A Hondo

A hondo is the small, even loop, knotted on the end of a lariat. Americans took the word “hondo” from the Mexican, honda, which means the same thing. Lazo is also a Spanish word. The lasso is the hop formed by passing the end of the rope through the hondo.

A cowpuncher must take the time to make himself a good hondo in a new rope. The rope must pass easily through the hondo and the overhand knot which joins the hondo must be thrown evenly so the hondo does not lie twisted.

A good hondo must be reinforced with leather, called wear leather, to protect the hondo loop. A cowboy has to soak his leather overnight, so it will stretch and be easy to handle. He has to punch holes in the leather small enough so they do not weaken the leather. The holes should be so small it hurts his fingers to pass the thick thongs through them. He has to pull and tighten the thongs to sew the leather around the rope He has to tighten them so tight the water in the leather will ooze out. He has to la the hondo leather dry before he uses the rope.

If he meets all these prerequisites, he will have a good hondo and might not have to meet them again until he gets a new rope. Only he can perform this chore for himself. No one is going to do it for him, and he doesn’t like to do it enough todo it for anyone else, Making hondos is just too deep an exaspenting chore, requiring the very ends of the fingers the ends of patience, the end of the day, and the end of the rope in the operation.