I work at a prison. Our defensive tactics instructor has been doing martial arts for over 20 years and even has a small school. I made him one of these and he was so enthusiastic about it that he wants me to make more for his school! He likes the idea of something lightweight buy strong and most people don't recognize it for a defensive tool. I made one 6 inches long for him out of his school colors and he takes it everywhere. Basically I'm saying thanks for the tutorial!
We're never completely helpless, unless our conditioned thinking makes us helpless! Every plane I ever been in had an assortment of nice improvised impact tools. And how about bringing a somewhat sturdy pen, and even your keys -they're always with you, and much sharper than a kubotan! Designated weapons sure has more intimidation effect, but when it comes to impact -that's a whole other story. -Nice vid BTW, very useful.
Super idea...Have a kubotan I purchased 20 years ago in FL and was wondering where to get more. Now I can make some. Everyone keeps trying to take mine, so now I will give them one home made. Thanks for the wonderful idea!!!!!!!
Awesome idea. The Monkey's Fist knots are also a good example of "tactical macrame"...you could probably even make one that you can tie onto this one...or at least something removable so you can use them together or separately. Then you would basically have a "paracord" lanyard for your keys, except it's got a steel bolt and a lead weight/ball bearing flail attached to it...I'm sure you could do some damage with one if need be.
@wcropp1 I wanted to add, however, that in many states "slungshots" are illegal, which is basically any kind of weight attached to a rope or string. A key chain sized one probably isn't going to get you into any trouble, but if you ever seriously injure someone with one in a defensive situation, that could be used against you in court. Check your local laws.
Nice video. Steel is nice for strength and gives it some weight, but I like your sharpie idea. I think some kind of plastic insert like that would be a good idea for those times you may want to enter an area that has metal detectors. (airports, some schools, some federal buildings, etc, etc, etc)
I'm sure you can. You may need very long pieces of shoelaces in some cases. Pick up some paracord if you can, they are relatively inexpensive and you can make several of these with one roll, not to mention various of survival bracelets. The feel is a lot different as well.
Thanks for the idea way better then spending alot of money for a metal kubaton. Best thing is it looks like a regular paracord keychain. But this has a surprise inside .
You're welcome:) A lot of different DIY things can be made on a budget by just experimenting with different readily available products. Thanks for watching my vid!
I would think so, you just need more paracord. This weave may not cover too thick of a pipe though, you may have to alter the weave. Look up some vids from tyingitalltogether to see if something else works.
I haven't been through security with but I'm thinking they would notice. A dowel is a good option, or even a pen would probably work. I even tried to make one with tightly rolled cardboard but it became too thick.
You could just sand the threads and round the hex and tip. Or spiral wrap the threads in gutted paracord then seal in superglue before the braid. Once the braid is done, dip in thin set epoxy.
Thanks, it's a company called Windmill. I think it's made in Japan. Not too sure of the model, sorry. I got it from Knife Works a while back but I just looked and they don't carry these at this moment. They have other Windmill products though.
@EnduringEagle Thanks man! The .75" x 4" bolt was finished using 10 feet of paracord total (5' of each color of course). The thickness includes the gorilla tape and electrical tape used. There were about 2.5 feet of left over at the end. The .75" x 5" bolt I used 17 feet but it was way too much because I snipped off 8 feet afterwards...so I'm thinking 12 feet should be more than enough.
This is great!! Thanks for the tutorial! I'll be making one of my own soon. I saw some vid about a gentleman who treated his box knot keychain (no bolt) with superglue and it hardened up really well, but I like the bolt idea a little better....at least one won't need a lot of ventilation to make a bolt kubotan. :)
I bereave this Kubotan with the paracord and the large bolt is a very good in plain site weapon. I regularly carry a copper Henderer large ink pen, which would be hard for law enforcement to call a weapon. I have boarded an airplane and gone to court with it. Most of us carry a weapon always and use it rarely, as in a knife or pistol. this key chain should pass any cops inspection, including mine. I like it a lot…..
Your ink pen would be an even better self defense tool:) I have a large aluminum Sharpie that I will carry around occasionally. It doesn't really have ink but it's still very useful. Thanks for watching!
You could possibly do it with shoelace, I haven't tried. Don't know the maximum length shoelaces come in though, you may run out before the kubotan is done.
Very well done video. Suggestions: 1.) There is NO substitute for genuine 550 Paracord. Durable and practically indestructible. Don't waste time and money on anything else. 2.) As well as burning the ends, apply superglue liberally to that end, to ensure that it will never unravel. I'm off to find some bolts! Thanks.
