ROPE - KNOTS

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A knot is a method for fastening or securing linear material such as rope by tying or interweaving, it is also a measure of speed of a boat over water. It may consist of a length of one or more segments of rope, cord, webbing, twine, string, strap or even chain interwoven so as to create in the line the ability to bind to itself or to some other object - the "load". Knots have been the subject of interest both for their ancient origins, common use, and the mathematical implications of knot theory.

Every would be sailor must know his or her ropes and become familiar with some common knots, just to be able to tie up a boat to a jetty.  Then there is anchoring, then safety at sea.  There are all kinds of rope and all kinds of knots, each with a different use.  A 'Knot' is also a measure of speed in water, which gains its name from the distance between two knots of a piece of rope.

Usage

Some knots are well adapted to bind to particular objects such as another rope, cleat, ring, stake or to constrict an object. Decorative knots usually bind to themselves to produce attractive patterns.

Knots are essential in many industrial, work, home or recreational activities. Even simple activities such as running a load from the hardware store to home can result in disaster if a clumsy twist in a cord passes for a knot. Truckers needing to tie down a load may use a trucker's hitch, gaining mechanical advantage. Knots can save the spelunker from foolishly becoming buried under millions of tons of rock. Whatever the activity, on the water sailing or on a cliff-side rock climbing, learning well tested knots prior to some hazardous activity introduces a critical measure of safety. In addition to safety, appropriate knots can prevent the necessity of cutting lines.

In ropework, the frayed end of a rope is held together by a type of knot called a whipping knot.

Many types of textiles use knots to repair damage. Macrame, one kind of textile, is generated exclusively through the use of knotting, instead of knits, crochets, weaves or felting. Macrame can produce self-supporting three dimensional textile structures, as well as flat work, and is often used ornamentally or decoratively.

1. Splice 2. Manrope knot 3. Granny knot 4. Rosebud stopper knot(?) 5. Matthew Walker knot 6. Shroud knot 7. Turks head knot 8. Overhand knot, Figure-of-eight knot 9. Reef knot or Square knot 10. Two half hitches (see round turn and two half hitches)

Components

Bight

 

The center part of a length of rope, string, or yarn (cf knitting and knitting needle) as opposed to the ends. The definition changes depending on whether the definite or indefinite article is used:

• "The bight" is any portion of the rope, string, or yarn between its two ends.

• "A bight" is a U-shaped loop used in making a knot or stitch. Many knots, such as the bowline can be tied in either the end or the bight.

 

Bitter end

 

More a ropeworker's term than a knot term, the reference is to the end of a rope that is tied off, hence the expression "to the bitter end". A bitt is a metal block with a crosspin used for tying lines to, found on docks.

 

 

Efficiency 

 

The approximate strength of a rope with a given knot as compared to the rope's strength without the knot, expressed at a percentage. A rope containing a knot is weaker than an unknotted rope, because the loops of the knot impose uneven stresses upon the rope fibers. The tighter the knot, the more uneven the stress.

 

Elbow 

 

Two crossing points created by an extra twist in a loop.

 

Loop 

 

A full circle formed by passing the working end over itself. Note that the term 'loop' is also used to refer to a category of knots (see 'Categories' below).

 

Standing end

 

The end of the rope not involved in making the knot, often shown as unfinished.

 

Standing part

 

Section of line between knot and the standing end.

 

Working end

 

The active end of a line used in making the knot. May also be called the 'running end' or 'live end'.

 

Working part

 

Section of line between knot and the working end.

 

Knot components

Categories

The list of knots is extensive, but common properties allow for a useful system of categorization. For example, loop knots share the attribute of having some kind of an anchor point constructed on the standing end (such as a loop or overhand knot) into which the working end is easily hitched to using a round turn. An example of this is the bowline. Constricting knots often rely on friction to cinch down tight on loose bundles; an example would be the clove hitch.

Knots may belong to more than one category:

Bend 

A knot uniting two lines (for knots joining two ends of the same line, see binding knots or loops).

 

Binding 

A knot that restricts object(s) by making multiple winds.

 

Coil 

Knots used to tie up lines for storage.

 

Decorative 

A complex knot exhibiting repeating patterns often constructed around and enhancing an object.

 

Hitch 

A knot tied to a post, cable, ring, or spar.

 

Lashing 

A knot used to hold (usually) poles together.

 

Loop 

A knot used to create a closed circle in a line.

 

Plait 

A number of lines interwoven in a simple regular pattern.

