Several people asked me to post my impressions of the Quick Knot once I’d had a chance to try them out. I haven’t actually shown in them yet, but I did pop a couple braids into Henry’s mane the other day and go for a ride, so I’ve definitely at least got enough feedback about them to hopefully be helpful to those of you who were curious.
First: keep in mind that these ship from the Netherlands (yeah, even when you order from the USA site) so order them at least a couple weeks ahead of when you need them. Mine took about a week and a half to arrive, which isn’t bad from Europe at all, but if you’re expecting 3-4 day US-based shipping, you’ll be kept waiting.
I’ve been eyeballing these things since they first hit the market last year, but the price has always kept me a bit hesitant. At $40 for a pack of 100, they aren’t that cheap when it comes to braiding implements. And while they say you can get at least two uses out of each piece, it still made me wince a bit. I mean, $5 for a pack of rubberbands or $15 for a spool of nice waxed thread are prices that I’m more accustomed to for braiding products. At my core, I am cheap.
But I friggin hate sewing in braids, and I also friggin hate rubberbands for about a thousand reasons, so finally I just said screw it, had a “Treat Yo’self” moment, and bought the overpriced paper clips. Well, ok, first I did try following a suggestion I saw online that said to do the same thing with bobby pins going up through the braid and then an “arm” bent to each side, but a) it didn’t blend with the mane very well, the bobby pins were pretty clearly visible even from 10′ away b) it didn’t seem very secure. So after that I said fine, admitted defeat, and ordered a package of Quick Knot.
I got a good giggle out of the fact that the customs form listed them as “paper clips”, but really that’s kinda what they are. They’re very simple little things, basically just a little metal T that you stab down through the braid and then bend the end up to lock everything in place. I wish I’d come up with this, the profit margin has to be great.
My main concerns were that a) the metal piece would look like a big staple from the backside, b) they wouldn’t stay in. So the day after they hit my mailbox I took them out to the barn and popped a couple braids in Henry’s mane at 5:50am before our ride. He eyeballed me hard. But the first thought I had was “wow, that was fast!”.
So after taking the obligatory photo of the first braid, I turned on my phone timer and did the second one. Despite some fumbling with the rubberband that secured the braid itself (#manhandsproblems), it still only took 41 seconds start to finish. Rolling up the braid and securing it was ridiculously easy. The Quick Knots were stiffer and harder to bend than I had anticipated, but I quickly got the hang of how I needed to manipulate it to secure the braid. They blended pretty darn seamlessly into Henry’s mane though, making them almost invisible.
BUT WOULD THEY STAY? After a 45 minute w/t/c conditioning ride, those buggers didn’t even move. And taking them out? 5 seconds, including pulling out the band securing the braid. I hesitate to say that I’m sold until I actually use them at a show, but my interest is hella piqued.
My only real complaint so far, aside from grumbling about the price, is that I absolutely hate the container they come in. I wish they came in a nice, thick, sturdy zippered bag like some of the bands do. If you tried to use these at a show, out of that cumbersome box, they’d be all over the stall floor in 2 minutes flat. And that thought makes me more than a little nervous, being a piece of metal. I’ve already transferred mine into a baggie.
In trying to justify the price to myself, I did a little math (oh dear god). I bought the package of 100, and let’s just say that I put in an average of 15 braids (I usually have 10-12 on Henry, but erring toward the side of caution). That’s 6+ uses if I only use each one once. If I use each one twice (I’ll probably try for 3 times but let’s account for some losses and/or failures here), that’s 13 uses. Aka 13 times being braided, which for me is 13 shows. That’s about 2 years, at the rate I’m going. 13 uses equals out to about $3 per use, or if you’d rather break it up by year, $20 a year. Definitely nowhere near as cheap as bands or thread or yarn, but a palatable cost. Especially when you consider that it should save me at least 10, probably more like 15 minutes per braid job. That’s over 2 hours of my life that I get back.
