You may have seen this on Pinterest. I try to copy what I like and I haven't experimented yet, but I am really stumped on the top twist, the next down looks like it could be done with pineapple steps and the third and fourth look like simple twists with maybe some kind of punch treatment on two edges, but I'm having a hard time imagining the punch. Or maybe all are some variation of pineapple steps. I sure would like to use them in a couple of projects. Thanks for ideas.

Aside from some looking to be twists, are you sure some aren't braded in some way then having weld added, then punched, forge welded on the ends then heavily etched? Looks like more than just a fancy chisel and twist to me. I could be wrong. 

I was going down that road but a couple of factors turned me back. 

First, if it is a bundle it would be hard to taper evenly, with hammer anyway, second, you would still have the problem of getting very deep relief around the "suction cups". I am guessing it might be like pineapple, but punching the diamonds at their highest point at some stage of the process. No idea about the top one.

My only thought is that it looks to me that there is some sort of chemical erosion/reaction involved.  Have you tried contacting the Pinterest poster to enquire.  If you do find out I'd be interested in the answer.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Didn't see a name or web site. I would certainly be happy to put my questions to him or her. I noticed the same, perhaps corroded, texture you point out. By hammer etc...I prefer not to work with chemicals.

To not have welded the suction cup protrusions on then they would have had to forge the other run down. Granted there are punch marks but it still looks like added weld then punched and acid bath to me. 

I love the look by the way. And am very interested in How it Is done as well. 

Top one, no idea other than some sort of weave. Second would be a "wheat?" weave? Then punched. 

Third and fourth are probably chisel twists but with weld added and pinched. 

The taper zone really looks forge welded or tapered then the whole on all of them looks like they are etched. 

 

You may be right about the welds. That is not something I have done in terms of shaping. I like to think it's possible to handle everything with regular tooling but if that's the way it's done, I like the result. Still puzzling about the top one. Guess the best thing is to jump in.

I think they are all made by four individual strands, even the twists. With suction cups welded before. The top one is a mystery. Only way I can think of is with four individual strands threaded thru a ring that would be bent over on the right and spot welded and again thread thru a another ring and so on. They all look great.

Thanks all for the input. Maybe the smith will show up so we can congratulate  and pick his or her brain, see more good stuff. If not,  more ideas are welcome.

To me the bottom 3 look like fairly simple twists with pre-formed pieces used for twisting.  The top looks like a braid.

Seems to me there is a thread on making octopus tentacles by welding the suction cups on and punching the weld. Can't seem to find it though.

I am becoming more persuaded that the top one is braided after looking at a lot of hair on Duckduckgo. Probably a four strand braid. But I don't think it is necessarily a bundle welded to the lower part because of the transition from strands to shaft (not sharp but rounded) although I guess it could be fullered round either way. 

That all means about 3/4 stock tapered, cut into four strands, each strand textured then braided. Four steps. Sounds easy.

As for the bottom two, I'm looking for the welded, punched bead octopuus thread. Looks most likely for now.

It's a little like the fold out cross. It is a simple, elegant representation. Sawing and folding makes it extraordinary in terms of producing it. Take care all.

In welded at the bottom or tapered zone I'm thinking forge welded. 

 

You are probably right, Daswulf. Kind of a matter of which a person thinks is easier, split and braid or bundle, forge weld, braid.

Just been browsing the net.

The Top one looks even more complicated than that. If you notice the 3 pieces in the 3 red circles seem to be bars that are slit and opened to form rings which the rest of the part is slipped through. this would explain the taper to the twist.

   

I am almost certain that the top one is four sets of two twisted bars: Four bars on the inside, each paired with one on the outside. Then, the inside bars are welded when they touch.

You can even see where they aren't welded underneath in the second image.

I don't have quite the right tools for it, but I will give it a go sometime soon and report.

Welcome aboard Gauche_Gage. I look forward to seeing the results of your attempt and the instructions on how to repeat it.

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Brian

I think I got close with just some flux core mig wire, but Tig would be better. It is just a Chevron/wheat twist with 4 pairs instead of 2. I welded a bridge on the alternating twists. If you are careful, you could leave the bridges up like they did, I, however, was not.

15 hours ago, Gauche_Gage said:

some flux core mig wire, but Tig would be better

Or solid-core MIG wire, which spatters much less.

(Also, MIG stands for "Metal-Inert Gas"; strictly speaking, flux core wire welding is "FCAW", for "Flux Core Arc Welding". If you're using flux core wire and inert gas, that's dual-shield arc welding.)