration, exactly what I was looking for. I’m a potter and I work in clay, and I love the idea of mixing medium textures specifically hemp cord. Love your table!!

[@jmr]

I had this pretty well figured out on my own accept that loop part at the end. That really helped me and made my project look great! Thank you so much!

[@mitch60mccoy]

Nice, simple and clever trick. After watching your video I used this technique to do two wraps of jute around an empty Nuun hydration bottle. Inside the little plastic bottle is frayed jute for my inner fire tender bundle. Once the shredded jute runs out, I unwind more off the bottle, shred it and stuff more in the bottle or just use it straight to start my campfires. Because of the slipper bottom, I did add a touch of hot glue, but I also added a paper clip into the bottle so that as I begin unwinding the jute off the outside of the Nuun bottle, then I can rewrap the end successfully just as you demonstrated. This is simple, but awesome. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@locojob]

Thanks Mike, first result and exactly what I'm looking for. I'm wrapping a steel tube for a stand for my bird and wasn't sure how to finish it off, you covered it perfectly

[@amithsasidharan6287]

Now that's something very simple and most efficient way of wraping a cord on to a wood or wooden handle.The best part in this video is that you took right away into the process with no unwanted speech or show offs like few others.Loved watching it 👍🏻🤩

[@tombristowe846]

Speaking from the UK, I know this as Bristol Whipping, or a version of it. In the version I know, instead of a short length of cord being laid down at the beginning and wrapped over, an entire loop, up the work and back is laid down, leaving a loop sticking out at one end and a tail at the end where you start. After whipping, the loop is used just like the wire one in this video, pulled by the tail at the other end.

[@fly_8659]

Thank you, I found an example of this in a video titled "Common Whipping Great Covering Knot How to Tie", by the channel Knotting Knots. I'm trying to protect a couple of wooden legs from cat attacks with some cheap natural rope without using glue. Will test out both of these.

[@teristanaford1575]

Thank you that is what I was trying to remember how to do. My dad taught me how 45+ years ago and I used to screw around with it but really never needed to know how. For years it pops into my head and I obsess over it for a bit lol. Today I said I’m going to google it and found nothing but this video. Very nice but not what I was looking for I knew Iwould find something in the comments 🎉

[@michaellepurdee6196]

I needed to wrap a paper sun umbrella handle. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for teaching!

[@__-hh3gt]

Dramatically fantastic, modified common whipping. Thanks

[@juliejasper9275]

Always wanted to know how to do this. A huge thank you - now saved in favourites

[@paulpestritto5606]

Thanks Mike!!!! I figured out how to start the wrap but I never knew how to end the wrap!!!!! I love the Looped wire it made finishing the other side very easy!!!!

[@waynefilkins8394]

I need to do this for a medieval type of product I want to sell, and was going to just glue it lol. Didn't realize there was a way to do it without glue. This should simplify things. Thanks!

[@brucepaddle9769]

Beautifully done! clear instructions, easy to follow ~ just what I had hoped for. Thanks Mike!

[@Guitar101Ramstein]

just forged a guitar holder that I need to wrap with leather so it doesn't scratch the wood, thought of the technique to tie fishing rod guides, and came across this video... haha thumbs up. Thanks for sharing it!

[@SeanEvelegh]

Really educational video. Thank you very much mike. I look forward to using some cord in upcoming projects!

[@craftedworkshop]

Great technique, Mike. Definitely looking to integrate this into future projects now!

[@lisaburke4779]

Just used this technique. Worked perfectly. Thank you.

[@steverochon1620]

This was surprisingly interesting...okay, that came out wrong. I didn't think I had a reason to be interested in this, but I love the look it gives Asian-inspired pieces, and this was a great tip on how to accomplish this. I gave it a shot because it was you, and while I've always loved your woodwork, I've come to enjoy tour podcasts on SHOP TALK.

[@BoscoBrash]

Just watching this now and thank you for a straight forward video! I appreciate you very much!

[@ericcommarato7727]

Nice detail, thank you for sharing this video Mike.

[@SpaceMonkey23101]

So that's how you get the finishing end under the wrap! I had always wondered. Thanks for sharing.

[@BellatrixKeehl]

This was easy even for me, I'm a walking disaster with dexterity! Great tutorial!

[@stickcatanimations5719]

Thanks. I’ve been trying to put a handle on my old estwing axe hammer.This made it easy. Thanks

[@myksbox]

excellent vid. Your technique is very cool and the results look great on everything you showed. Making that recess is a really nice touch for sure

[@vichubbard3664]

Love these short technique specific videos. Thanks Mike and Ben!

[@TerryG56]

Thanks for this video. I really appreciated the article in Fine Woodworking and wanted more information on wrapping the hemp cord. THANKS!!