In response to the first part of your comment. Are you sure about that? You know the also use kevlar instead of nylon but it usually goes for $75 for 100ft.
@Schmidt54 Thank you! I don't think our law enforcement will like this either but until it's used as a weapon then I'm good. I still believe I have the right to defend myself if the need arises. I'll probably try my best with my bare hands but if it goes wrong this and anything else I find within my grasp will be used.
To be honest I don't think it'll make too much of a difference. But you may be right in that the cross wave knot may come down to more of a point that the square knot.
@darkchild57 Thanks for the quick response and the info. I did a little experimenting and it wasn't as difficult as I thought to get the right length. I wrapped a sharpie inside and used 2 pieces about 7+ feet each. I tried to allow for xtra on both ends because I made a lanyard to go around my wrist (weapon retention) and also approx 10 inches extra on the other end for a "whip" to swing my keys on a long keychain. (many defense options) thanks again!
@EnduringEagle Yup, 6 feet each side. This of course is only an estimation based on how much was left over from my first attempt with the .75 x 5 inch bolt. I haven't tried any thicker diameter bolts yet.
i was wondering if i should do the square knot or the cross wave knot? because the cross wave knot looks like it could strike into the smaller points of the body...get what i'm saying? which should i do? thanks
I'm new at this. Really wish you would say how much cord to start with to cover that bolt or to make an "average" size kuboton. Otherwise, I have no idea how much to cut off. thanks.
@wcropp1 Yeah I know...it sucks how the laws in my town are written. It's a huge blanket sweep. They basically say anything that is brandished in a threatening way, which means I could wave a banana in a threatening way and it'll be considered a weapon.
@MrSenset I hear you man, the laws are a blanket sweep that if I was to brandish a fruit in a threatening manner it could be called a weapon. Great suggestion for the ring top! Thanks for that! I do love the sturdiness and it's pretty low key until you use it. Thanks for watching!
Nice video, I made one with this plastic/nylon rope. Didn't put a bolt in it because i just wanna use it as something to grab onto to pull my keys out of my pocket. I'll probably buy some paracord to make stuff with though now. :P
Yes, sorry, 7-8 feet per cord. Not too sure about a ratio, I just made a guess based on my previous projects. I'm sure there's some mathematical way of figuring out the ratio, but I don't know it.
you could get a bigger bolt and grind the end of it into a point maybe if you put on 2 or 3 nuts and tighten them close to the end you could let the pointy end stick out of your paracord and if you dont like the bare metal look you can spraypaint the thing after you tighten the nuts before you put on the paracord. it will come off if you use the "glassbreaker" but hey it still beats a shiny bolt
+Luis Francisco Báez Galindo Welcome:) Paracord can be bought from Amazon, which is where I get mine. If you have a military surplus store around they'll usually carry it also. Make sure it says 550 Paracord on it, there is a thinner 450 as well.
@Schmidt54 Its an option I MAY use instead of drawing my knife or gun, so it has the potential to be more humane. Although in some cases, drawing a gun is the most humane IF the person runs away without a confrontation at all. It all depends on the situation, and having many tools (knife, gun, kubotan, pepper spray, extremely bright light) is the idea. But, my goal is to NEVER use any of these in my entire life.
Nice and simple. I ordered some para, i'll do stuff like this, maybe i'll try to make some pocket money to buy some more paracord and get some cool knives :p
That sucks. I used two 7 foot lengths of cord to make cover the bolt. The other thing you could do is cover the bolt head with black electrical tape then wrap it. It'll cover it up a bit.
Good job. I make these all the time for my friends but I use the bolts that end in a ring instead of a hex top. I then just put a key-chain ring on it. I call mine "Sturdy Keychains" and for legal reasons never refer to them as weapons. They are sturdy so they don't break and large so they are easy to find. That way they are not considered weapons until they are refereed to or brandished as such. 8-)
Why not put one of those long nails they use to hang gutters ? "Grip Rite 8inch spike " ? box knot it in and have perhaps a cap on it of some sort to keep the point from unintended puncturing 😉
I work at a prison. Our defensive tactics instructor has been doing martial arts for over 20 years and even has a small school. I made him one of these and he was so enthusiastic about it that he wants me to make more for his school! He likes the idea of something lightweight buy strong and most people don't recognize it for a defensive tool. I made one 6 inches long for him out of his school colors and he takes it everywhere. Basically I'm saying thanks for the tutorial!
We're never completely helpless, unless our conditioned thinking makes us helpless! Every plane I ever been in had an assortment of nice improvised impact tools. And how about bringing a somewhat sturdy pen, and even your keys -they're always with you, and much sharper than a kubotan! Designated weapons sure has more intimidation effect, but when it comes to impact -that's a whole other story. -Nice vid BTW, very useful.