 

Slip (or Running) 

A knot tied with a hitch around one of its parts, contrasted. with a loop, which is closed with a bend. A slip knot can be closed, a loop remains the same size.

 

Seizing 

A knot used to hold two lines or two parts of the same line together.

 

Sennit 

A number of lines interwoven in a complex pattern.

 

Splice 

A knot formed by interweaving strands of rope rather than whole lines. More time consuming but usually stronger than simple knots.

 

Stopper 

A knot tied to hold a line through a hole.

A knot that is used as part of a magic trick, a joke, or a puzzle.

 

Whipping 

A binding knot used to prevent another line from fraying.

A to Z of Knots :

A

• adjustable bend

• adjustable hitch

• adjustable loop

• albright knot

• alpine butterfly bend

• alpine butterfly knot

• alpine coil

• alternate ring hitching

• anchor bend

• angler's knot

• angler's loop

• arbor knot

• artillery loop

• asher's equalizer

• Ashley's stopper knot

• axle hitch

B

• bachmann knot

• bag knot

• bait loop

• bale sling hitch

• barrel hitch

• barrel knot

• barrel sling

• becket hitch

• beer knot

• bimini twist

• binder's knot

• blackwall hitch

• blake's hitch

• blood knot

• blood loop knot

• boa knot

• boas bowline

• boatman's knot

• boom hitch

• bottle sling

• bottom loaded release hitch

• bow knot

• bowline

• bowline on bight

• bowstring knot

• braid knot

• brummycham bowline

• buffer knot

• builder's knot

• bull hitch

• Bumper knot

• buntline hitch

• butcher's knot

• butterfly knot

C

• carrick bend

• carrick mat

• cat's paw

• catshank

• caver's helical knot

• chain hitch

• chain stitch lashing

• chi-fi knot

• Chinese button knot

• Chinese cross knot

• Chinese good luck knot

• Chinese lanyard knot

• clinging clara

• clove hitch

• common whipping

• constrictor knot

• continuous ring hitching

• corned beef knot

• cow hitch with toggle

• cow hitch

• cow-tie knot

• Cowboy Bowline

• cross-prusik knot

• crossing knot

D

• diamond hitch

• diamond knot

• dogshank

• double blackwall hitch

• double bowline

• double carrick bend

• double chain

• double chain

• double figure eight bend

• double figure eight

• double friction hitch

• double grinner knot

• double harness bend with parallel ends

• double munter friction hitch

• double overhand bend

• double overhand loop

• double overhand sliding loop

• double overhand

• double pile hitch

• double prusik knot

• double ring hitching

• double scaffold knot

• double sheet bend

• double stopper

• double uni knot

• double Windsor (for use in neckties)

