Are there any double-braids that are "easy-splice" or are they inherently a PITB?

eyehearttrees · Oct 26, 2019

I'm ordering cordage for some slings and was going for Yalex because, hey, I'm confident I can splice it w/o problems here at home.....but I really don't want to use that cordage I strongly prefer a double-braid, would much prefer Polydyne 3/4" for my sling cordage but any double-braid would be preferable, but my sole experience with splicing was a 2hr failure on my Blue Moon, am quasi-confident I could succeed if I tried again but it was such a headache it put me off of it.

Would love to know which specific double-braids are known for being the easiest, *as well as* any speculation on how risky it is to order cordage for a 1st-attempt like this (IE should I be able to splice my Blue Moon before bothering trying other double-braids or is the "difficulty" of splicing Blue Moon, relative to other double-braids, actually significant?)

Thanks a lot!

(FWIW, the 'why'....I dislike how much my Tenex-Tec pics I mean it's so fragile I'm trying to find out whether there's at-home/DIY "re-coatings" for ropes as I'm assuming all my spray-on coating is gone....and it's just 1.5% stretch which could be improved on with a double-braid....and, well, it really bothers me that what's quoted as 3/4" Tenex-Tec by Samson isn't actually 3/4" it is thicker, hasn't been a problem for me but I abhor mis-labels like that!!)

Jehinten · Oct 26, 2019

Tenex picks, but isn't fragile. It still holds a lot of weight. Most if not all ropes are measured under tension which means the 3/4" is likely accurate, under tension.

I've only spliced a couple of double braids, stable braid being the most common. It splices well although time consuming for me (still a novice splicer) as I had to keep rereading the steps to confirm that I was doing everything correctly. I also found that 3/4 is a little easier to splice than half inch.

Treezybreez · Oct 26, 2019

Class one double braid eye splices are pretty easy in the larger diameter lines. I don't think I would go with a nylon core line for a sling, the cover milks quite a bit. Try 3/4 Stable braid or Yale Double Esterlon.

Jonny · Oct 26, 2019

Jehinten said:
Tenex picks, but isn't fragile.

Exactly, it’s so much tougher than you might think from first glance.
Try the Yalex/Tenex/Nerex first before dismissing it.
I couldn’t believe it when I first got a Tenex prusik and sling. This shit ain’t gonna last 45 minutes and looks like some Cub Scouts got their basket weaving merit badges making it.
I was wrong though, it’s incredibly tough if not abused too much. It can pick some yes, but as long as the little picked loop isn’t severed or unraveled, it goes away when loaded and you probably won’t be able to see what strand was picked before
It never could’ve held on in this industry if it was delicate.

JTree · Dec 6, 2019

General rule of thumb: the larger the DB cordage, the easier it is to splice. That being said, there is a definite learning curve to doing db splices. I still get in to spells from time to time when things don't go exactly like they should and I have to cut off a failed splice. Not often, but it does happen. My advice, keep plugging at it, but maybe get some cheap rope to practice on like the TS bag-o-rope or wesspur clearance pieces. It's a skill worth developing, but it isn't something that is easy the first dozen times.

Samsquanch · Dec 25, 2019

Going from memory from cordage I've worked on including prusik cord

Easy cordage:
Arrow frog
Yale kernmaster lines
Prism
Tachyon ash
Ocean poly
10mm and 8mm armourprus
Yale rigging lines (both of their major lines)

Bit harder to f*ck this shit:
Blue tongue
Imori
Poison ivy
Silverstreak
Tachyon graviton
A multitude of used lines friends have cut and brought to me to resplice.

Probably more to those lists but i'm in a Christmas food coma at the moment.

Edit: 100% arrow frog has got to be one of the easiest climbing lines to do a db splice on. Could smash em out all day.