Hi Larry,

Similar starts. When I was a kid I wait d each month for FFG. Read every article on trapping 10 times. Never dreamed I would write for it later on and certainly had no idea A.R. Harding and I would not only become good friends but trap together in Texas and Arkansas. He went by Rich and he was a good trapper. We shared some great experiences together. Like once when he stoped by my line in arkansas on his way to the shot show in texas to trap for a few days. When it was time to get him to the airport we checked traps too long and got hlm to the airport late. He needed help carrying luggage. I grabbed one of his bags and he the other two and through the airport we ran to his gate. ME wearing hip boots!!! Back inn those days people dressed up to fly so did we ever get the looks.

Another time he thought we should take a day off from our texas line. We would spend 7 weeks trapping west texas, and go to Mexico. In fact he said he'd give me an all expense paid vacation and spending money! When I asked him how much spending money, he said 100 paso's....about 33 cents worth in USD at that time. We got down there ok but got stoped by foot police man. On our way out. Rich walked back in the dark to talk to hima me I see his arms shoot straight up in the air. Have you heard about next can jails??? While. I am making plans to knock the cop over.grab rich and crash the border he g the back in the truck laughing.I asked him what you as up and he said they could not understand each other so he put his arms in the air and asked the cop if he was a bandito? The cop.laughed and told him to go on! About. 15 minutes later my heart started beating again. But that was not the end. We crossed back into the us and was in the middle of the desert going home and suddenly a border patrolman was standing in the middle of the road.He stoped us and lights came on all around us. He wanted to search the truck. sure we said. Not remembering that we had stoped and picked up a hundr d syringes on our way do. We were collecting blood samples for a 3 state bubonic plague study and had them in the glove compartment. Fully expecting to go to jail till the next day when it could be verified. The guy looked everywhere except in the glove compartment!. That was th last vacation I ever took while trapping!!!

Jim

Thanks Buck.

Jim

John,

You are so right.

Jim

I had promised to show and discuss the Dobbins/Buterra swivels.

When I was designing the Eliminator series traps, one of the most important considerations was the swivel and attachment system. When an animal is caught in a trap it pulls until its foot is aligned with the chain and anchor point. This will cause the foot to slide and possible be cut if the chain attaches to the end instead of the center bottom of the trap. Sliding and or cutting is to be avoided at all costs. It hurts the animal and can cause them leg or foot damage or possible escape with an injured foot.

As a trapper, it was always my priority not to cause any more damage or pain to an animal than necessary. If it were a non-target animal, it allowed for the safe release of that animal. I have caught landowners’ dogs that supposedly stayed at home, as a far as 3 miles away. No pet owner wants to see their pet in a trap but when they see how I can release them unharmed, except for their ego, they never kicked me off and apologized saying they had no idea their dog ran that far. So as a trapper its just good business all the way around to do your best in securing your catch without damage.

Good properly placed swivels help eliminate damage! The name “Eliminator” was chosen because this trap eliminated damage, loss and missed catches. The Eliminator had a build in center bottom swivel as a start. This made sure that no matter where the foot was grabbed, it was in a straight line with the chain and anchor.
I knew one swivel was not enough. Especial in the East and Midwest where fall fox or coyote season experienced a lot of grass near or at sets, that grass could foul a swivel, especially the one at the bottom center of the trap. While this swivel was very important it was NOT beyond failing in conditions where a fox or coyote could wrap the trap with grass.

A fouled swivel means the same as NO swivel causing the possibility of the chain to lock and twist up shortening and binding it. But by adding a second Dobbins swivel 6’ to 8” away from the bottom it virtually eliminated any possibility of a grass wrap lock up.

Ok, but why the dobbins swivel? The Dobbin’s swivel is completely smooth making it very difficult for grass to attach and bind. Charles was no fool, he had seen what I had seen more times than I and he knew the problem and created a solution for it.

So why isn’t the Buterra swivel as good? Look at it. Its on the right and the Dobbins swivel is on the left. Do you see how the Buterra swivel wraps and creates a place for things to catch? Buterra was a good guy and he was doing what he could. I bought a ton of swivels from him, so I am not knocking him or his product. But the fact is the Dobbins swivel was a better operating swivel. The Buterra was cheaper and easier and especially faster to make, making it more practical from a production standpoint but the Dobbins swivel was the top of line, hands down!

End of story? Not quite yet. The Dobbins swivel was also a better stake swivel. It would not bind up when spinning around the stake and it was not likely to help a stake being pumped out. How so? There are two standard size trap stakes commonly used in rebar. The ½” and the 3/8”. I will take the ½” every time. Yes, they are heavier to carry, cost more, take more space but their holding power is much better.

