Eastern Brothers, What Do You Think?

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VENETI3

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This is my first attempt at making a chotki. It’s black rattail cord, 33 knots. Does it look like its supposed too? Something specific to improve upon? Also, does me (Latin Rite Catholic) using/wearing (on the wrist) a choki offend any of you? I do try and use it respectively, and in forms that I’ve learn from various websites. By-the-way is there any difference in use of a prayer between the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches?

 
VENETI3 said:
This is my first attempt at making a chotki. It’s black rattail cord, 33 knots. Does it look like its supposed too? Something specific to improve upon? Also, does me (Latin Rite Catholic) using/wearing (on the wrist) a choki offend any of you? I do try and use it respectively, and in forms that I’ve learn from various websites. By-the-way is there any difference in use of a prayer between the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches?
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That’s a fine looking prayer rope. It does indeed look like it’s supposed to. Although, the tassel on the Cross usually indicates that it’s a Russian style rope. For the Russian style ropes, there is a bead every 11 knots on a 33 knot rope. On a 50 or 100 knot rope the bead would be every 10 knots.

Personally, when I make my ropes I like to have the knots a little tighter and to space them out slightly. But that’s just a personal preference.

I also suggest tying a strong joining knot before adding your final bead and tying the Cross. This is tricky, but worth doing. It requires you to use all four strands to tie a knot. It takes a bit of practice, but you’ll be glad you did it, and your ropes will be strong because of it.

Many Roman Catholics these days are purchasing and wearing prayer ropes. I have a number of Roman Catholic friends who have bought prayer ropes from me, and continue to wear and use them (and even give them away on occasion).

There is no difference between Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox with regards to the use of the prayer rope or the prayers said on it.
 
It’s really nice for your first try. Actually, it’s beautiful is it was your 100th time making one! I would think that a monk in a monastery in Russia spent many hours making it, and I congratulate you on your patience!

I am going to start using one too. I don’t imagine it offends anyone, because I know Eastern Catholics who pray the Rosary…quite regularly. That doesn’t bother me at all!🙂
 
Thank you all, i’m glad to hear that I did it well… 😊

@ phillip- how would you make the knots tighter, i pulled them as tight as I could, but the cord is 1/8" rattail ( kinda thick i think)?
 
VENETI3 said:
@ phillip- how would you make the knots tighter, i pulled them as tight as I could, but the cord is 1/8" rattail ( kinda thick i think)?
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Oh! Well, if you’re pulling the knots as tight as you can there’s nothing else you can do. 😃 Sorry I presumed they weren’t pulled completely tight because they are so close together. I find that I have a really difficult time getting my knots that close together when I pull them really tight.

But excellent work. Is this your first attempt, or have you been practicing? If you’re interested in what my prayer ropes look like, there are a few pictures floating around the forums here. I’ve been making them for 5 or 6 years now. I use 2mm rattail. I don’t know if that’s the same as 1/8 inch. I’d personally like the knots I do to be a little bigger, but I’d need to find 2.5mm for that, and I don’t know that that size exists.
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
That’s a fine looking prayer rope. It does indeed look like it’s supposed to. Although, the tassel on the Cross usually indicates that it’s a Russian style rope. For the Russian style ropes, there is a bead every 11 knots on a 33 knot rope. On a 50 or 100 knot rope the bead would be every 10 knots.

Personally, when I make my ropes I like to have the knots a little tighter and to space them out slightly. But that’s just a personal preference.

I also suggest tying a strong joining knot before adding your final bead and tying the Cross. This is tricky, but worth doing. It requires you to use all four strands to tie a knot. It takes a bit of practice, but you’ll be glad you did it, and your ropes will be strong because of it.

Many Roman Catholics these days are purchasing and wearing prayer ropes. I have a number of Roman Catholic friends who have bought prayer ropes from me, and continue to wear and use them (and even give them away on occasion).

