2006 Catalog Books, Videos & Tools By Brion Toss Best Sellers! Dear Friends, Look inside for more details This catalog has come about in pretty much the same way as our Apprentice Program and the Master Rigger videos and THE COMPLETE RIGGER’S workshops — by popular demand. APPRENTICE by Brion Toss Considered the authoritative text on Nearly 15 years ago we decided to respond to the many in- yacht rigging procedures. You can quiries to learn rigging in a hands-on way. The Rigger’s Ap- find everything from block selection prenticeship Program was born. Then there were all the folks who wanted to know how to get tools like to rig tuning to basic knots. Hard- ours. Well, we made cover pp392 $39.95 many of them our- (See more details on page 4) selves, and to some degree we still do. BRION TOSS’ SPLICING WAND We now have a ter- FOR BRAIDED AND PARALLEL-CORE ROPE rific production team Braided rope splicing can be a daunting, frustrating task, headed by Norm if you are using conventional tools Coote. He makes our and instructions. That’s why the tools to exacting stan- Splicing Wand was invented, a tool dards, including many details done by hand. that makes quick, easy work of tuck- Our videos are also “hand-crafted”, full of ing. The Splicing Wand is basically a the nuances and refinements that can wake up a rig. Actually long tube containing a hidden snare. “seeing” how a job is done can go a long way towards learning You slide the tool into the rope, grab to do that job. the end you want to tuck, and slide the tool out. $55— $85 And of course, there are the books — The Rigger’s Apprentice, (We’ve got six sizes, see page 3 for more details) Chapman’s Knots for Boaters, and our new Working Rope Series. It is much harder to write about rigging than it is just to rig, but over the years we’ve been amply rewarded by hear- WORKING ROPE BOOK 5: BASIC BRAIDED SPLICING ing from people about what a positive difference these books Here is your key to demystifying Braided Rope Splicing. have made for them, and for their boats. In this first volume of the Working Rope series, Brion Toss and Margie McDonald bring to you Finally, there are our workshops, espresso-intense weekends, the distilled results of decades of experi- packed with information, where you can get a first-hand taste ence with thousands of splices. You’ll of what it’s like to work on real boats with a rigger. find clear, illustrated instructions for We hope you’ll take advantage of these fruits of our experi- splicing conventional ropes like Dacron ence. We love this trade, and love to see it done right. and Nylon, as well as the new High- Modulus lines like Spectra and Vectran. Fair Leads, Pp122. Paperback. $17.50 Brion Toss and Christian Gruyé (See page 4 for more details) Visit www.briontoss.com, for our complete catalog and great specials! p. 2 Tools THE BOSUN’S HARNESS THE TOSS HANDY BILLY Imagine a bosun’s chair that lets you get higher on the A two-speed, “handy” endless rope tool, with 3:1 and 6:1 mast, is impossible to fall out of, and allows utter freedom advantage. Use the 3:1 to move light loads, and to stabi- of movement. Imagine further that it has a built-in tether, lize all loads quickly. Switch to 6:1 for heavier loads, or to 3 halyard attachment points, two belts for tools, loops for raise or lower at lower speed, with greater control. Can hanging extra gear from, and a be used to set up a temporary stay, to pull a jib foil for- large multi-pocket pouch, the ward without a turnbuckle, for overboard recovery, hoist- Rigger’s Tool Pouch, for cotter ing dinghy’s, etc. Add a single block for a compound pur- pins, small tools, tape and chase to stretch wire for other incidentals. splicing, jury rig a A very heavily-padded moun- shroud, and so on. This taineering-style harness that concept is the same one we’ve designed for the de- behind our popular mands of yacht rigging. More “endless mainsheets”. A comfortable, and for longer, must for cruisers. than any other harness or chair $495.95 that we’ve tried. Brion Toss’s video Going aloft and instructions for suggested use included. $389.95 JAPANESE MARLINGSPIKE A sturdy six-inch spike of the best quality Japanese tool steel, with duck bill point for smooth insertion. Small enough for tiny line, CARIBINER, GOLD strong enough for splicing steel wire. The locking pear-shaped carabiner is a must-have item on Solid white oak