RhonanTennenbrook
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Slinging Rocks!
Posts: 160
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Maker: kairo/fechtbruder
Shop: none that I know of
Model: Cotton balearic sling
Material: cotton braid, soaked in wax, with nylon (i think) cracker
Length, weight: ~60cm, 47g
This is the result of the only sling trade I actually openly requested. The gorgeous craftsmanship of the sling is only rivalled by the immense mistake I made in communicating the trade.
The craftsmanship:
The sling is made of luxurious cotton thread, immaculately braided in a perfectly even braid. The braid is dense, hard and very tight. I was given the opportunity to choose the colors, and I opted for my favorite combination, teal/tourquioise and yellow/ochre. The colors turned out far better than any reservations I had had. It's just a joy to pass through your fingers and gawk at the dense braid and vibrant colors. There is a slight clockwise twist to the entire sling, which I assume is due to the raw thread being factory twisted before braiding. I haven't used the sling enough to fully break it in, and I assume more use would help with the twist. The twist is noticeable when loading the pouch.
The loop is soft to the fingers and firm, I assume due to the soft cotton fabric.
The pouch is perfectly even and large enough for a variety of projectiles. I would not use too small projectiles due to the thin braids, the stiffness of the pouch, and the aforementioned slight twist. Tennis balls work perfectly.
The release end is formed into a seamless loop. How he does that I have no idea. It's some sort of magic fairy dust combined with sacrifices to the cotton gods. It's flawless. He had asked me whether I wanted a loop or a stopper knot, my fingers must have just instincitively typed “Yes!”. The loop is just a thing of luxury, and I feel spoiled that I have it.
The cracker is a substantial piece of, I think, nylon, passed through the release loop, and twisted. Other than a single slightly pulled out strand (I probably snagged the cracker on something at some point), the cracker is perfect and shows very little signs of wear. From what I have seen I believe it will never have to be replaced. Even so, replacement would be trivial due to the aforementioned loop.
Kairo also sent me the belt holster for the sling. I have not worn it outside, but I sure have strutted with it on my belt at home many-a-time. It has two belt straps on the back, and a simple looped strap mechanism to close it. It all just works. When rolled into a spiral, the sling fits like a glove inside. I personally like letting the cracker hang outside as a sort of decorative tassel. Kairo didn't tell me he would send the holster, but I would have requested it had I known he could. It's perfect for the sling.
The mistake:
This sling was a learning experience.
Pay attention: Lay off the custom requests, and let the maker make you the sling that's perfect for THEM!
Otherwise you're pushing the maker into dimensions and shapes he's not used to, which breeds mistakes, and reducing the experience you could be getting trying new shapes and dimensions of slings.
I should have let kairo make me a palm hold sling like he normally makes, of the length he normally makes, but instead I asked for a shorter release cord to pinch just the loop/cracker. This pushed kairo into a measurement mistake which shortened the entire sling, and my smart-ass loop/cracker pinch ended up being worse than if I had used a palm hold.
The result is a sling that's a bit too short for my taste, with an unpleasant hold, and a cautionary tale I'm reminded of every time I use it.
In short: Kairo's slings are a thing of beauty and luxury. Treat yourself to one of his slings if given the opportunity, and let the man work his magic.
Kairo, my man, I'm open for a rework, this time on your terms. I just hope you still have enough yellow and blue cotton thread.
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