Finally replaced the Omer screw-in 18mm bands (which have given very good service) on my Omer XXV 75cm with
a single 20mm* bulk-rubber band (*measure only 18.43mm, 30 minutes out of the freezer). Fits the little XXV muzzle perfectly
I cut the rubber to a generous 60cm length.
By switching to bulk-rubber, I was able to remove: the metal holding pin, metal "muzzle wishbone" & its plastic fittings too. Making the sleek & super-lightweight 75cm Omer XXV even lighter & sleeker
I've switched to using a cheap & simple
Rob Allen Dyneema wishbone (the cord is slimmer & tighter woven than spearitco.com's - which is quite important as the XXV's spear is only 6.3mm diameter, and the nylon toggles are lighter than spearitco's metal beads). The old screw-on dyneema wishbone (which I cobbled together from the original Omer articulated wishbone caps & the cord from a Picasso screw-on dyneema wishbone) has now been transferred to my 90cm XXV, replacing its original articulated wishbone.
I used
1.5mm Omer black nylon braid for the constrictor knots, rather than finer Kevlar constrictor cord supplied by Spearitco.com (hard to cut/melt, overkill), finer whipping twine, or thicker 2mm Omer nylon braid. It seemed to dig in enough without cutting into the rubber too aggressively, and I was able to melt & smear the back-up surgeons thumb knots. 2mm nylon braid might work even better (TBC).
Hope I get a chance to try it out soon