Knots and Stuff
The Bowline
The Bowline Knot is one of the most used loop knots. This variant is most used in the world. Probably due to its simplicity, security and
its relationship with the Sheet bend. Keep the cross point in step A between a finger and thumb and make a
clock-wise turn with your wrist. Without
the loop between it is the same knot.
If the loop is expected to be heavily loaded the bowline is
in fact not secure enough. There is a
rule of thumb which states that the loose end should be as long as 12 times the
circumference for the sake of safety.
The Dutch Marine Bowline / or The Cowboy Bowline
Only the Dutch Marine uses this variant of the bowline. And, of course the Dutch Marine sailor says
this one is superior. The loose end is not so easily pushed back by accident,
they say. Until I see a proof in favour
of one or the other, I think it is just a difference in culture.
The Dutch also tie this with a loose end as long as 12 times
the circumference for safety.
Double Figure-of-eight loop.
Double eight is a knot used by climbers. It is easy to tie and safe as the
bowline. There is a discussion if there
should be a stopper at the end of the loose end or not. Speed of (un)tying is a safety factor itself.
The first way of tying is equal to the way of tying the
Flemish eight, but now in a double rope. The 'loose-end' is the loop. This
way is only applicable when the loop is 'empty' during tying.
The Double Figure-of-eight loop
If the loop is to be tied round something (your self for instance)
you first tie an eight then lay the loop and double the eight. It is important to have enough rope for the
loop. It requires experience, so start
practising.
Figure-of-nine
The figure-of-nine knot can be used as an alternative to the
figure-of-eight. It is very similar to a
figure-of-eight with just an extra turn before finishing the knot. It is a little bulkier than the
figure-of-eight but has greater strength. Strength: 70% (normal), 55% (abnormal)
Caving Knots
Bowline
This can be used for tying a rope around a belay but is most
often used for tying the end of a safety line rope around a person when
belaying them up a climb or ladder.
This knot does have a tendency to loosen and can come undone
so it is a good idea to use a half hitch to secure the "tail" of the
knot to the loop. Strength: 50% (normal)
Yosemite Bowline
This is a variant of the basic bowline which gets around the
problem of the knot loosening itself by taking the end of the rope and
threading it back through the knot. This
is a neat alternative to using a half-hitch to secure the end of the rope and
the resulting knot has the strength of a figure of eight.
Alpine Butterfly
A good knot for rebelays or for tying rub points out of a
rope. Its main advantage is that the two
strands of rope emerging from the knot are at 180 degrees to one another rather
than emerging in the same direction as in a figure-of-eight for example. This makes it a good mid-rope knot and good
for rebelays because it has greater strength than a figure-of-eight if the
rebelay fails.
Double Figure-of-eight on the bight
This double loop knot is most commonly used for rigging
V-belays. The nature of the knot means
that it is reasonably easy to adjust the loops by moving rope from one of the
loops to the other.
Prusik knots
A classic prusik knot is shown on the left, and a Kleimheist
prusik knot on the right. Either of these, along with other prusik knots, can
be used to prusik up a rope. The rope
used for the prusik-loop should be a fair bit thinner than the rope to be
climbed.
The Constrictor Hitch
The constrictor knot is important as temporary whipping and
as permanent binding from which you need more than on in a row, but not in line
(when you should use the strangle knot). Laid well, it is virtually impossible to untie without tools (needle or knife). Never use it if you need to untie it. It is
almost the strongest among the 'simple' hitches. Only the double constrictor is
stronger. Because the constrictor may be
tied in a bight, it is often preferred over the strangle knot.
Laid in the bight, it is possible to use the constrictor
virtually everywhere where a permanent hitch is needed. In fact, it is my
favourite permanent hitch.
One of the best applications for this knot is the temporary
whipping of rope strands during marlin spiking. With one yarn, you easily can whip more than one strand at the
time. Once tied, you pull them strong
all at once.
When you cannot place the knot around the object after the
knot is formed, you have to tie it round the object. This may be difficult if you did not leave
enough room to put the end through.
