Introduction: How to Make an Abalakov Hook in 5 Easy Steps (15mins)

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Always useful while mountaineering and ice climbing.

They are not really expensive (approx 25euros at Decathlon in France, depending on the type you want) but very fast to do by yourself.

If you do not have material, it will cost you maybe 10euros but you will make 5 or 10 hooks ;)

Step 1: 1. Gather Materials and Tools

You will need:

Materials:

  1. bike shift inner cable (at least 15cm but one full cable cost between 2 and 4euros so it should be OK...)
  2. Bike's spoke (at least 1)
  3. Luster terminal (at least 1)
  4. Heat-shrinkable tube (at least 4cm)

Tools:

  1. Cutting clamp
  2. metal file
  3. lighter
  4. A knife/Cutter

Step 2: 2. Sharp the Bike Spoke

If you want to be able to catch the rope in the hole, you neek to have a good hook. So you have to sharp it as good as you can.

So basically, you have to take the metal lime, the spoke and and some elbow grease !

Step 3: 3. Prepare the Luster Terminal

As we want something clean, we have to pimp the luster terminal.

With a knife or a cutter, remove all the plastic part. Be careful to not damage screws.

Step 4: 4. Put Parts Together

It's time to assemble everything

Take the bike inner cable and cut a piece (between 10 and 15cm length looks good). Put it in the luster terminal and thighten the screw

Put the bike spoke in the other part of the luster terminal and thigthen the screw.

Step 5: 5. Improve It !

No it's not done yet !

Yet, your hook is functional but it can damage a bit your clothes.

So we will perform 2 small but important steps.

First, use the metal lime to remove the excess part of screw. Be sure that you thigthen the screw enough before ;)

Taking into account the time and the cost of the hook, it prefer to lime the screw and, in a bad scenario, make another hook rather than damaging expensive mountaineering clothes.

Second, use a piece of heat shrinkable tube and warm it up but not entirely. Try to do like a cone in order to put the cone on when you don't use the hook and off when you use it. This is not simple to describe but quite easy to do ;) as the whole instructable !

Use a carabiner or elastic and attach it to your harness.

Have fun with your useful hook !