handle. any cruising vessel. Combined with the carabiner hitch, $14.95 detailed in Chapman’s Guide to Knots (written by Brion), it is a life saving item when working aloft. The carabiner is manufac- tured by Petzl, is individually RIGGER’S PLIERS tested, and comes with a three- Our specially modified cotter pin removal tool allows year guarantee. $16.50 most of the muscles in your arm to be applied directly to the removal of the cotter pin instead of the wasted effort of clamping tight plier jaws while twisting the night away, CALIPER GAUGE or gouging your hand and/or spars with a dull screw- This is a low-tech, high impact micrometer, for measur- driver. Useful for tightening and cutting seizing wire, ing wire, rope, tangs, bolts, pins, tracks, chains, and just loosening nuts, holding pieces for cutting and dressing, about every other component of your rig. Measures inter- etc. A black finish resists corro- nal diameter, outside diameter, and sion, the handles are wonderfully depth. Reads in 1/100, 1/64, and ergonomic, and there’s a clever millimeters. little spring in the handle. To use, $27.95 just flick on the spring, and then flick it off for stowing in your pocket or in our Rigger’s Bucket. $37 www.briontoss.com 1-800-488-0855 Tools p. 3 BRION TOSS’ SPLICING WAND Z-VISE THE PROFESSIONAL MODEL The z-Vise is the Swiss Army FOR BRAIDED AND PARALLEL-CORE ROPE knife of vises Its light-weight Braided rope splicing can be a daunting, frustrating task, and smart design allows com- if you are using conventional tools and instructions. pact storage, perfect for the That’s why the Splicing Wand was invented, a tool that cruising sailor. With a quiver makes quick, easy work of tucking. The Splicing Wand is of attachments, it converts to basically a long tube containing a hidden snare. You slide a rill press, wire clamp, wood the tool into the rope, grab the end you want to tuck, and clamps, and it now comes with slide the tool out. its own durable hard plastic There’s a specially carrying case. shaped tip on the tube, $340 to keep you from snag- ging yarns along the POINT HUDSON PHID way, an ingenious For 3-Strand and Mega Braid rope. This is the world’s mechanism in the han- second most expensive fid; the most expensive being those dle, to hold the tube in fids that cut and disturb your roe as you use them! The place while you work. Point Hudson Phid makes a You can clamp the tool smaller hle in the rope than in a vise if you want, ordinary fids, so a leaving both hands free smoother fairer splice re- to deal with the rope, there’s no taping or untaping, no fid sults, with no hockles or lengths to decipher, and very little physical effort needed sliced yarns. The Phid is to tuck. For professionals it’s the tool of choice. Easy to round and polished with no follow instructions for the double-braid eyesplice in- sharp edges to damage the cluded. rope fibers. It is easy to enter, even into hard-laid rope. The Splicing Wand comes in three sizes—the inches are The Phid is designed with an artful cutaway; so you can for rope diameter. leave it in the rope while tucking Micro 7/64” -1/4” — $55 the strand; no more yanking and dragging to get the strand home. Small 3/16” - 3/8” — $55 The Point Hudson Phid comes in Medium 5/16” - 1/2” — $55 two sizes — Small for 5/16—5/8 Extra Long 42” Medium — $65 dia. rope; Large for 3/4— 1 1/8” Large 3/8” - 3/4” — $65 rope. Large $35; Small $29 Extra Large 3/4” - over 1” — $75 11” SOINI MARLINSPIKE TEF-GEL KIT The marlingspike is a fundamental rigging tool, essential Tef Gel is the highest-grade, long- for splicing wire, tightening seizings and lashings, prying, est-lasting isolating compound we wedging, torqueing, etc. Our model is locally-made, with have discovered. We use it daily to proportions derived from the isolate dissimilar metals, lubricate classic Drew pattern. At 11 turnbuckles, and more. A tiny amount goes a long way. inches long, it is a maximally- Save thousands of dollars in future repair and replace- versatile size, a must-have for ment costs by applying Tef Gel today. Includes easy to use any rigger. applicator brush. 1 ounce kit. $14.95 $40 www.briontoss.com 1-800-488-0855 p. 4 Brion’s Books THE COMPLETE RIGGER’S APPRENTICE WORKING ROPE BOOK 5: BASIC BRAIDED By Brion Toss SPLICING Considered the standard text on yacht rigging procedures. Here is your key to demystifying Braided Rope Splicing.