• draw knot

• dropper loop

• duncan loop

• Dutch marine bowline

• dutra double loop knot

E

• egg loop

• eight-strand sennit

• eight strand square plait

• englishman's knot

• englishman's loop

• eskimo bowline

• extended French prusik knot

• eye splice

F

• farmer's knot

• farmer's loop

• figure-of-eight coil

• figure-of-eight follow through

• figure-of-eight hitch

• figure-of-eight knot

• figure-of-eight loop

• figure-of-eight coil

• fireman's chair knot

• fireman's coil

• fisherman's bend

• fisherman's eye

• fisherman's knot

• Flemish bend

• Flemish knot

• four-strand braid

• four-strand plait

• four-strand sennit

• French bowline

• French prusik knot

• frost knot

G

• gaff topsail halyard bend

• good luck knot

• Gordian Knot

• granny knot

• grief knot

• grinner knot

• gripping sailor's hitch

• ground-line hitch

H

• hackamore

• half blood knot

• half hitching

• half hitch

• halibut knot

• halter hitch

• halyard bend

• handcuff knot

• hangman's knot

• harness bend

• heaving line bend

• heaving line knot

• hedden knot

• hight post hitch

• highwayman's hitch

• hitching tie

• honda knot

• hunter's bend

I

• icicle hitch

• improved clinch knot

• In-Line Figure 8 Loop

• Italian hitch

J

• Jack Ketch's knot

• jamming hitch

• jansik special

• Japanese crown knot

• Japanese success knot

• jar sling

• jug sling

• jury mast knot

K

• killick hitch

• klemheist knot

• knife lanyard knot

• knute hitch

• kreuklem knot

L

• lariat loop

• lark's foot

• lark's head

• lighterman's hitch

• lineman's loop

• linfit knot

• long mat

M

• machard tresse

• magnus hitch

• major turle's knot

• manharness knot

• mariner's knot

• marline hitching

• marlinespike hitch

• midshipman's hitch

• miller's knot

• monkey's fist

• mooring hitch

• munster hitch

• munter friction hitch

• munter mule

N

• nail knot

• noose

O

• ocean plait

• one way sheet bend

• orvis knot

• ossel hitch

• ossel knot

• overhand bend

• overhand knot and half hitch

• overhand knot with draw-loop

• overhand knot

• overhand loop

• oysterman's stopper knot

P

• packer's knot

• painter's hitch

• paldo tackle

• palomar knot

• pedigree cow hitch

• peg knot

• penberthy knot

• perfected whipping

• perfection loop

• pile hitch

• piwich knot

• plafond knot

• plank sling

• poldo tackle

• pole lashing

• Portuguese bowline

• prusik knot

Q

• quick hitch

R

• racking bend

• racking seizing

• reef knot

• rigger's bend

• ring bend

• ring hitch

• ring knot

• ringbolt hitching

• rolling hitch

• Rosendahl bend

• round hitch

• round mat

• round seizing

• round turn and two half hitches

• round turn

• running knot

• running loop

• rustler's knot

S

• sack knot

• sail maker's whipping

• sailor's knot

• sailor's hitch

• savoy knot

• scaffold knot

• seizing bend

• shake hands

• sheep shank man o' war

• sheepshank

• sheet bend

• simple chain

• simple knot

• simple noose

• simple simon double

• simple simon over

• simple simon under

• single hitch

• single stopper

• six strand round plait

• sliding loop

• sliding ring hitch

• slip knot

• slipped overhand knot

• slipped buntline hitch

• slippery eight loop

• slippery hitch

• slippery round hitch

• snuggle hitch

• spade end knot

• span loop

• Spanish bowline

• splice

• square knot

• square lashing

• square turk's head

• stevedore's knot

• strangle knot

• strop bend

• surgeon's end loop

• surgeon's knot

• surgeon's loop

• swing hitch

T

• tarbuck knot

• taut-line hitch

• tent hitch

• thief knot

• three quarter figure eight loop

• three way sheet bend

• three-strand braid

• thumb knot

• tiller's hitch

• timber hitch

• tom fool's knot

• top loaded release hitch

• transom knot

• trilene knot

• triple bowline

• triple figure eight

• triple overhand knot

• trucker's hitch

• true lover's knot

• tug boat hitch

• tumbling thief knot

• turle knot

• twined turk's head

• two half hitches

• two strand braid

• two strand overhand knot

U

• underhand loop hitching

• uni knot

V

• valdotain tresse

• versatackle knot

• vibration-proof hitch

• vice versa

W

• wagoner's hitch

• water bowline

• water knot

• waterman's knot

• weaver's knot

• west country whipping

• wrapped and reef knotted coil

Y

• yosemite bowline

Z

• zeppelin bend

• zigzag braid

REFERENCE

• Clifford W. Ashley The Ashley Book of Knots. Faber and Faber, London & Boston. ISBN 0-385-04025-3

• R.S. Lee. All The Knots You Need. Algrove Publishing. ISBN 0-921335-47-4

• Raoul Graumont. Handbook of Knots. Cornell Maritime Press/Tidewater Publishers. ISBN 0-87033-030-6

• Cyrus L. Day. Knots & Splices. International Marine/McGraw-Hill Companies. ISBN 0-87742-252-4

• Geoffrey Budworth (1999). The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework. Annes Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-55267-986-1

• John Cassidy (1985). The Klutz Book of Knots. Klutz Press, Palo Alto, California. ISBN 0-932592-10-4

• Des Pawson(2001). Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices. Produced for Propsero Books by RPC Publishing Ltd., London. ISBN 1-55267-218-2

• Brion Toss. The Complete Rigger's Apprentice. International Marine/McGraw-Hill Companies. ISBN 0-07-064840-9

• Allen Padgett and Bruce Smith. On Rope. National Speleological Society. ISBN 0-9615093-2-5

LINKS

• Grog's Animated Knots

• How to tie over 35 knots

• International Guild of Knot Tyers

• Knot Tying Notation, by Peter Suber. Not for beginners.

• Knots, music, art

• Knots on the Web, an extensive collection of links, covering knot tying, knot theory, and knot art

• Life on a Line, a free online book about underground rope rescue which discusses various knots in detail with regard to their strength etc.

• The Notable Knot Index

• Knot Tying Video Commercial video/DVD on knot tying.

• Knots used in Oriental Rugs

• Knot Connected/the art of Macrame'/Plant hangers/Jewelry/and More

• Gallery of animated knots

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