FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
The List:
- How do you wear a sailor bracelet?
- How do you size a sailor bracelet?
- Can I put a bracelet on my ankle?
- What is the history of a sailor bracelet?
- How do you clean a sailor bracelet?
- Can your rope doormats stay outside in the rain and snow?
- How do you clean a rope doormat?
- Will these mats slip on smooth indoor floors?
- Are glasses tippy on your Sailor Knot Coasters?
- How does your Nautical Woven Coaster work? What makes them better?
- How do you clean a Sailor Knot Coaster?
- Are there tricks to keeping a wreath round?
- Do you have a real store, or are you just online?
- Do you have to study String Theory to tie knots?
1 How do you wear a sailor bracelet?
There are two ways to wear a traditional sailor bracelet: the purist approach (wetting it tight and wearing it for years) and the fashionista approach (sizing it slightly larger to slip on and off or swap colors easily).
2 How do you size a sailor bracelet?
In shop, we suggest trying them on. When you find the right one, you'll know. If you can't find the right one, we'll make it for you here, on the spot.
Online, we make them in 3 stock sizes: small, medium, and large. Pretty straight forward. We have sizing jigs here to keep that sizing consistent.
Small: fits 5-6 inch wrists
Medium: fits 6-7 inch wrists
Large: fits 7-8 inch wrists
Since we make all these knots ourselves, you can also leave special instructions in the message box during checkout. We'll be happy to make a custom size for you. That leads to the next question:
3 Can I put a bracelet on my ankle?
You can do whatever you're willing to try. In humans, the hand and wrist anatomy is a bit different to the foot and ankle. There is this one spot. Where the heel and the instep line up that is MUCH bigger than either around the ankle or around the foot. Because the traditional turks head knot (sailor bracelet) doesn't stretch much, nor does it have a clasp, you'll have to work it over that size. If it is easy to fit, the anklet will be really really loose on your ankle. If it is a class a pain to put on, it might shrink up enough to look normal. This was the original reason we started making our adjustable anklets. It makes a weave that looks like a sailor bracelet without the struggles of pulling one on like that.
Now, with all that said, we do have customers that are putting them on their ankles. It involves tow straps, Crisco, a fair amount of cheap tequila and a bit of a masochistic streak. It could be used as a way to get the feeling of a tattoo without the permanence of your kindergarten child's artwork on your forehead.
If you choose to do this yourself, just let us know the size that will actually work. Take a string, measure that instep to heel length by wrapping and measuring with a piece of string, and we'll make that size for you. Alternatively, if you ask, we can leave it 'unfinished' at the size you'd like. If you are comfortable 'drawing it up' and tightening it in place, you can get a really nice look by sizing it for yourself.
4 What is the history of a sailor bracelet?
The sailor bracelet has a tongue in cheek story about sailors using them to show their love for the lass he left at port. Now, given they take less than 20 minutes to make, using material readily found on board, tell me how much love he's really expressing.
There is another story, that has more plausibility, some of the crews on the herreshoff race fleet would make them for each other, wearing them on either wrists or ankles. The dockmaster became familiar with each boat's chosen style and could recognize people that belonged on certain docks and on certain boats and they became a defacto dock pass.
Other, more historic lore, had the deckhands making them for themselves as a makeshift sweat band. Kind of grody, but they do work that way, been there, done that.
If you want to dig deep on the history of the knot, here is our work in progress on the history of the Turkshead knot
5 How do you clean a sailor bracelet?
WHITE COTTON only:
The regional tradition was to put one of these on in the beginning of summer, see how much trouble you can get into and see how dirty you could make them. Eventually, mom would win out and you'd have to cut them off. Now, older and wiser, we all try to keep them clean. It's not ever going to be as white as it was originally, but I personally wear mine 24/7 and am almost done with year 2. In the shower, I lather them up, inside and out, with my shampoo. The shampoo can break down the body oils and detergent cleans it a bit. The color balances into a multi-tone grey/white where the areas that don't touch anything stay close to white and the outer surface darkens over time.
If you REALLY want to clean it, you can carefully mix a solution of 1 part household bleach to 10 parts water into a glass bowl or cup. Splash risks and all that, bleach can be a bad thing. Take off the bracelet. Using a stainless steel fork or something else nonreactive, press the bracelet under water and let it set for 30 min or longer.
