J. D. Lenzen - Paracord Fusion Ties - Volume 2: Survival Ties, Pouches, Bars, Snake Knots, and Sinnets

Ive had a lifelong love of the outdoors, with a particular passion for the forests and mountains of the Northeastern U.S. I fondly recall trips to the woods with my father as a young boy in Massachusetts, walking beside him with a new pocketknife or bow and arrow set at my side. Between our walks and talks Id make attempts to learn bow-drill and sun-lens fire starting methods with the tools we had on hand.

It was at this time in my life, about the age of 8, that I was introduced to knot tying by my grandfather, a World War II-era sailor with a knack for teaching. Many a day was spent by his side learning the Bowline, Monkeys Fist, and Round Turn and Two Half Hitches mooring tie. He also taught me macram ties, including some better known today by manlier names, like the Cobra Stitch. I was a kid, spending time with my father and grandfather and having so much fun learning that I didnt realize I was gaining skills that would one day establish the foundation of my future bushcraft knowledge and knotting career.

Shortly after graduating from college with a degree in civil engineering I married, and my wife and I moved to New Hampshire to settle down and start a family. New Hampshire is the Live Free or Die state, and its White Mountains and 80% forest cover had called to me. And so it was, in the shadow of Mount Washington (near where I now live), that I committed myself to venture about on foot to see what natural wonders the region had to offer.

Im a planner and a thinker by nature and a professional civil engineer by trade, so running headlong into the wilderness unprepared wasnt my style. As a result, before beginning my venture into the unknown I decided to first learn some basic skills, including traditional compass and map land navigation and firecraft. I built my own survival kit and gained knowledge of how to use its contents in the event of an emergency. I read books (and lots of them) written by those whod already learned the techniques of wilderness survival, in many cases, the hard way. And I began participating in and learning from online forums related to bushcraft and survival.

It was during this period of my life, while I was reading about the importance of a basic survival kit, that I first considered working with paracord. A mantra of one of the books I was reading was to only carry gear that could serve multiple purposes. I figured that any gear made from paracord would do so in spades, because once unraveled the cordage served countless survival needs. So I acquired a skein of 550 paracord, dusted off an old knots and splices book my grandfather had given me, and set out to create some paracord works of my own.

One of the first things I did was improve upon the design of army ranger pace counter beads (used to tally steps in dead reckoning land navigation). Utilizing sliding Turks Head knots prevented breakage and unintentional movement common with the plastic beads on commercial sets. Soon I was making lanyards and handle grips for my hatchets and knives, zipper pulls that stored a ferro rod and tinder, sheaths, necklaces, and bracelet kits. My paracord creations could be characterized by the application of knots in innovative, utilitarian ways.

As the items I made started to gain notoriety in a handful of online forums, I began to create YouTube videos to teach others what Id learned and discovered. While Id inherited my grandfathers ability to teach, I soon found there was more to making a professional and effective video than hitting the record button and tying a knot.

Reviewing YouTube for insights into video production techniques, it is immediately apparent that all paracord-lined roads lead to J.D. Lenzen of Tying It All Together (TIAT). His videos are shot from the point of view of the tyer, with crystal clear focus and perfect lighting. His hands move fluidly through each step of his ties, never blocking his work, and always keeping perfect pace. Most impressively, he teaches the majority of his knots and ties to music, without uttering a single word.

Still, as much as J.D.s production skills impress me, Im more amazed by his wealth of original knotting designs. Week after week his videos present something interesting and new in an area Id thought of as purely traditional. Unifying historical knots and weaves with innovative twists and turns of his own, J.D. produces fantastic results through a practice he refers to as fusion knotting.

Always the innovator, J.D.s books expand upon his YouTube work, detailing his ties and techniques in a way his fusion knotting videos cannot. And with this book, Paracord Fusion Ties - Volume 2 (PFT-V2), he pulls off another fusion of sortsone of decorative and practical survival ties.

In the chapter titled Innovative Zipper Sinnets, J.D. drives a well deserved stake into the heart of the slow deploying Cobra Stitch bracelet. In Bushcraft and Tactical Ties, he offers ingenious paracord creations for unplanned hunt and gather and emergency situations. In Pouches, Baskets, & Secret Spaces he provides a variety of ways to store mini survival kits, or any other item you wish to carry or sock away. And every PFT-V2 lesson is presented in the same easy to follow, professional style thats made me a TIAT fan since the first time I saw the channel on YouTube.

Given my respect for J.D.s videos and books, Im honored to have been asked to write this foreword to PFT-V2. Presenting a massive breadth of decorative and practical tying insights, this book is a solid addition to the paracord fusion ties series, and a source of information you will no doubt enjoy.

Kevin G. Gagne (The Paracordist)
paracordist.com
May 2013