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  1. #1
    PopcornFool's Avatar
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    Lightbulb DIY Dutch Hook Alternative using Dog Tag S-hooks

    I haven't posted much, but have been hanging for a few years and lurking here longer. I finally saved enough to buy some Dutch bling this spring, only to discover that he's been forced to close down the warehouse.


    So I got to thinking ... is there a way for me to create my own Dutchware? Obviously, I don't have a manufacturing plant in my garage or a ready supply of titanium stashed in the corner, but I do have a bunch of crap lying around; so I started digging.

    I figured I'd start with something simple ... an alternative to the Dutch hook. For my tarp CRL, I'd been going the "no hardware" approach. For awhile, I simply pulled one end of my CRL through the eye I had spliced in the other end. Then I started playing with using a bowline and other tied approaches. Eventually, I just went with a cheap biner. And I mean one of those really cheap, buck-a-dozen, gates keep breaking, but just barely good enough biners you get at the dollar store. I really was looking forward to getting a Dutch hook for the simplicity and a bit of weight savings. (Plus it's the least expensive of the Dutch bling items I have my eye on.)

    So if Dutch isn't shipping anymore, and I don't want to keep replacing broken cheapo biners, what else can I do?

    I believe I've created something that will work just as well.

    I found a bunch of small S-hooks. These come with the rabies vaccination tags I get every year for my dogs' collars, but I always just re-use the old ones and toss the new ones in a box. I'm sure similar s-hooks would be cheap and easy to find at any hardware store. The ones I have are steel and strong and weigh only 1-2g each (My scale kept wavering between 1g and 2g before settling on 2g. It doesn't get more granular.).

    In short, I just took a pair of needle-nose pliers and rounded half of the S-hook into a closed loop (or thereabouts). Then I pinched the other end into a flatter, (more Dutch-ish?) hook-like shape. Because they are small (only about an inch long) and steel, it took a little elbow grease and wrangling with the pliers to get the S-hook re-shaped close to the way I wanted, but because they are designed to be crimped onto dog collars, they aren't so thick that it can't be done. It only took a few minutes.

    Then I simply used a lark's head to affix the loop end of my CRL to the newly-shaped hook.

    I've attached a couple of pictures to make it easier to see the size, weight, and before-and-after appearance.

    It's not particularly pretty, but it's functional. And I wouldn't use this for anything other than my tarp CRL or tie-outs, though it's plenty strong enough for that. It's certainly heavier than a Ti Dutch hook, but I think I can probably handle the extra gram in in my backpack. And though Dutch hooks are relatively cheap, you can't beat free. Plus I get the satisfaction of having made my own gear (albeit a small piece of gear).

    I'm relatively new to the forum (less than a year) and haven't posted much, but I would appreciate any thoughts or feedback.
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  2. #2
    cmc4free's Avatar
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    Since you solicited feedback, maybe try making one where the "point" at the open end of the hook scrolls inward? Less chance of snagging or puncturing other materials?

  3. #3
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    Nice thinking outside the box! There's lots of options out there with knots or hardware that you can DIY or purchase from other vendors that work fine or cost less. Of course it's not "bling", but if it gets the job done, go for it.

    Ever looked at doing a "button knot"? I'm using on the tarp ridgeline I bought from Ann Marie at autimnultralight. Super simple and holds great.

  4. #4
    Senior Member jeff-oh's Avatar
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    You seem to have some Zing-It cordage. Why not make an EVO loop or Locked Brommell Loop. These are loops 1 & 2 in the picture. They can attach to your line and act as a easy clasp. If you are good at splicing, and undo one of the loop ends on your CRL then you can even directly incorporate the locking loop into your CRL. AKA: Autumn Ultralite style.
    loops.jpgCapture2.JPG

  5. #5
    PopcornFool's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmc4free View Post
    Since you solicited feedback, maybe try making one where the "point" at the open end of the hook scrolls inward? Less chance of snagging or puncturing other materials?
    Good thought! Should be an easy adjustment.

  6. #6
    PopcornFool's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by michigandave View Post
    Nice thinking outside the box! There's lots of options out there with knots or hardware that you can DIY or purchase from other vendors that work fine or cost less. Of course it's not "bling", but if it gets the job done, go for it.