Super idea...Have a kubotan I purchased 20 years ago in FL and was wondering where to get more. Now I can make some. Everyone keeps trying to take mine, so now I will give them one home made. Thanks for the wonderful idea!!!!!!!
squeakie no sabes, si sirve de igual manera a q si fuera todo de acero? Osea su golpe es "fuerte"?
Awesome idea. The Monkey's Fist knots are also a good example of "tactical macrame"...you could probably even make one that you can tie onto this one...or at least something removable so you can use them together or separately. Then you would basically have a "paracord" lanyard for your keys, except it's got a steel bolt and a lead weight/ball bearing flail attached to it...I'm sure you could do some damage with one if need be.
Fantastic idea. Everyone in my life will be getting one of these for Christmas this year. Thanks for the video.
Thanks! This would make a nice and useful gift!
@wcropp1 I wanted to add, however, that in many states "slungshots" are illegal, which is basically any kind of weight attached to a rope or string. A key chain sized one probably isn't going to get you into any trouble, but if you ever seriously injure someone with one in a defensive situation, that could be used against you in court. Check your local laws.
Nice video. Steel is nice for strength and gives it some weight, but I like your sharpie idea. I think some kind of plastic insert like that would be a good idea for those times you may want to enter an area that has metal detectors.
(airports, some schools, some federal buildings, etc, etc, etc)
I'm sure you can. You may need very long pieces of shoelaces in some cases. Pick up some paracord if you can, they are relatively inexpensive and you can make several of these with one roll, not to mention various of survival bracelets. The feel is a lot different as well.
Nice! To add some weight to it you could fill the bolt up with nuts!
That's a great suggestion! Thanks
great minds think alike😀
Thanks for the idea way better then spending alot of money for a metal kubaton. Best thing is it looks like a regular paracord keychain. But this has a surprise inside .
You're welcome:) A lot of different DIY things can be made on a budget by just experimenting with different readily available products. Thanks for watching my vid!
I would think so, you just need more paracord. This weave may not cover too thick of a pipe though, you may have to alter the weave. Look up some vids from tyingitalltogether to see if something else works.
You could do this with any sized bolt providing you have enough paracord to cover it up.
I haven't been through security with but I'm thinking they would notice. A dowel is a good option, or even a pen would probably work. I even tried to make one with tightly rolled cardboard but it became too thick.
Thanks One more Question, After lots of wear will it fray and is it as good as a normal kuboton?
"This 4 inch one seems to fit in my hand perfectly fine." That's what she said!!!!!!!!!
You could just sand the threads and round the hex and tip. Or spiral wrap the threads in gutted paracord then seal in superglue before the braid. Once the braid is done, dip in thin set epoxy.
Scott Birse.
.
tactical macrame :D. add tactical to any word and suddenly it sounds pretty cool. like tactical donuts or tactical hand sanitizer.
Thanks, it's a company called Windmill. I think it's made in Japan. Not too sure of the model, sorry. I got it from Knife Works a while back but I just looked and they don't carry these at this moment. They have other Windmill products though.
@EnduringEagle Thanks man! The .75" x 4" bolt was finished using 10 feet of paracord total (5' of each color of course). The thickness includes the gorilla tape and electrical tape used. There were about 2.5 feet of left over at the end. The .75" x 5" bolt I used 17 feet but it was way too much because I snipped off 8 feet afterwards...so I'm thinking 12 feet should be more than enough.
What about a nail? So you can also have the ability to pierce/puncture. Maybe as a windowbreaker?
This is great!! Thanks for the tutorial! I'll be making one of my own soon. I saw some vid about a gentleman who treated his box knot keychain (no bolt) with superglue and it hardened up really well, but I like the bolt idea a little better....at least one won't need a lot of ventilation to make a bolt kubotan. :)
I bereave this Kubotan with the paracord and the large bolt is a very good in plain site weapon. I regularly carry a copper Henderer large ink pen, which would be hard for law enforcement to call a weapon. I have boarded an airplane and gone to court with it. Most of us carry a weapon always and use it rarely, as in a knife or pistol. this key chain should pass any cops inspection, including mine. I like it a lot…..
Your ink pen would be an even better self defense tool:) I have a large aluminum Sharpie that I will carry around occasionally. It doesn't really have ink but it's still very useful. Thanks for watching!
You could possibly do it with shoelace, I haven't tried. Don't know the maximum length shoelaces come in though, you may run out before the kubotan is done.
Very well done video. Suggestions:
1.) There is NO substitute for genuine 550 Paracord. Durable and practically indestructible. Don't waste time and money on anything else.
