Ahh. I feel the enlightenment. Thanks Dave.
Jeff Sheler s/v Windsome C27TR #6594 Hampton, VA At 11:29 AM 5/30/2007, you wrote:
I think it's vestigial, like an appendix. Once upon a time, I think, you were expected to have, say, your main halyard come down to a conventional shackle, with a shackle pin, and you would have slipped that "shackler" over the pin's flats in order to tighten or loosen it. The shape of the elongated hole theoretically makes it possible to fit it over any conceivable shackle pin, but because it is tapered, it doesn't really fit well on any specific size of shackle pin. It would be much better than your hands alone, but I have never found it very convenient when compared to almost any kind of pliers. Also, most of the shackles that people put on running rigging these days are the kind that are intended to be opened by hand, such as snap shackles. Nobody would want to fuss with a conventional shackle except for things that you put on once per season. Now, your "shackler" should fit nicely into the slot for the gas cap, etc., but it usually doesn't. --Dave Shugarts C-27 #4866 Cahoots (1981) SR, A4, Tiller, Dinette Newtown (Housatonic River), CT E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://www.BoatDiddly.com ~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~~~(\_~~~~ ~~~~~ (\_~~~~ On 5/30/07 10:27 AM, "Jeffery L. Sheler" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Last weekend I bought a rigging knife, which came in handy after my > run-in with a crab pot. The knife has a very sharp serrated blade > (which is why I bought it) and a shackler. I have no idea what the > shackler is used for. (Shackling, I suppose). Can someone fill me in? > > Jeff Sheler > s/v Windsome > C27TR #6594 > Hampton, VA > > >