    Ever looked at doing a "button knot"? I'm using on the tarp ridgeline I bought from Ann Marie at autimnultralight. Super simple and holds great.
    "Super simple"????? Simple to use, right? Not simple to make.

    Soft shackles do entice me because there are so many possibilities for how I can use them. I started looking into making my own soft shackles not too long ago (and all the different variations like your suggestion and the EVO Loop & Locked Brummel Loop suggestions Jeff-O offered). It's that damned button knot (and variations like the diamond knot) that stumps me. When I watched my first video of how to tie a button knot ... wrap this around that and then take the other one through here then under there and put the first one back up through this and around something else then back through the other part ... I got lost after the first wrap! I figured the guy in the video maybe just wasn't a good teacher, so I watched a half dozen more (even one with the different color "big ropes" so you could see it clearer). Ugh ... No better!

    I've always been pretty good with knots, but that dratted button knot is gonna take some major practice and a lot of play-pause-play-pause I think. ~ LOL


    They look simple to use though once their made. That's one of the things we're all striving for after all isn't it?
    Simple, speedy, lightweight luxury!

  7. #7
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PopcornFool View Post
    "Super simple"????? Simple to use, right? Not simple to make.

    Soft shackles do entice me because there are so many possibilities for how I can use them. I started looking into making my own soft shackles not too long ago (and all the different variations like your suggestion and the EVO Loop & Locked Brummel Loop suggestions Jeff-O offered). It's that damned button knot (and variations like the diamond knot) that stumps me. When I watched my first video of how to tie a button knot ... wrap this around that and then take the other one through here then under there and put the first one back up through this and around something else then back through the other part ... I got lost after the first wrap! I figured the guy in the video maybe just wasn't a good teacher, so I watched a half dozen more (even one with the different color "big ropes" so you could see it clearer). Ugh ... No better!

    I've always been pretty good with knots, but that dratted button knot is gonna take some major practice and a lot of play-pause-play-pause I think. ~ LOL


    They look simple to use though once their made. That's one of the things we're all striving for after all isn't it?
    Simple, speedy, lightweight luxury!
    For a while there I went crazy splicing stuff and making Evo loops with button knots, to the point that I could actually tie them without doing the play-pause, rinse-repeat cycle. However, if I were to start up again I would definitely have to go back and reference the YT vids, but I'm fairly certain that it would go rather quickly this time.

    Now, if you wanted to make a quick-n-dirty substitute in the field, you could simply take a length of Amsteel and tie the loop with a Figure 8 knot. With the Amsteel doubled, this makes a good-sized knot... for sure, not pretty like a well-tied button, but it will hold... I know because I've tried it.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  8. #8
    Senior Member MikekiM's Avatar
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    If you can bend these hooks with a pliers they are quite vulnerable to bending as the trees sway. I've seen all sorts of makeshift hooks either bend or snap in half the first time two trees sway in opposite directions.
    Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
    Bob's brother-in-law

  9. #9
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikekiM View Post
    If you can bend these hooks with a pliers they are quite vulnerable to bending as the trees sway. I've seen all sorts of makeshift hooks either bend or snap in half the first time two trees sway in opposite directions.
    This is true! Which is why I no longer rig up the tarp RL to the point that it's banjo-string tight. Still pretty taut, but a little "give" in there. Early on in my hammock learning curve I did not anticipate this possibility.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
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  10. #10
    Senior Member jeff-oh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PopcornFool View Post
    It's that damned button knot that stumps me. When I watched my first video of how to tie a button knot ... wrap this around that and then take the other one through here then under there and put the first one back up through this and around something else then back through the other part ... I got lost after the first wrap! I figured the guy in the video maybe just wasn't a good teacher, so I watched a half dozen more (even one with the different color "big ropes" so you could see it clearer). Ugh ... No better!
    Oh yeah, I know what you mean. I still have to bring the video up every time I need to tie one. I end up pausing after each move. The animated knots video is not the best one out their in my opinion. The video by HowNotToHighline is one of the better ones and is easier to follow. I cannot pull youtube up right now (work restriction) but think this might be it. HowNotToHighline Button Know Video

    Practice with bigger lines until you get it, because working it in small lines like Zing-it is even more a bear.

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