2.) As well as burning the ends, apply superglue liberally to that end, to ensure that it will never unravel.
I'm off to find some bolts! Thanks.
Thanks for the suggestions :) I only use 550 currently. I haven't thought about using superglue but I will from now on. Good luck with your kubotan!
In response to the first part of your comment. Are you sure about that? You know the also use kevlar instead of nylon but it usually goes for $75 for 100ft.
Joe Jack All Kevlar is Nylon, but not all Nylon is Kevlar.
Really? I didn't know that :) I geuss what they say is true you lean something new everyday.
@Schmidt54 Thank you! I don't think our law enforcement will like this either but until it's used as a weapon then I'm good. I still believe I have the right to defend myself if the need arises. I'll probably try my best with my bare hands but if it goes wrong this and anything else I find within my grasp will be used.
To be honest I don't think it'll make too much of a difference. But you may be right in that the cross wave knot may come down to more of a point that the square knot.
@darkchild57
Thanks for the quick response and the info. I did a little experimenting and it wasn't as difficult as I thought to get the right length. I wrapped a sharpie inside and used 2 pieces about 7+ feet each. I tried to allow for xtra on both ends because I made a lanyard to go around my wrist (weapon retention) and also approx 10 inches extra on the other end for a "whip" to swing my keys on a long keychain. (many defense options) thanks again!
@EnduringEagle Yup, 6 feet each side. This of course is only an estimation based on how much was left over from my first attempt with the .75 x 5 inch bolt. I haven't tried any thicker diameter bolts yet.
Could you design a 2 piece kubaton that involves an interior spring to help your strike speed? I'd be extremely interested in seeing such a tool.
Thanks! Well you can use any size bolt or similar really. But yeah, give it a go!
You can if you want, it's your own personal preference.
Cool! You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
@Xhessive Cool:) I love these ideas everyone is coming up with! Thanks for watching!
i was wondering if i should do the square knot or the cross wave knot? because the cross wave knot looks like it could strike into the smaller points of the body...get what i'm saying? which should i do? thanks
I'm new at this. Really wish you would say how much cord to start with to cover that bolt or to make an "average" size kuboton. Otherwise, I have no idea how much to cut off. thanks.
@rustydj You're welcome:) I saw that same video, it was a really cool idea, but I agree, using a bolt is a a bit faster! Thanks for watching!
I love this idea. For a particular bolt size, how much paracord would you need?
what kind of lighter is that? looks like it'd be great for the rest of my paracord projects
+Justin M It's a Windmill lighter.
@wcropp1 Yeah I know...it sucks how the laws in my town are written. It's a huge blanket sweep. They basically say anything that is brandished in a threatening way, which means I could wave a banana in a threatening way and it'll be considered a weapon.
@atomicblitzr Thanks! Yeah definitely try out paracord it's relatively inexpensive and it's really tough stuff. Thanks for watching!
It holds well. Paracord is very strong!
Very nice ,but How I un-tied my fingers now?
how much paracord would it take for a 5 inch bolt.....great upload
The general average is 1 foot of paracord for every 1 inch needed. I've found that to be true in most cases and this also leaves a bit left over.
I meant per cord, so it was 8' per cord for a total of 16? Is there a ratio to use when wrapping it around a bolt?
@MrSenset I hear you man, the laws are a blanket sweep that if I was to brandish a fruit in a threatening manner it could be called a weapon. Great suggestion for the ring top! Thanks for that! I do love the sturdiness and it's pretty low key until you use it. Thanks for watching!
Can I do this with 5/8 x 5" bolts or would that be overkill? Had no volume on my end while watching your vid. What size bolt do u use?
Very good vid!
Excellent vid but how much ord o you use?
How many feet of cord are you using for this ?
Haha! Couldn't find a 4 1/2 inch bolt! Cut a half inch off of a 5 inch bolt? Nice vid mate. I'm going to have a go.
@romansten9 Oops, sorry, I believe the 5 inch bolt I used 7 feet of each color.
Nice video, I made one with this plastic/nylon rope. Didn't put a bolt in it because i just wanna use it as something to grab onto to pull my keys out of my pocket. I'll probably buy some paracord to make stuff with though now. :P
@Prowler1 :) :) Well it's about time someone used it together lol! Thanks for watching!
Yes, sorry, 7-8 feet per cord. Not too sure about a ratio, I just made a guess based on my previous projects. I'm sure there's some mathematical way of figuring out the ratio, but I don't know it.
