I had been wondering what to do with a lid stay and handles for my rustic chest and came up with the perfect solution thanks to my daughter Lucy who while on the R/V Langseth this summer doing seismic research has been learning to tie knots. I first tried my hand at a Back Splice but found it to be too bulky. My compromise was to unwind the rope part way and braid the tails, then secure the ends with wire staples into the wood. One thing you can say about what you see here: Really rustic!