Well, if you don't sit on the stringers shoulder all things like clamping, type of clamping, mounting etc. are invisible as a customer. I see it like this: If a stringer paid attention to a good and reliable knot, I have high chances that I get a good job and he ticked all boxes of the important things you would name before the knot. If I get a job back with some sloppy knots, I see that there are chances higher that some other things wouldn't be done correct or sloppy as well. 2-3mm can equal 2-3lbs. I pulled a piece scrap string just for you with 12kg and marked in on one point. I pulled it at 13.5kg and the marked string was around 3mm away from reference point at 12kg. Taking also into account that we have a little switchback from the tie-offs due the clamps. Why have ECP machines a knot function by pulling 10% higher if there is no/not much loss like you say? Time is money for stringers who do this for living. Time is king, when you string at tournaments. If you do 20 jobs a year in your cellar and have empty time for your machine to repaint it and can give the paint weeks to dry you might be right. , it couldn't be an argument, but for everybody who do 1000+ jobs per year every 3-4 minutes more for one piece can be at the end days. As stated above ECP machines have a knot function to overcome this effect. A marketing gimmick? I agree with you that other things can affect more, but if I just bring and pick up my racket as a customer, I can't figure out what have been done in total. I can just control the pattern, feel how it hits (a judgement only possible when I received a proper and decent job before. A huge problem, otherwise @s_mair wouldn't started his channel if there are only a very few blakc sheeps) and take a look at the knots. That's it and that's my point for somebody who pick up a racket and not for a beginner how starts to string. BTW if I need to judge a job I always look how much the outer strings are moveable with my fingers.
I think a lot of things will be visible to a customer... If stringer cannot pull strings properly, use bad clamping technique, bad pattern, horrible knots + you can see it quite easily. Yes, sunken knot is an indication that the job was not done the best way, but so other things and if everything looks tight and nice but knot is a bit sunken... I would not condemn the work right away. For sure! 2-3 mm equals 2-3 lbs, sound about correct. And I always thought the same as you since everyone was saying that. But it does not add up as I am thinking about it now, since it's just for one string, not the whole racket. If you divide this tension loss by all 43 or whatever strings there are in the racket, than total loss will be how much...??? may be 0.3 lbs by the time it leaks to the sweet spot? Am I doing the math incorrectly? Yes, we need the extra tension on last pull. The reason is that the knot pulled by hand and with all the extra friction there you can never get same tension as the pull of the machine. No argues there. I did not understand your argument about the speed, sorry. Are you talking about 2 vs 4 knots? There are lot of fast stringers using one string method, doesn't seem like speed is the only reason for 4 string method... Looking for the slack in last string is a good indicator, agreed, however it is usually due to badly pulled slack from the knot and not necessary the amount lost from the sunken knot... Again, I am not arguing that sunken knot is fine, only that the reaction to it is a bit too dramatic
I agree with you that everything is important, and tight knots are important too. I only suggest to look at all the indicators and don't over blow just one thing out of proportion...
I understand. I was just making a general comment about knots. I think with stringing, like the racquet and grip, it depends on the person. If someone is at an advanced level where they want high quality high tension stringjobs, and want it a certain way, then small differences will matter to that person. In the end it's just about feel, and sometimes maybe the mental aspect as well. For example, someone may be able to feel the difference between 2 or 4 knots, and for others it might just be this pseudo effect in their minds if it's not done the way they wanted it to be done. In the end as long as the string plays as expected, I'm not overly fussed.
Interesting discussion! I don't read so often, but this was a good read. I wish I could chime in on this discussion but now I am has been home stringer stringing maybe 10 rackets a month. =) Nice to see my name mentioned as a has been! Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
