I use a starting clamp to start my crosses, so all knots are the same,and you would not be tying off on a main string and pulling tension against it, and when using thin gut or other 'fragile' multifilament strings, and especially at higher tensions, it is not uncommon to snap that first cross string right at the knot or at the two sharp turns the string makes, With using a starting clamp, you do not pull tension against these turns.
A good % of the time I start cross string similar to mains, by pulling the 1st 2 cross strings, and setting the anchor clamp on the 2nd cross string farthest from the tension head, then pull the first cross string and tie off, then weave one ahead and then tension 2nd cross and continue on as normal, as this works nice, and no starting clamp even needed if you prefer not to pull against a single clamp like that.
On another note one time I pulled against the starting clamp with an all VS gut job, and the string pulled through the starting clamp when starting with that 1st tension as that puts the most force on a clamp, but this was my own error as the starting clamp was not kept clean as I routinely kept the machines clamps clean but not the starting clamp, so be that a lesson to all, keep the starting clamp clean as well.That incident made me go to starting cross strings like I posted in above paragraph, as that works real nice.
the wrong way. Will follow your instruction from now on. (I should have asked that question about 6 racquets ago **Disclaimer I only string for myself and have just recently started**)
