Guy Hagen's Unpatented Knotwork Tsuba
Tools
Cord (one of the following):
3mm satin cord (about 72") (about 23-25 figure 8s in backbone)
4mm satin cord (about 84") (about 18-20 figure 8s in backbone)
Parachute cord (about 72") (about 20 figure 8s in backbone)
Unwaxed boot lace (about 72")
A cigarette lighter or superglue
Sharp scissors or knife
Angled needle nose pliers
A big tension clip of some sort
Preparation
I find it helps a lot to take a Dremel and smooth out all sharp edges and corners on the pliers. These snag, and on some cords pull out threads from the inside which cause an inconsistent texture or color.
Trim your cord's ends. For natural fibers, apply superglue to the frayed ends, let it dry, and then trim with a scissors to create a built in hard, stubby needle point. For synthetics, use a lighter to cause the tip to reach the melting point, then lightly compress it with the pliers until it cools; you can follow up by trimming it into a rough point with no spurs.
Holding about 6" of one end (A), wrap the cord around two fingers twice, and clip it where the clip can reach all three loops at once. Pull the long remaining end (D) through from underneath and between the top two loops, until you get something that vaguely resembles this (dashed line represents the clip location):
Building the Backbone 
Now, you can release beginning end (A), and just hold the inside of the loops and begin threading a "figure 8" forward with the long loose end (D). Remember, it works forward, always coming up from below in between the two loops. Make the loops lightly snug, but "tap" the loops down toward the clip so they stack tightly together as you move forward. It helps to make the loops a consistent size and width.
Eventually, as you work your way around to the other side, you will encounter the loose beginning end (A). Just work it into the left loops, treating the left two loops as a single cord. Once you do that, you can pull the clip off, you're done with it. I find it helps to always have the direction of progression facing away from you.
Now you have a transition to deal with; as you worked around to the other side, what was the right coil has become the left coil. The point where the middle loop breaks from the right side I've marked with an (A3)... you might want to tie a string to both points (A2) and (A3) so you can find them; you can always tighten the right side by pulling on(A3) and working it around to the beginning end (A2 and then A1).
You must continue your figure 8 loops, but when you get to the transition you must move the center coil from the left figure 8 loop to the right figure 8 loop (below). I know this is confusing; but remember this; the loose end (D) always comes up the middle and goes out and over the double coil, whichever side it is on. Make sure you have at least one figure 8 that contains two coils on the right side (above), then bring the loose end (D) up the middle just past the start of the very first figure 8 that you did (below). This finishes the backbone.
The Herringbone
Now you're ready for the surface braid, which is just the same figure 8s you have been doing all along... except that you are looping through the tops of your backbone loops instead of the actual coils. Start by picking the very next leftside loop (this will be the second figure 8 you started way in the beginning; I've labelled it point (Z) in the illustration). Stretch that loop out with your pliers, and insert the loose end (D) in and back toward the center and you. Again, keep the loops consistent and snug. I find it helps to hold the backbone loop outwith the pliers, and pull the herringbone loop tight with your hand, pulling in opposite directions. When you have come back to the starting point - the point I've marked (Z) a couple of illustrations ago - you can tuck the loose end UNDER and into the left-side loops of the backbone. If you continue far enough, your loose end (D) will meet the beginning end(A) in the left side loop of the backbone. Leave the end hanging out.
Tighten!
Pull on (A) and point (X) to tighten your tsuba to the appropriate size - a little smaller than the diameter of your bokken. As you tighten, it will always tend to make the diameter of the tsuba grow! Then, start at your very firrst backbone figure 8, tightening the loops and working the slack you create forward. When you reach the transition point, pull the slack up into the herringbone loops, and repeat. You may have to do this entire tightening process twice, but when you get better at it once is enough. When yourre all done, use a really sharp, fine knife and trim off the loose ends (A) and(D). The ends should not be visible, and the entire tsuba should look continuous and unbroken.