Some will argue that the 1/8” difference is nothing, that it does not matter. Well, it’s not the diameter that matters, it is the circumference. The circumference of a ½” rebar is approximately 1.57. That of a 3/8” stake is 1.18. This gives the ½” rebar stake 1.33 times the surface is or holding power of a 3/8” stake. One third more!

A Buterra swivel is not likely to slide freely on a ½” stake. So, if the stake is put under the trap in its bed (should never be done) or it comes loose, or a larger animal gets in it and they start to raise up that stake will start to work loose and up and out. Each time that stake is lifted, and the pressure taken off the swivel drops and grabs to help lift the stake again. Soon your stake is out of the ground and you got a big problem!

The Dobbin’s swivel will not bind and help jack a stake out of the ground. One more point while we are here on stakes. Put a point on them. I do not know the formula for determining how much more holding power a pointed stake has over a blunt nosed one but in MOST (not all) soils, it is a lot. You do not drive bolts into wood, you drive nails, and nails have a point so they do not plow the hole larger than the shaft. Same holds true with trap stakes. Gumbo and the like do not make a whole lot of difference because the soil will fill in and create a suction but, in most soils, this is an absolutely true statement.

The Dobbins Swivel also made a better drowning lock if you needed one like for a coon or mink set. It worked great on 11 ga annealed black wire. Its longer length allowed it to drop smother and catch quicker on the return.

The Dobbins swivel was much less likely to foul or bind in the chain or at the stake and that is why I preferred them. The ONLY reason they were not on every trap was Charles could not make them fast enough. I am not saying the Buterra swivel is bad, its not or I would not have used them. I am simply saying Charles knew what he was doing and did it better than anybody else!

This is the best thread ever!!!! Legends!

Just emailed this thread to myself

I recall dad making those swivels. The hard part was bending the rivets. He started by putting in his vice a piece of flat stock that had a hole in it. He'd put a rivet through the hole and bend it, move it some more, bend it some more etc until it was in the shape of a J-hook. Then a man, I believe it may have been Ron Manist made a jig for him to bend the rivets. This greatly increased his speed at bending them.

He had a saw that he used for cutting the pipe for the swivel body, and a hand held punch he used for making the holes. It was labor intensive, but he loved doing it. He did this in his garage.

I believe I still have a coffee can of his swivels out in the shed.

Profitable Coon Trapping was my favorite Coon book long ago when I was younger. I read it and was lucky enough to find a guy selling 75 of the old style B and L #1 longs for a great price. They’re the kind Mr. Helfrich recommended in the book with the rounded springs. I caught a bunch of raccoons with those little traps. They are still amazingly powerful and I think of that book every time I set one. Thanks Mr. Helfrich.

Y'all don't let me forget to archive this thread when it's made its way though lol

I wont

Jim Helfrich,
Very nice to see you posting. Your advertisement for instruction caused a lot of angst in my house. LOL
I wanted nothing more than to travel to Ohio and take lessons so I could go pro. Let us just say my late wife was
not a supporter of that idea. Had more than one argument over those ad, which were works of art. Great
marketing. I found your writing really made me think. I met you at Neil Olson's at one of the trappers weekends he put on. Back in those day guys like your self were truly super stars that young guys wanted to meet and talk to. I think I met Blackie and Mike Marsyada that same weekend. It was almost trapper over load. LOL
You gave a demo, showing how to make a different kind of dirt hole. Because I was not very innovative, and all I had ever seen I was in a trance and don't think I blinked while the demonstration was going on. LOL

Again, nice to see you posting.

Mac

As a beginner 14 year old trapper in 1979, I soaked information from " Profitable Fox trapping" and Profitable Coon Trapping" like a sponge! Used your lures and had your 450 Eliminators. My first dozen arrived with a couple traps partially incomplete. I sent them back to you and you made it right. You also enclosed a nice note saying that you posted my hand-written letter on the wall of your assembly plant to remind staff to test every trap before shipping. I was impressed that you wrote me back. You were a rock star to us young trappers back then!

Glad you are well! Thanks for checking in on T-Man.

This has been one of the most informative threads I've seen on here.The history of our equipment and modifications by those that were there is interesting as all get out.

Jim,
Because of your contribution to the trapping community, many of us old-timers have benefited from your books, demos, private instruction, articles, and traps! You are a real pioneer! Thanks!

Most of this stuff you guys are chatting about here was before my time but I sure like reading about it.
I do feel fortunate to have a 550 eliminater my uncle gave me as a collector trap.

Am i finally back in 1983 again? haha. Nope, my knee's say im not but for a short moment reading this i felt 15 and full of vigor all over again, thanks for the memory's!

40 years later and once again i learned a little something from ya, take care 'super star', haha.

I remember many hours drilling pipe and bending nails

Profitable Fox Trapping was the only trapping book that I bought in my early 20’s
No telling how many times I read that book.
It put fur in the truck
Thanks

Thank you for what you have done. Great read