A knowledge of knots has saved many a life in storm and wreck, and if everyone knew how to tie a knot quickly and securely there would be fewer casualties in hotel and similar fires where a false knot in the fire escape rope has slipped at the critical moment and plunged the victim to the ground. Many an accident has occurred through a knot or splice being improperly formed. Even in tying or roping a trunk, few people tie a knot that is secure and quickly made and yet readily undone. How many can tie a tow rope to a car so it will be secure and yet is easily untied after the car has been hauled out of the mud? Or suppose a rope was under strain holding a large timber in midair and a strand in the derrick guy rope shows signs of parting. How many could attach a rope each side of the weak spot to take the strain?

The principle of a knot is that no two parts which lie adjacent shall travel in the same direction if the knot should slip. Knots are employed for several purposes, such as, to attach two rope ends together, to form an enlarged end on a rope, to shorten a rope without cutting it, or to attach a rope to another rope or object. Desirable features of knots are that they may be quickly tied, easily untied and will not slip under a strain. In a number of cases a toggle is used either to aid in making the knot or make it easier to untie after a strain has been applied.

A number of terms are commonly used in tying knots. The “standing” part is the principal portion, or longest part of the rope. The “bight” is the part curved, looped or bent, while working or handling the rope in making a knot, and the “end” is that part used in forming the knot or hitch. The loose, or free end, of a rope should be knotted or whipped to prevent it from raveling while in use.

Strength of Knots

If a knot or hitch of any kind is tied in a rope its failure under stress is sure to occur at that place. Each fiber in the straight part of the rope takes its proper share of the load, but in all knots the rope is cramped or has a short bend, which throws an overload on those fibers that are on the outside of the bend and one fiber after another breaks until the rope is torn apart. The shorter the bend in the standing rope the weaker the knot. The approximate strength of several types of knots in percent, of full strength of a rope is given in the table below, as an average of four tests.

1.	Full strength of dry rope	100%
2.	Eye splice over an iron thimble	90%
3.	Short splice in rope	80%
4.	Timber hitch, round turn and half hitch	65%
5.	Bowline, slip knot, clove hitch	60%
6.	Square knot, weaver’s knot, sheet bend	50%
7.	Flemish loop, over—hand knot	45%

Fastening Knots

Fig. 1. The over-hand knot is the simplest of all knots to make. It is made by passing the lose end of the rope over the standing part and back through the loop.

Fig. 2. The Double knot is made by passing the free end of the rope through the loop twice instead of but once as in making an over-hand knot. This is used for shortening or for a stop on a rope, and is more easily untied than the over-hand knot. It is also known as a blood knot, from its use on whip lashes by slave drivers, etc.

Fig. 3. The Figure Eight knot is similar to the over-hand knot except that the loose end of the rope is passed through the loop from the opposite side. It is commonly used to prevent a rope running through an eye or ring or tackle block. It is also used as the basis for ornamental knots, etc.

Fig. 4. The Double Figure Eight knot is made by forming a regular figure eight and then following around with the end of the other rope as shown.

Fig. 5. The Square knot is probably the commonest and most useful of all knots. It is strong and does not become jammed when being strained. Take the ends of the two ropes and pass the left end over and under the right end, then the right end over and under the left. Beware of the granny knot which is often mistaken for the square knot but is sure to slip under strain.

Fig. 6. The Reef knot is a slight modification of the square knot. It consists merely of using the bight of the left or right end instead of the end itself, and is tied exactly as is the square knot. This makes the knot easy to untie by pulling the free end of the bight or loop.

Fig. 7. If the Square or reef knot is used to join two ropes of unequal diameter, the knot is apt to slip unless the ends of the rope are whipped as shown.

Fig. 8. A Square knot joining two ropes of unequal size is apt to slip with a result similar to that shown.

Fig. 9. The Open-hand knot is made by tying an over-hand knot with two rope ends lying parallel. It is better than a square knot for joining two ropes of unequal diameter. Grain binders use this knot.

Fig. 10. The Granny knot is often mistaken for a square knot and its use should by all means be avoided as it is almost sure to slip when a strain is applied, unless the ends are whipped. For large rope, a granny knot with ends whipped will hold securely and is easy to untie.

