Well, I spent the day evolving more compact bends for Dyneema (it's my birthday and I'll tie if I want to) and after discarding numerous attempts to create new knots with the above characteristics, I decided to try to shrink the "Twang Bend" instead. So, I removed the legs from the middle of the knot, and joined the two overhand knots together directly. I tried a few variations (each time I tried to tie a bend, it came out differently) and settled on two viable candidates.
The first begins with a 2-strand Matthew Walker Knot form and finishes with the same final hitch as the Angler's / Perfection Loop on each end. The second ties two overhand knots together slightly offset, and again finishes both ends like the Angler's Loop.
I tied them inline with 3mm Amsteel Blue and tightened them up on my bench winch. Although the two bends look very similar in flat form, they draw up into quite different geometries under load. The first takes on a diamond form with the tails opposite each other. The second becomes barrel-shaped with the tails exiting the same side. See the photos below of the two bends after loading.
Both bends had some tail migration as they drew up, but then settled and held position thereafter. I put as much force as I could on my winch, taking 6 wraps of 7/16" (11mm) double-braid polyester (all that would fit) around the drum in order to tail the load. Just when I thought I couldn't winch any harder, one of the end loops (not either of the knots) broke. That's the first time an end failed in all my testing of Dyneema bends. Every other bend I've tested has broken first.
These are both definitely the strongest bends for Dyneema that I've tried. If you look closely at the first photo below, you'll see that some of the fibers in the knot have ruptured, but those that remain still hold. The second photo doesn't show any breakage. Both bends exhibit high strain on their central crossings.
The first one is probably easier to tie, as it begins as a well-known knot, but I like the looks of the second one better. Neither is overly complicated. Both are compact. Neither one can be untied after loading. Overall, I'm happy with my "birthday bends" - they're a nice present to myself.
I'll post pictures of the flat forms tomorrow.
Regards,
Eric