Kinkie

Anyone who runs long electrical cables or hydraulic hoses across a set knows the problem: when the reel spins as the cable unwinds, the wires or hoses twist with it — leading to wear and tear, risk of breakage, and in the worst case, a short circuit mid-shot. The Kinkie solves this in an elegant, simple way: a swivel joint that rotates freely on its own axis, absorbing the rotational tension from the reel. Instead of the cable twisting, the joint itself rotates while the line behind it remains relaxed.

The construction is deliberately basic — a ball bearing in a metal sleeve, often with eyelets for hanging or tying down. They come in various sizes and load capacities: from lightweight kinkies for standard power cables to robust versions for high-pressure hydraulic lines. On set, you should ideally install the unit shortly after the reel or at the power input point — the closer to the source of the rotation, the more effective it is. For several hundred meters of cable, a second kinkie further up the line can be useful to break lateral torsional stresses.

In practice, its value becomes particularly apparent during long set builds: when the electrical or grip department lays the cables and then realizes the reel isn't in the right place yet — instead of tearing down the entire setup, you simply let a kinkie rotate. It also prevents kinks in the wires when coiling or in windy weather when lines are swinging. Many cinematographers underestimate this item until their cable loom gets tangled in the middle of the night.
The name itself comes from English (kink = bend, twist) and is completely established on German-speaking sets — nobody says "Drehgelenk" (swivel joint), everyone says "Kinkie." It costs under ten euros, weighs almost nothing, and if you have one with you, you save yourself and the crew a lot of trouble. It belongs in every grip kit, and if you see one lying around on set, it's a good sign of a well-organized production.