You're welcome! Glad you found the tutorial helpful! Thanks for watching:)
cool stuff darkchild...next time screw one nut on the bolt (and some loctite) ...That way it's blunt in both ends...should be very effective or ???
I think I used about 7-8 feet of each color. I had a bit left over.
I think it was around 7 or 8 feet. There was a bit left over. Thanks for watching!
thank you for the help an great upload.....nice an covert. uk law is a pain an ideas like this for defence purposes are bril
I wonder if you could put a glass breaker on the end? Or do you think that it could break a window without one?
you could get a bigger bolt and grind the end of it into a point maybe if you put on 2 or 3 nuts and tighten them close to the end you could let the pointy end stick out of your paracord
and if you dont like the bare metal look you can spraypaint the thing after you tighten the nuts before you put on the paracord.
it will come off if you use the "glassbreaker" but hey it still beats a shiny bolt
@hippietwinkie Thanks:) I'm glad I could entertain!
how much paracord for each in of the object? so say i wanted a 6in bolt to be wrapped how much cord should i start with?
@squeakieism Thanks for watching, appreciate it! I'm glad to hear you may get some use out of it:).
@darkchild57 Just to be clear that would be 6 feet on each side?
how much paracord you think we should use? Ilike above I have a 5'" bolt not counting the head..
Thanks i think is very usefull. Where i can get this king of string or loop?
+Luis Francisco Báez Galindo Welcome:) Paracord can be bought from Amazon, which is where I get mine. If you have a military surplus store around they'll usually carry it also. Make sure it says 550 Paracord on it, there is a thinner 450 as well.
Any surplus, preper store, eBay or even @ the Home Depot 9cents a foot
Lowes, Home Depot in the rope isle
dude you are a genius
@Brandon Jones Sorry your comment did not have an option to reply. I used two pieces of paracord at 8' each.
Nice lighter. What make model is it thanks
Nice! Thanks for the info!
Maybe I missed it but how much par cord did you use?
I used 7 feet of each color.
@Schmidt54 Its an option I MAY use instead of drawing my knife or gun, so it has the potential to be more humane. Although in some cases, drawing a gun is the most humane IF the person runs away without a confrontation at all. It all depends on the situation, and having many tools (knife, gun, kubotan, pepper spray, extremely bright light) is the idea. But, my goal is to NEVER use any of these in my entire life.
why not just wrap the entire bolt in electrical tape? saves buying 2 types of tape for the one use?
what is the kind of tape you sticked around the bolt's body?
It's just electrical tape.
How much footage of paracord to you need to make this project?
i'll try it out and get back with you. thanks again!
@William Viale: I wasn't able to Reply to your comment. For the bolt in this video I used 8 feet of paracord.
darkchild57 where can i get these strings?
4 feet of each color?
Five Four
I picked up the paracord on Amazon
shanesmaineshop
Yes
thanks
im attempting this but it seems the head on this bolt is way too big to secure within the box.. should have bought smaller bolts :(
Nice and simple. I ordered some para, i'll do stuff like this, maybe i'll try to make some pocket money to buy some more paracord and get some cool knives :p
@gundude73 Lol! Love the "dome checking"!
one of my tips would be to but nuts on the whole bolt then rap it up see what you think
That would be an option for a thicker feel but it'll add some more weight on it. Great idea nonetheless!
Hi how well does it hold it the paracord strong
What kind of bolt did you use
can i use shoe laces for these??
tnx..
Could you use boondoggle string?
That sucks. I used two 7 foot lengths of cord to make cover the bolt. The other thing you could do is cover the bolt head with black electrical tape then wrap it. It'll cover it up a bit.
Good job. I make these all the time for my friends but I use the bolts that end in a ring instead of a hex top. I then just put a key-chain ring on it. I call mine "Sturdy Keychains" and for legal reasons never refer to them as weapons. They are sturdy so they don't break and large so they are easy to find. That way they are not considered weapons until they are refereed to or brandished as such. 8-)
I think it was 7 feet for each color.
You can also put superglue on it.
Why not put one of those long nails they use to hang gutters ? "Grip Rite 8inch spike " ? box knot it in and have perhaps a cap on it of some sort to keep the point from unintended puncturing 😉
Very easy to do. Thanks .thumb up.
Good work, thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
have you tried this with the round version of this knot?
Not yet, but I've seen others do it. It looks pretty nice and it covers the bolt better.
darkchild57 i did mine round looks great
this would be better than carrying a kubutan in the UK, much less threatening looking!
Can this be made without the key ring?
Certainly, all I did was to loosen up one of the cords at one end, just skip that step.
what about shoe lace?
How much paracord did u use
Nice.
You could do a mean Steve Buscemi impression!