There is no difference between Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox with regards to the use of the prayer rope or the prayers said on it.
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Yes, indeed, Master Beadsman!

In fact, the early Western rosaries were knotted cords and Dominican friars wore them wrapped around their wrists like Eastern clergy and others wear their prayer ropes today. It was only with the advent of the heavier wooden and metallic beads that rosaries started to be worn on people’s belts.

Nice looking chotki, BTW.

Alex
 
Alex,

Do you have any idea what kind of knots the early Dominicans tied on their ropes? I’d presume it was the common “wrapped knot” one sees on knotted rosaries these days, but I don’t really know.

I saw a knotted “ladder” rosary a few weeks ago that I am rather keen on learning to make, but haven’t had any success with thus far. I’d love to use the same concept to tie a knotted Lestovka.

I’m also thinking about diving more deeply into rosary making using the common wrapped knot, but haven’t yet found a material that I like. But we’ll get there.
 
I would very much like another, Phillip, which I would like to give as a gift for someone special to me.

Would you be able to do a fifteen decade dominican style rosary in blue in honor Mary, with dark wooden beads? I will send a PM.

-Tim-
 
Tim, I’ll respond to your question via PM, after I receive your message.

@ the OP, keep up the good work. Your rope looks very nice. I’ll be very interested to see your future work as well. 👍
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
Tim, I’ll respond to your question via PM, after I receive your message.

@ the OP, keep up the good work. Your rope looks very nice. I’ll be very interested to see your future work as well. 👍
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Thanks… And your work is extremely beautiful… Something to strive for i guess:thumbsup:
 
VENET13,

I had a thought. Is it possible for you to singe the excess materials on the horizontal beam of the Cross? The material I use melts, but I know that not all rattail will melt, some of it just burns. I’ve found that singeing the materials just makes the finished product look a little better, and also makes it less likely for the end knots to unravel. But if you can’t singe, I recommend cutting the excess material rather close to the knot, and then putting a dot of superglue on the ends to hold them in place.

Just a thought. Take it for what you will.

Thank you for the compliments on my product. I don’t doubt that with a very little bit more practice you’ll be making ropes that are much nicer than mine.

ICXC + NIKA,
Phillip
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
VENET13,

I had a thought. Is it possible for you to singe the excess materials on the horizontal beam of the Cross? The material I use melts, but I know that not all rattail will melt, some of it just burns. I’ve found that singeing the materials just makes the finished product look a little better, and also makes it less likely for the end knots to unravel. But if you can’t singe, I recommend cutting the excess material rather close to the knot, and then putting a dot of superglue on the ends to hold them in place.

Just a thought. Take it for what you will.

Thank you for the compliments on my product. I don’t doubt that with a very little bit more practice you’ll be making ropes that are much nicer than mine.

ICXC + NIKA,
Phillip
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I did actually try to singe the excess, it’s wierd though, the material inside the cord melts but the outer material catches fire 🤷

so yeah i did have to use superglue, but your right I should trim the edges more 👍
 
VENETI3 said:
I did actually try to singe the excess, it’s wierd though, the material inside the cord melts but the outer material catches fire 🤷

so yeah i did have to use superglue, but your right I should trim the edges more 👍
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I’ve had the same problem with other materials I’ve used. As a matter of fact, I’ve had to do a lot of searching in order to find a material that feels nice in the fingers, but also singes properly at the ends. Try the Satin Cord Store. The stuff I get from them is a nylon-satin product that is very nice. I’ve also gotten their rayon cord, but it does not singe at the end. One of the advantages to the rayon is that it has a very soft, almost silk-like feel to it. It’s also just a bit thicker. So I’m torn between the two. I really like the feel of both the rayon and the nylon-satin. Right now I’m using the nylon-satin because it is stronger and easier to work with. I’ve actually pulled the rayon apart while I was tightening knots.

Anyhow, those are just a few more suggestions. 😃
 
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