briansfly wrote:
rw wrote:

briansfly wrote:


I just did a very non technical test on that knot. I tied it leaving
me with a loop 15 lb. test mono. I stuck a screw drive handle in each
end of the loop and pulled. It snapped at the knot every time. I did
the same test with a 5 turn blood knot. It also snapped at the knot,
but with a significantly higher tension needed. I realize this is
about as basic of a test as you can get, but the difference was
enough, that I could easily feel it.


An easy way to get an objective comparison between knots is to tie both
knots in one strand of tippet and pull to failure. That's what I did to
compare this knot with a double Surgeon's. The Surgeon's won. (One trial.)

Yup, i've done that too. All I had at my desk was 15 to 40 lb Trilene
Big Game mono(I use this to make my striper leaders). I figured tying it
in a loop would be a lot easier way to break it.

Back to Myron's question about multiple passes on the Zeppelin knot. I
tried it. The knot is very hard to seat properly, and it becomes bulky.
It did seem to have a higher break strength.

brians

Hmm, which is stronger; a surgeon's or a blood knot? I think factors
other than breaking strength play a role, because if the blood knot is
stronger, then the only reason to use a surgeon's because its easier to
tie. And if the surgeon's is stronger, then the only reason to use a
blood knot is to have a straight connection. If this Zeppelin thing is
weaker than both, but not significantly so, then it might be a good
compromise for, say, small spooky trout where you want a nice straight
leader, and maximum breaking strength is not necessary, but you don't
want to bother tying a blood knot.

I'll try some tests myself to see how it feels. Did you guys find it
significantly weaker? I once thought about using a 'double grapevine'
(also called a 'fisherman's knot') for tippet-tippet, but was astounded
to discover that it had almost no resilience at all! Try it
http://www.aqvi55.dsl.pipex.com/knot.../fisherman.htm

--riverman