Totally Tubular – Rig’mups

I’ve always known this as a riggers key. I’ve also heard them referred to as bosun’s spikes, or a french fid. I gather the pointy part is known to some as a marlin spike, and the slot on the end as a shackle key. It’s manufactured by a French company Wichard who refer to it as a “unique shackler/spike tool”. I purchased mine at Genco Marine in Toronto.

The pointed end can be used as a fid to work open knots. It has a groove on one side, which can be used as an awl to repair sails, Put the cord in the groove, punch the point through, push the cord down, pull the point back and work the cord through. (...and I’m sure it could really ruin someone’s day as well...)

The centre part can have rope wrapped around it, to serve as a T handle to make pulling on a rope easier.

The end part can have cord wrapped around it, serving as a skein to repair nets with.

And it can be used as a bottle opener in a pinch.

While mainly a nautical implement, it is also useful for climbing.

The point makes it a dangerous thing to carry. I used some  tubular webbing and constructed this.

Front with the elastic closure holding the riggers key in place.

That point can punch holes in dry wall. Hence why I wanted to make sure it couldn’t do any damage.

The backside of the pouch, showing the MALICE Clip attachment.

This gives a sense of the scale of it.

This shows the groove in the fid.

I ended up using this piece of triangular rubbery material with a hole in the centre I had. No idea what it’s really supposed to do. Sewed it in place, and the point nestles in it perfectly.

I couldn’t use any of the traditional closures I might have employed. Just used some thin shock cord, and put some shrink tubing on the end...

...and it is held in place with a simple button.

To be honest, I don’t have much cause to use this tool, but if I do, I have a safe way to carry it.

Oh, and the whole thing was sewn by hand on the train.