So, I’ll come back to these and update you guys again when I’ve used them more, but for now the first impression is generally positive. Hopefully they don’t let me down! We’ll find out at Chatt. And next weekend at FEH… but more on that later. 😉
breedrideevent.com 
This is why I liked a roached mane… Joking aside, I think my biggest concern would be that, since May’s mane is light… but not gray or white, that they would be a bit start against her blond mane. Maybe if I do some Dressage shows this winter, I will try out the white ones!
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There is a lot less of the top part showing than I was expecting. Like I really could hardly see it in Henry’s mane, so I’m betting the white wouldn’t be particularly noticeable even in a “blonde” mane.
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Good to know!
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So glad you reviewed these- I’ve been eyeballing them hard myself! What I would love to know, if how they handle the big button braids (I generally make my buttons about twice the size of most other eventers I see- I fit 7/8 down Jack’s neck)? And do they come in colors other than black? Not sure how well I could hide these in a white mane…
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they have them in other colors actually!
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They handle the big ones pretty well, from what I’ve seen. The dressage people do pretty damn giant braids and that’s who’s using the Quick Knots the most. They do come in white and brown too.
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i was all about these until i saw how expensive they were… i mean i really think that’s a lot. maybe if i had like a ton of horses to braid i might? i do love sewing them in…
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If I can do his whole mane in 10 minutes and then only take 2 minutes to get them out, I will stop whining about the price. Those are my terms, though lol. We’ll see.
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thats verrryyyyy true. especially the ‘taking them out’ part since most east coast events are 1 day and god help you if your times are close and youre ripping braids out on the way to the start box…
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Interesting! When I first saw these I thought, “no way in hell will those look good.” Maybe you will be changing my mind! Of course, I do hunter braids (the worst ever) so these aren’t an option for me, but I’m still curious!
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Yeah definitely not good for hunter braids!
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If any of your readers didn’t want to buy them from the Netherlands, there is a tack shop up here in Canada that does sell them. https://www.sprucewoodtack.com/quick-knot-100-pieces.html
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I sincerely wish they made these for two foot long Haflinger manes…
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Does anyone make anything for two foot long Haflinger manes? Aside from glitter and feathers?
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These are really neat! I braid mostly for hunters, but if ever I have a jumper again I’d like to try them.
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I’d love to hear how reusable you find them to be. Personally I like sewing up braids because you have so much control in shaping the rosette that way. The trick is waxed thread, though, so that your fingers don’t slip on it. The slight stickiness of it holds the hair really well.
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Yeah I’ve always used waxed thread, for the most part, unless I was in some kind of stupid hurry. I’m just slow with it, and find it all to be really annoying lol.
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I would suggest a magnetic bowl, aka stud bowl, if you don’t have one, harbor freight has them for like $4. Agreed, the box is a terrible idea and bags will rip and tear.
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I actually have a nice thick vinyl bag that a set of colored bands came in that is perfect for it. Thick enough to not puncture. Cloth would work as well.
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This is an old thread so I’ll bring you up to date. These pins are faster and easier than sewing, however, the vendor doesn’t tell you THEY COME IN 2 SIZES and you can get any color you want as long as it’s white. Or brown. Black is sold out at all retail stores as of this reading. Size matters. The “standard” size is small. You push the pin down into this thick button braid far enough to bend and it disappears into the braid. Not a problem until you take it out. The hair gets tangled in the curve of the T. I had to cut some of them out with wire cutters to save the hair. The other size is “extra large” but not available anywhere thus far. I had ONE of the large pins. It was much easier to put in and take out. A friend at the barn got hers in extra large before the buying frenzy. As for braiding time, you still have to braid the mane with those feisty little bands. As for price, at $35 per hundred they are 35 cents each!!!! Would you pay 35 cents for a paper clip……even a jumbo? I placed my order in January and received the end of March. Three months. Ninety days. So to sum up, Quick Knot Pins top the charts but they won’t be practical until extra large and all colors are in stock and maybe at a lower price. The tack industry knows its consumers. We will over pay for anything that is horse oriented and innovative. The manufacturer probably has patent rights but maybe the competition will force their hand. Happy braiding!
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Where are you located? Lots of tack shops stock them now, I just bought some black XL’s a few weeks ago. The new style ones also have a different top so hair can’t get tangled in it.
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