Fig. 11. The Fisherman’s knot is a simple type of knot formed by two simple over-hand knots slipped over the standing parts of the two ropes, and drawn tight. It is valuable for anglers as the two lines may be drawn apart by merely pulling on the loose ends of the rope.

Fig. 12. The Ordinary knot is used for fastening two heavy ropes together and is made by forming a simple knot with the end of one rope and then interlacing the other rope around it, as shown.

Fig. 13. Whipping the two ends of an Ordinary knot makes it more secure.

Fig. 14. The Weaver’s knot is used to join small lines or threads and is made by forming a bight in one rope, passing the end of the second rope around the bight, back over itself and through the bight. Weavers use this knot in tying broken threads. When pulled tight, both ends point backward, and do not catch when pulled thru the loom.

Fig. 15. The Hawser knot or sheet bend is used for joining stiff or heavy ropes and is not to be confused with the weaver’s knot. It resembles the bowline, and is easily untied.

Fig. 16. The Double Sheet Bend is similar to the Hawser knot and is useful for the same purposes.

Fig. 17. The Garrick bend is commonly used for joining two heavy hawsers which are too stiff to bend easily.

Fig. 18. Another method of joining stiff hawsers is to use the Half-hitch and whipping. This is a satisfactory method of making a joint to be used for a considerable time.

Fig. 19. The Slip knot as shown is a knot with many uses.

Fig. 20. The Bowline knot is useful for forming a loop on the end of a rope. It is used frequently by stockmen to tie a horse or cow so that they will not choke themselves. It is always secure and easily untied. Use this knot in tying a tow rope to a car.

Fig. 21. The Running Bowline is used for the same purposes as the slip knot in Fig. 19, but is much more secure. It will always run freely on the standing part of the rope, and is easily untied.

Fig. 22. A Loop knot is useful for making fast to the middle of a rope where the ends are not free. It will pull tight under strain, and is not easily untied.

Fig. 23. The Tom-fool knot is formed in the middle of a rope and may be used for the same purpose as the loop knot, except in this case either standing part of the rope may be strained without the knot failing, or slipping. It can be used for holding hogs. Place one loop over the hog’s snout and hold onto one rope. Release by pulling other rope. Can also be used from the ground for releasing hoisting tackle which has been used on a flag pole or other tall object.

Fig. 24. The Boat knot is formed by the aid of a toggle on a rope whose ends are not free, and is used for shortening or for stopping a ring on a taut line.

Fig. 25. The Surgeon’s knot is a modified form of the square knot, and if used with smooth cord, as in tying bundles, it holds very securely. The object of the double twist is to make the knot easy to tie without holding with the end of the finger.

Fig. 26. Bowline on the bight is easily made on the looped part of a rope which is double. It is used where a loop is desired which will not pull tight or choke and is easily untied. May be used for casting harness for horses.

Fig. 27. The Spanish Bowline is a knot which may be made in the middle of a long rope or in a bight at the end, and gives two single loops that may be thrown over two separate posts or both thrown over one. Either loop will hold without slipping and is easily untied.

Fig. 28. The Flemish loop is similar to the Fisherman’s knot, Fig. 11, except that it is used for forming a loop on the end of a rope instead of joining two ropes. The loop or eye will not close up when strained.

Fig. 29. The Hawser knot with toggle is formed exactly the same as the regular Hawser knot except that the toggle is inserted for the purpose of making it easy to loosen the knot after a strain has been applied.

Ending Knots

A group of knots somewhat different from those already described, are those used for ending ropes. Ending knots not only serve the purpose of giving a large end on the rope, but also take the place of whipping, in that they prevent the rope from unraveling. Sometimes an ending knot is also used for its ornamental value.

Fig. 30. A Whipping applied as shown is employed for keeping loose ends from fraying or unraveling, where the use to which the rope is to be put will not permit of a knot on the end. Strong cord is used for whipping. In splicing ropes, the whipping is removed before the splice may be considered complete.