For tying a fence rope, you can tie the constrictor in this
interesting way. It allows working it up with to one end while you maintain a
limited force on the other end. So, you
easily make a straight rope fence (As long as your posts stand firm)
The Constrictor Knot
The Transom Knot
The Transom Knot (Constrictor)
Tied this way the constrictor is an excellent cross knot,
called the Transom Knot. (I used it for my kite when I was a kid). If you want to secure it, use two closely
laid overhand knots in both ends, or simply use a good kit or glue. An extra knot above this knot does not have
much effect. If more strength is required, tie another Transom Knot on the
back.
The Transom Knot (Marlin)
Tied this way the Marline Hitch is an even better cross-knot
as the previous version of the Transom. It is not possible for the half-knot to work itself between both rods
where it is not held by the overlaying rope. Therefore, it is a better cross knot than the constrictor-version of the
Transom. (Thanks for the comment! I wish I knew this as a kid. On the other hand I did not have any trouble
with the constrictor version. But I
agree this is better.)
The Noose
The strangle-knot is an excellent knot to be used a running
knot for a snare. The pull is easy
adjusted. The more force is applied from
inside the loop the more firmly the running knot prevents opening of the loop.
The Scaffold knot or Gallows Knot.
The third noose is based on the
Multifold-Overhand-knot. As its second
name already suggests it has a dark history. It is also used as a knot to tie angles to fish line.
Never play hangman. It can really kill.
The Scaffold knot or Gallows Knot.
The Hangman's Knot.
This knot is used for the gallows as well. The force to close it is adjusted better as
with the gallows knot. And because it is
bigger in the neck it is believed to break the neck more easily. That would make it more merciful as the
gallows-knot witch kills by strangling. The Hangman is also used as a knot to tie angles to fish line.
Never play hangman. It can really kill.
The Hangman's Knot
The Reverse Eight-noose.
This is (so far) the only 'wrong' running noose I know. Applications for it to tie a package and ...
for tying YoYo's. Experts use one loop
to make it possible to let the yoyo spin on the end and to call it up with a
little firm pull. The yoyo has to spin
fast and the noose has to be trimmed carefully. Starters use two loops and tie
it firmly.
Use eventually an overhand-knot on the cross-marked ends.
The Reverse Eight-noose
The Multifold-Overhand-knot
If you make more than two turns in the overhand knot it will
be fatter. (But hardly stronger.) In twined rope it is important to work up the
knot very carefully. (It will not only
look neater, it will prevent kinking which will weaken the rope even more!)
The (Flemish) Eight
This knot is larger, stronger and more easy to untie than
the overhand knot. It does not harm your
rope as much the overhand knot does. So
therefore sailors use this knot in most cases. (! not for bend support, where the smaller overhand is used, or in rope,
a permanent small stopper).
Knots on the end of a rope or yarn.
There are a lot of situations where you need a knot like
this. Every application has its own
special demands for knot properties. So
you have to choose carefully. You can
use a stopper to prevent a rope or yarn from unfolding, but please do that only
in cheap rope/yam. Use a proper whipping
in all other cases.
The Overhand Knot
The Overhand Knot or Half Knot
This is the simplest knot. Therefore probably the most used. The knot is very useful to support knots in yarns. The loose ends become a bit thicker. When this support makes the total bend too
bulky you have to look for another bend. The overhand knot is not strong, so you do not use it in situations
where you might expect great force. It
also reduces the strength of the rope or yarn by about 50%. But as an "anti-slip-knot" it does
not have to withstand a lot.
The Double Overhand knot
The double overhand knot is beautiful, thicker than the
common overhand knot, but not any stronger. Only use it with caution. The
double overhand knot is also called the blood knot if it is used at the end of
a whip. This knot has several ways of
tying and in principle two ways of working up. Both ways of tying shown here also show both results. The blood knot shown in the middle is the preferred
way of working up the second way of tying marked with the crosses. The blood knot is very hard to untie after it
has been under stress. If you put an
object through the cross-marked hole the knot will work up as the strangle
knot. It is useful to learn this way.