Trick Lariat That Will Not Twist: Brass Swivels in the Rope and a Choker on the Hondoo (La Rue, 1935)

"In accordance with the present invention, twisting of the rope is prevented by inserting several swivels at intervals along the rope, so that no matter how the operator holds it there is always at least one swivel between his hand and the loop. The swivels are made substantially the same outside diameter as the rope so that they pass readily through the hondoo."

Cut 6 m of 10 mm braided cotton rope (ours) into the sections the notebook gives. Wrap tape round each place before cutting so the ends do not fray.

For three swivels cut six 25 mm pieces of 3/8 in brass tube (ours), his ferrules 6, and file the ends square. Soften the brass by heating each piece to a dull red with the torch and dropping it in water. On the anvil, tap one end of each inward all round with the hammer, turning it as you go, until the opening is about 4.5 mm: his end wall 7. Flare the other end out a little so the rope will go in.

Cut three 10 mm pieces of 4 mm brass tube (ours), his member 8. Put two ferrules end wall to end wall, push the small tube through both openings, and flare its ends with a centre punch from inside each ferrule until they cannot pull back through: his flanges 9. The two halves must turn freely on each other.

Push a rope end into each open ferrule as far as it goes. Squeeze the flared end back in, with the hammer on the anvil or in the vice, until it digs into the rope all round. Pull hard on each joint to test it.

Cut 40 mm of brass tube big enough to take the rope doubled (ours) and saw it open along its length. Squeeze one end round the single rope; flatten the other end into an oval. Pass the loop end of the rope through, from the small end, then double its butt end back and push it into the oval end as far as it will go, leaving a small eye: his hondoo 3. Dent the oval end to hold the butt (his 14) and turn one cut edge in against the rope (his 15).

Bend 2.5 mm steel wire (ours) into a figure 8 round the two rope parts of the hondoo, one eye on each, so it slides when pushed but stays put by friction. Pass the free end of the rope through the hondoo to make the loop.

With the choker pushed up to the ferrule, the rope runs freely through the hondoo like any lariat. To spin a loop of one size, slide the choker away from the ferrule until the hondoo grips the running rope: the loop then stays the same size while it spins.

**Richard L. La Rue** of Los Angeles, US 1,993,010, dated 5 March 1935, filed 16 November 1932, for "a lariat for use by amateurs in performing tricks". He claimed the choker, "a figure 8 clamp of heavy wire", and a clamp "movable back and forth over the doubled rope constituting the hondoo for varying the size of the eye". He also shows a second choker of bent wire (Fig. 6), not built here. He names no rope and gives no sizes: the cotton rope, its length, the tubes, the annealing, the wire and all sizes are ours.