Fig. 31. The Single Crown, tucked, makes the rope end but slightly larger than the standing part, and serves to prevent the strands from unraveling. This gives a neat appearing end. To make this type of knot, leave the ends long enough so they can be brought down and tucked under the strands of the standing part. After tucking them under the first strand, as shown, halve each strand and tuck it again under the next strand of the standing part and continue this until the ends are completely tucked the whole length, thus giving a gradual taper to the end of the rope and also giving a knot that will stand by itself. The single crown not tucked, is not a good ending for a rope.

Fig. 32. The Wall knot is frequently used as an ending knot to prevent unraveling. It is very satisfactory where the rope does not need to pass through a block or hole which is but slightly larger than itself. The Wall knot may be tucked similar to the Crown and makes a very secure ending for a rope. For small ropes unlay the strands back, each three inches, and on larger ropes in proportion. Hold the rope in the left hand with the loose strands upward. With the right hand take the end of strand number one and bring it across the loose end in position with the thumb of the left hand, then take the rope, forming a loop and allowing the end to hang free. Hold strand number two and pass it under strand number one and hold it against the rope with the thumb of the left hand. Again with the right hand take strand number three and pass it under strand number two and up through the first loop formed. Then draw each of the strands gradually until the knot is tightened.

Fig. 33. The Matthew Walker knot or Stopper knot is similar to the Wall knot except the ends are inserted through two loops instead of one as in the Wall knot. It can readily be made by loosely constructing the Wall knot as explained before and continuing as follows: pass the end number one through the loop with two, then end number two through the loop with three, and number three through the loop with one, then gradually tighten the knot by drawing in a little at a time on each strand.

Fig. 34. The Double Wall or Crown knot is made exactly the same as the Single Crown or Wall knot, but instead of trimming off or tucking the ends in, they are carried around a second time, following the lay of the first as shown, and then the knot is pulled tight. When completed, the ends may be tucked in as was done in the Single Crown, or they may be trimmed off.

Fig. 35. The Stevedore knot is similar to the Over-hand knot shown in Fig. 1, except that the end of the rope is served around the standing part two and half times before it is tucked through the bight. It is used where a knot is desired to keep the rope from running through a block or hole.

Shortening Knots

A third type of knots are those which are used where a rope is too long and where it is awkward to have the free ends hanging loose or where the ends are in use and the slack must be taken up in the middle of the rope. These are known as shortening knots. They are also sometimes used merely for ornament.

Fig. 36. The Chain knot is frequently used for shortening and is made by forming a running loop, then drawing a bight of the rope through the loop, and a second bight through the first and so on until the rope has been shortened sufficiently. The free end should then be fastened by passing a toggle or the end of the rope through this last loop. To undo this shortening is very simple as all that is necessary is to either remove the toggle from the last loop or remove the end of the rope if it were used, and then pull on the free end until the knot is completely unraveled.

Fig. 37. The Whipped Shortening or Bend Shortening is one of the most easily made and is well adapted to heavy ropes where a shortening must be made quickly and where it is not to withstand a heavy strain.

Fig. 38. Three-fold Shortening is started by making an Over-hand knot and continuing to tuck the end through the loop three more times, and drawing tight.

Fig. 39. The Sheep-shank or Dog-shank as it is sometimes called, is one of the most widely used of all shortenings. It is made in several forms but the first form shown, while adaptable to fairly stiff ropes, will not withstand much strain. It is used for shortening electric light cords.

Fig. 40. Sheep-shank for free end rope is similar to the plain Sheep-shank except the free end of the rope is passed through the loop. This makes a secure shortening, but it can not be used where the ends of the rope are not free.

Fig. 41. A Sheep-shank with toggle, is a plain Sheep-shank with the toggle inserted as shown, and makes the shortening as secure as that shown in Fig. 38. It is also easily untied.

Fig. 42. Sheep-shank with ends whipped is the same as in a plain Sheep-shank except the loop is whipped to the standing part of the rope. This makes the shortening as secure as those shown in Fig. 38, and Fig. 39.

Fig. 43. Bow-shortening is an ordinary knot in the middle of a rope in which a double bend has previously been made. It is not adapted to heavy ropes nor will it stand a heavy strain successfully.

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