Selma fids are the way to go for double-braid

[Bigjim]

I've tried and tried to splice eyes using Sampson fids and never could get them right. And, watching the videos and how easy it looks is even more frustrating.

In one video I noticed that the splicer was inserting the rope and core into a slot in the fid and that made it so much easier. I finally tracked down these fids and they are from Selma in Norway.

Selma as

I tracked down several US sources and bought a set. They make splicing double braid so much easier! I was even able to finally splice thimbles into my eyes and got professional results!



Here's where I got my set: APS - Annapolis Performance Sailing | APS

But they are also available elsewhere!

[Bigjim]

Here's a good image of the fids. They are actually hollow. But the important part is that there is a tiny barb inside the cavity that hooks onto the rope. No need for tape to hold the rope in the fid.



I still use tape to keep the rope tips from fraying. But if you had a hot cutter or hit the tip with some flame to fuse the strands, no tape would be needed.

I found that vinyl electrical tape was the best. It stretches and has a slippery surface that slides nicely when passing through the cover or core. It rarely catches.