[@brianstevens3858]

Is good job < on side note if wrapping thick cordage or rope when starting , do two wraps then un-braid the end being overlaid, and spread it out so it does not push the wrap prouder all in one line, has side effect of making hold tighter. Find a drop of any quick-set glue under initial layin to also be worth time as then no wrestling constantly into place under first two wraps. is easy.{side effect can wrap tighter on initial wraps. {learned from old Japanese man who used to wrap Katana sheaths.

[@PTwyford]

Brian Stevens- great tip, thanks for sharing!

[@JimiFilo]

Brian Stevens - excellent info, I would also add that using needle-nose pliers to “roll” the pull-loop through the end-wrap is a lot easier using the leverage of the tool rather than brute-force pulling it through.

[@abielbarajas9066]

When I start I leave some cord under the wrap it pulls itself

[@afknot]

Great video! Thanks for this. If folks don't have a hand-forged knife on hand, store-bought is fine 😜

[@knowwearneresquare3177]

Simple elegant tools like a wire for the tuck under are pure genius

[@MrMDee-si1bz]

Great vid! Dude! Great graphics and explanations! Thanks! 👍🏻

[@dmra1929]

"I reccomend a hand made knife by a blacksmith....or a exacto knife" made me chuckle

[@GrinfilledCelt]

I use Minwax Wood Hardener on knots I tie around the tops of bottles I cover with leather. They sell it for firming up rotted wood. It's very thin, penetrates well and when dry stiffens up the cord nicely without making an obvious coating.

[@joecoastie99]

GrinfilledCelt I use CA glue and an accelerator. Definitely makes it permanent but loses the look he’s got going on.

[@thesteveprichard]

Very cool. I learned something today. Thanks for uploading.

[@shrug53]

That is brilliant! Thank you! Been trying to figure out how to keep cords on without glue!

[@michalurbanful]

Very very nice! And I'll remember to use a wire for such a thick cord. Subscribed! :)

[@abhishekroy2jan]

Such a brilliant idea

[@Darrell_Coquillette]

I really like the look of this. Thank you for the instruction video. I'm going to use this on an up coming project.

[@robertcraig5741]

Mike, what you did on the cord on the small chest would be called serving in nautical terminology. If you lay a few turns on the end of a line to prevent the line from unraveling it is called whipping. So I think you are safe to call the rope work on the table stretcher serving. Really neat!

[@Dassssssssssss483]

I used this technique to work a handle on a wooden wizard staff, to jewellery and more. Its awesome....

[@robertbrunston5406]

Never seen this wire trick before! Thank you.

[@doloresjackson3897]

Video was very useful! Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks!

[@samurang9853]

So good.very simple but useful

[@ahmadsyawgy8297]

You solve my life man! Thank you

[@zeblean]

This helped me to wrap twine around the handle for my custom war club.

[@infledermaus]

Cool! That's exactly what I was looking for.

[@hardnox6655]

Cool! Great instructional video. Thanks for sharing.

[@brucecarter4852]

Hi Mike! Great video. I am interested in knowing how you prepared the handle for the twine. What did you use to carve out the space? Is there a name for that or any resources you can point me to?

[@NarekAvetisyan]

Very cool technique. Thanks! I'll use it to wrap rope around a baboo for my cat to scratch, hehe

[@edm163]

Thank you so much! This worked perfect for the application I was doing !!

[@jwyeager2261]

Any suggestions on wrapping a light - medium rope around a "T" post to hide the crack. Two vertical posts with a horizontal post across the top and extending about a foot out. Thanks

[@danielgrabske3545]

I believe its called a slip knot , its used in fly tying lures all the time.😊

[@tzuyunwei6475]

Thank you for sharing this amazing video! It's so inspirational!

[@dariend6368]

That's awesome, thank you!! Mimics the same way i tie a serving on a bow string!!

[@whocantexplain]

Pretty sure this is called whipping. I learned it in Boy Scouts for preventing fraying at the end of a natural rope because you can't fuse it with a lighter like you can nylon rope. Also instead of using the wire loop to pull the rope through, you can just use the other end of the rope folded into a loop and run it across the whole handle so you can just pull it through when you finish.

[@BlackSwan912]

whocantexplain You could use a turk's head knot to seal the ends. We use that on braided leather.

[@LarryB-inFL]

As I replied to Ian Hopper, the technique is NOT called whipping UNLESS it is specifically being used as you described, because the specifics of the technique are NOT The point, but the outcome on the rope end is the point. So dipping a rope end into a rubber material is also called whipping the end.

[@whocantexplain]

Larry B Haha I had no idea! Thanks for letting me know. As I said, I learned this many years ago when I was still a Boy Scout and I'm sure they never even told me that part of it, just the one specific use and how to do it.

[@Phil_Cleaver]

I like mixed media. Projects are always more interesting when you introduce other materials. When finishing if you don't bring the tail end of the cord up so tight into the wire loop it will draw through easier and not displace your wraps. The way you did it the cord has to pass back around the wire as you pull.