DO NOT let any of the cotton get above the waterline.
There is a serious oxidation space just above the solution surface and you'll get brown scorch lines. After the soak time, rinse the bracelet by cross pouring into fresh water, exchange the bleach water for clear and continue 3x. Wring out the bracelet and start agitating it under fresh water and rinse until you cannot smell the bleach any more.
That was the process I used, in smaller scale when we used to bleach out our cotton for wedding napkin rings and were going for the bright white. Personally, I like the aging effect of a clean, smell free bracelet that darkens and discolors over time, but that's how I'd keep it bright if I had to.
If you REALLY want to clean it, you can carefully mix a solution of 1 part household bleach to 10 parts water into a glass bowl or cup. Splash risks and all that, bleach can be a bad thing. Take off the bracelet. Using a stainless steel fork or something else nonreactive, press the bracelet under water and let it set for 30 min or longer.
DO NOT let any of the cotton get above the waterline.
There is a serious oxidation space just above the solution surface and you'll get brown scorch lines. After the soak time, rinse the bracelet by cross pouring into fresh water, exchange the bleach water for clear and continue 3x. Wring out the bracelet and start agitating it under fresh water and rinse until you cannot smell the bleach any more.
That was the process I used, in smaller scale when we used to bleach out our cotton for wedding napkin rings and were going for the bright white. Personally, I like the aging effect of a clean, smell free bracelet that darkens and discolors over time, but that's how I'd keep it bright if I had to.
Color Cotton:
Like a well loved pair of jeans or tshirt, this is cotton and is destined to fade into some really complex and fun combinations. Be wary of bleach, as a child of the 80's, I'm aware of bleach burns and acid washing. I never fell victim to the trend, but if you bleach your color bracelet, you will find a new world of color hiding beneath the color you bought. That could be good, more likely bad.
Again, like any other cotton, a mild detergent, rinsing out afterwards is the best plan. Personally, I just wash my bracelet with the same shampoo I use for my hair, wash the outer surface AND the underneath. That keeps the plethora of fragrances down to a more pleasing subset of smells.
6 Can your rope doormats stay outside in the rain and snow?
Yes. The manila has a natural preservative in the manila and can take being in the weather. The key is to not let it sit in water. As long as it's dry most of the time, the passing storms will add character to the mat, but it will continue being useful for years. If there are major storms coming, we do suggest bringing them in for that hurricane or blizzard.
7 How do you clean a rope doormat?
Simply spray it down with a garden hose or pressure washer on your driveway and let it air dry flat in the sun.
8 Will these mats slip on smooth indoor floors?
They stay put on rough outdoor surfaces via natural weight, but indoor slick floors (like hardwood or tile) benefit from a non-slip rug pad.
9 Are glasses tippy on your Sailor Knot Coasters?
No, as long as the glass base rests properly on the flat upper plane points of the weave rather than hanging over the edge.
10 How does your Nautical Woven Coaster work? What makes them better?
They absorb condensation beads effectively, protecting your wooden furniture and air-drying quickly without leaving destructive water rings.
11 How do you clean a Sailor Knot Coaster?
They can be hand washed or laundered in a delicates bag and air-dried flat (or washed in the top tray of a dishwasher) without using bleaching agents. Reshaping while damp and pressing them flat between two dishtowels with some weight is key.
12 Are there tricks to keeping a wreath round?
We make our wreaths in manila, cotton, and spun polyester. We also put a frame on the back as an option. The framed ones don't take much effort to keep their shape, but still, the natural fiber wreaths do change shape over time. There are tricks to keeping the unframed ones round.
First: If you mount the frame using more than one spot (dropping it on a nail), you'll spread the weight out and make it easier to stay round.
Second: Chris Linley shared on FB: "like in high school volleyball...rotate! Your wreath graces our front door for 8-9 months per year. I haven't added a frame, but I do rotate it from time to time. It still looks great!"
13 Do you have a real store, or are you just online?
Yes, we reopened to the public in 2014 in at 25 Cottrell Street in Downtown Mystic, CT, and just moved our second location to the Olde Mistick Village at 27 Coogan Blvd Mystic CT
14 Do you have to study String Theory to tie knots?
No, String Theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. These quantum strings are too small for us to work with, so while interesting, knowledge of sub atomic physics is not as important to the knot tyer as you'd expect.