Knots and Ropework

I

Introduction

Knots and Ropework, art of joining together pieces of such flexible material as rope, and of forming loops or designs in ropes, string, or fibers. It is one of the oldest human skills, and serves both utilitarian and decorative purposes; in some instances knotting has had magical or religious significance.

The art of knotting and working with rope predates recorded history. It is a vital part of many trades and crafts and is particularly essential to sailors. The sailors who worked the large square-rigged cargo ships in the 19th century knew and used hundreds of knots and probably were the most accomplished practitioners of the craft. The total number of knots, bends, and hitches known amount to several thousand, many of them exceedingly complicated, and each designed for a single specific purpose.

Although most rope joinings are commonly known as knots, the term should properly be limited to arrangements in which the rope is led through a loop formed by itself. Knots used to attach one rope to another or to attach a rope to an object are known as bends and hitches. Another type of ropework is splicing in which one rope is joined to another or to itself by separating the strands and braiding them together. Ropes are frequently tied by various forms of seizings, which are secure windings of smaller string or rope. String is also used for whipping the end of a rope to prevent the strands from separating. Sections of rope are sometimes protected against moisture and wear by worming, parceling, and serving. Worming consists of winding small cords or strings around the rope in the grooves between the individual strands for an even surface. After worming, the rope is parceled by winding it with narrow strips of canvas, often tarred to make a waterproof covering. Over the parceling (and wound in the opposite direction to the lay of the rope, the worming, and the parceling) is placed the serving, a protective layer of closely wound string.

II

Common Practical Knots

The simplest of all knots is the overhand knot, formed by passing one end of a rope over and around the other end. The overhand knot is the basis for a wide variety of more complicated knots. The figure-eight knot, made by doubling the end of a rope to form a loop and passing the free end around and under the standing part and then through the loop, is the most decorative of all simple knots. Its practical use is confined to stopper knots on the ends of lines, but it is frequently incorporated into decorative rope designs.

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The square knot, also known as the reef knot because of its use in tying reefs in ships' sails (that is, reducing the area of the sail), is believed to be the oldest of all practical knots and is one of the most useful. The square knot is strong and easily tied and untied. It is formed by tying two overhand knots, one on top of the other, in opposite directions, which brings the rope ends out of the knot at either end on the same side of the loop. If two overhand knots are tied in the same direction, the result is a granny knot, in which the rope ends come out of the knot on different sides of the loops. The granny is less secure than the square knot and is more likely to jam if tension is applied to one end. Another variant on this simple knot is the fool's knot or thief knot, which is similar to the square knot except that the loose ends emerge diagonally from opposite corners of the knot. This kind of knot will slip if the slightest tension is placed on it.

The bow knot in its simplest form is a modification of the square knot. The first overhand knot is tied with the ends of the rope as in the square knot, but in tying the second overhand knot the ends are doubled into loops and the knot is tied with the loops rather than the ends. The bow knot is simpler to untie than the square knot, because it can be loosened by pulling on the ends. It is also more decorative and is frequently used for tying neckties, shoelaces, and packages. The bow knot can be tied either in square or granny form. The loops of the square bow knot are parallel to the standing part of the knot, whereas the loops of the granny bow knot are perpendicular to the standing part. The square bow knot is less likely to slip or to jam than the granny bow knot.

The bowline is used for making a fixed loop that will not slip. It is made by forming a loop in the rope some distance from the end and then passing the end of the rope through the loop, around the standing part, and back through the loop. The bowline has been called the king of knots; it will hold under tension, will never jam, and can be easily untied. In contrast is the running eye knot, the simplest form of sliding knot or slip knot. The running eye knot is made by tying a simple overhand knot around the body of the rope. The loop formed by the running eye knot can be made smaller by pulling on the standing part of the rope.

The sheepshank is used to shorten a rope temporarily. It is made by doubling a portion of the central part of the rope over on itself one or more times. At each end of the doubled-over portion a half-hitch is taken over the looped ends with the standing part of the rope. The half-hitches, which are formed by making a loop in the rope with the end portion under the standing part, hold the doubled-over part of the rope in place. Two half-hitches placed one on top of the other are frequently used to fasten a rope to a spar or other object.

III

Special Applications

One of the most useful applications of knotting is in the making of nets for fishing or hauling cargo or for parts of sports equipment, such as lacrosse sticks. Netting, generally done with a special needle, is formed of a series of sheet bend, or weaver's knots. The quipús used for record keeping by the Incas and their descendants and the knotted-string devices used by early Polynesian voyagers, presumably as navigational charts, represent ways in which knots have been used for mnemonic purposes.

IV

Decorative Knots and Ropework

Fancy ropework involving complicated decorative knots in various patterns, or woven or braided rope and string, is used to produce ornamental objects. One type of ropecraft, known as macramé, was originated by Arabs in the 13th century. It spread to Europe and eventually became a sailor's pastime. The craft was revived in the 1960s for the production of bags, wall hangings, and hangers for baskets.

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