[@stevewalker7822]

Neat trick. Thanks for sharing.

[@everydaymadness5500]

Thanks a lot, this will make my projects so much easier.

[@pinkiewerewolf]

Very cool Mike. Thank you!

[@Mikhandmaker]

Nice video!

[@MrMDee-si1bz]

Is it possible to show us how to wrap a Steering wheel?? Thanks!!!! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@jamesdolan5236]

I like it. I wrap my hatchet handles and was wondering how to avoid the lump i end up with.

[@TheHandsomeMatt]

More photos of the tea box please!

[@sheilbwright7649]

Don't know the fishing rod term but a sailor would call it whipping. The RAN still teaches recruits traditional sailing knots, splices & whipping.

[@MissDecisive]

Where can we buy that bolt of cord? Thank you!

[@Syrrell7]

great video, thank you.

[@nylabone8782]

Nice video - thank you.

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

Thanks so much!

[@timhalcomb4041]

Thanks we will try this soon

[@sharondanley2611]

Tim Halcomb I

[@datadev1]

I used to do this as a Boy Scout many years ago but thanks for the minder of it can be used in woodworking.

[@FedoG88]

Would this technique work for a cat scratcher pole?

[@pablobartelotte4553]

Cutting a shallow groove and a little glue will hide the ends under the whipping

[@gschissena]

thx for the vid ! it help !

[@Stevenowski]

Fine Rope Working! 😉

[@elmerblue2482]

Thanks great idea for bat handles

[@Dirkietje8]

I've bought a (cheapish) Japanese saw with a rope wound handle. Same thickness of cordage pretty much. But I was thinking: is there a way to finish it off like with a (drying) oil or maybe even a harder wax? It might not be necessary, but I'm doing my axe handles religiously with boiled linseed oil to care for the wood, give it a durable protection and keep the axe heads on tight, so taking my saw into that routine is no biggie. I just want to know if it actually would be nice or that the handle would start to feel weird or something.

[@ijlala3799]

if u want to tightened it more, just twist both end before locking it, its either left and right or right and left

[@ijlala3799]

yes ita 1 am and im watching this. dont ask

[@joseespino3905]

Is it possible to make a design while wrapping with twine

[@Jonsoh811]

Maybe a weird question, but does anyone know if this material and whipping combo also works on a non indented axe-handle to increase grip and comfort?

[@talonsullivan9066]

Try it and see! I know I'm going to :D

[@FullSailDale1]

I'm interested in the handles used on the crate at the beginning of the video. On the inside, did you just use knots to secure the rope? If so, what kind of knot? If not, what process DID you use? I need to make a crate like that for a yard game next week and would love to add that touch to it!

[@murrmac]

Would there be any advantage to soaking the cord first, so that it would expand when wet, and would then shrink tight once it had dried out ? I know this would work with leather, but I am just surmising that it might work with hemp cord as well.

[@kaelshade4275]

murrmac a leather wrap sounds pretty nice.

[@ReadObituaries]

murrmac maybe jute? Hemp doesnt exactly tighten down like jute (it will- it just doesn’t shrink as drastically). You could try with cotton& then stretch as you wrap it..?

[@blackemmons]

Thanks for the lesson Mike. Question: Do you do anything to keep everything in place or will it stand the test of time just as is even with some handling? JimE

[@kaelshade4275]

blackemmons when in doubt I'm sure a touch of adhesive would resolve your potential issue.

[@neverlayup]

Cool. That is what inwanted to see

[@the_greck]

"I recommend a hand-made knife by a blacksmith to do this... or an X-Acto knife." lol

[@chris15325]

Very cool

[@normanmerrill1241]

Thanks

[@waynefilkins8394]

So that's how they do it!

[@woodeater4827]

Very interesting!

[@daviddavid5880]

Hm. Clever. Thanks 👍

[@walterrider9600]

thank you

[@jolllyroger1]

Soak the rope in 50/50 water to white glue and it will stay put and be very durable

[@1031103899]

how lovely

[@reedfrench1649]

Whipping is the name of the wrapping technique

[@boogerteeth]

Thank you, I couldn't figure out how they tied off the end of my horsemen's bow.

[@BratFyre]

Thanks!

[@numanisgay]

Skip to 4:20

[@igelkott255]

Serving a bowstring is very similar and there's a technique for finishing the wrap that would work for this also, without needing the metal thingy. Here's a video that illustrates it nicely - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpnagpyBdryfaM0

[@b761787]

Better information found in "Sailors Tech".

[@pennyghost]

You can burn the fuzzys off with a lighter. Be careful as hemp or jute is highly flammable.

[@wam2b]

"Four or five wraps short of the end" sounds like it could be a useful euphemism. RE: "That Matt, he strikes me as being four or five wraps short of the end." Hmm. I'm going to use that for a week or two here at work and see how it fits.