Sewn eyes?

What exactly are they for? I imagine they can replace the figure 8 in this video

so you can use the entire length of your rope.

What I mean to ask is whether you can put your weight on the sewn eye (so loop your rope over a tree branch, and pass it through the sewn eye, so that you can use the full length on an SRT rope. Retrieving the rope can be done by attaching some lighter cord to the sewn eye, and pulling it down.)

Bushwhacker wrote: 1. What exactly are they for? I imagine they can replace the figure 8 in this video

so you can use the entire length of your rope.

2. Is it possible to make them yourself? Are they easy to make secure? If not, is it easy to find a store or something that will make them for you?

Many tree climbers like to have a life support quality (equal to the strength of the rope) attachment eye on the end of their rope. The usual method is to create a spliced tight eye. In the last few years new sewing machine technology has been developed to sew the eye instead of splicing it. Some ropes like the Sterling HTP static kernmantle ropes cannot be spliced so if you want an eye on it it needs to be sewn. Most of the leading arborist gear suppliers like treestuff, wesspur, sherrill tree, etc. have made the investment to have in-house (or outsourced) eye-sewing. Last time I checked these machines are in the 10k range to purchase. They are extremely complex machines with amazing features. If you want a sewn eye on a rope the best thing to do is order it when you buy your rope, it is less expensive than a hand spliced eye and very strong.
-AJ

Bushwhacker wrote: What exactly are they for? I imagine they can replace the figure 8 in this video

so you can use the entire length of your rope.

Yer over thinking it, the amount of rope used in a cinched SRT system based on a Fig 8 or better yet a backed Running Bowline is beneath concern. What does saving 2.5 feet or so of rope gain for you? And what do you lose by not having a bit of extra rope?

I enjoy treefool's work but he's out on a limb teaching technique he has only recently taught himself. Appreciate his work but be skeptical.
-AJ

moss wrote: Yer over thinking it, the amount of rope used in a cinched SRT system based on a Fig 8 or better yet a backed Running Bowline is beneath concern. What does saving 2.5 feet or so of rope gain for you? And what do you lose by not having a bit of extra rope?

I enjoy treefool's work but he's out on a limb teaching technique he has only recently taught himself. Appreciate his work but be skeptical.
-AJ

I guess what I'm really asking is whether it would be possible to choke my TIP using a splice rather than a knot. So it's saving half the length of the rope, since it's not using a basal anchor. Are you trying to say that a knot is just as good for choking the TIP as an eye? I'm confused.

Don't worry about that - I consider Treefool's work to be like a trailer of sorts to new techniques. It's a good intro, but more research is clearly necessary.

A spliced or sewn eye will slide through a crotch easier than a knot, either way I put a suitable quick link in the system to stop the rope on rope friction and for ease of re-crotching in the tree.

Descending on an atc in guide mode with a foot loop ????????????
I have trouble lowering some one from the anchors ( rockclimbing ) in this way with both hands
If you are going to use this device for decent, re-orientate it into belay mode and back it up with a prussic, just make sure your prussic loop doesn't interfere with the atc.
You will get a smoother, safer ride

Bushwhacker wrote:
I guess what I'm really asking is whether it would be possible to choke my TIP using a splice rather than a knot. So it's saving half the length of the rope, since it's not using a basal anchor. Are you trying to say that a knot is just as good for choking the TIP as an eye? I'm confused.

Yep, a knot like a backed Running Bowline or rated delta (or oval) screwlink as Nimbadon mentioned is a good way to cinch a rope for SRT ascent. Cinching through a spliced or sewn eye would be a pain and would limit your options once you climbed up to the tie-in point.

If you haven't yet I recommend that you pick up the excellent and inexpensive booklet "Tree Climber's Companion" by Jeff Jepson, it covers the basic rope setting configurations and options that make sense for climbing trees SRT.
-AJ