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Home , Half hitch, Reef knot, Rolling hitch, Sheet bend, Slip knot, Thief knot

Knot-du-jour: Square (or ) Animated Illustration, You Tube

Be careful to tie it correctly and not wind up with a ""

• "There have probably been more lives lost as a result of using a square knot as a bend (to tie two together) than from the failure of any other half dozen combined." (ABOK page 258). • Uses: The experience of tying a square knot teaches the fundamental process of tying a . An excellent general purpose knot for tying two pieces of string or twine together, the square knot is possibly the most commonly used knot for the job, and is easy to learn. However, it cannot be overly stressed that the square knot is not a long term or secure knot, and it should only be used to tie packages, cravats for first aid, or other simple bindings. In other cases, use a more secure method of bending two ropes together, such a , a double sheet bend, or a fisherman’s knot. • Unfortunately, the square knot can easily change into a slipping lark’s head (and easily slip loose) by pulling firmly on the running ends so it should never be used where life or limb are at risk. • Holding one end of each in each hand, pass the right rope over the left, and tuck under. Then pass the same rope, now in the left hand, over the right rope, and tuck under. (Right over Left and Left over Right) • The square knot can easily be loosened by gripping one loose end, and pulling it back over the knot, in the opposite direction, thus straightening the rope which is pulled. The other rope forms a lark’s head knot, and slips off the tugged rope. • The knot gets one of its names (Reef Knot) from its use on ships, when the sails were "reefed" - rolled up and tied to the cross spar with a reef knot. To release the sail, the sailors would climb the rigging, and work their way along the cross spar, pulling the top end of the reef knot down. They only had to use one hand, holding on with the other. The weight of the sail would cause the reef knot to slip, and the sail would be released. • If you want to tie two ropes together of similar thickness then never use a square knot. Only use it with string and twine when tying parcels, whippings and bindings. • Never use this knot to join ropes of two different thicknesses

It is common to chant "Right over left and left over right" when tying the knot. When the square knot is used it is common to add additional half hitches as security - a tribute to how unsatisfactory a knot it is. When surgeons tie such knots they commonly use a variation of the square knot - in the first half knot they take the ends around each other an additional time. This has the advantage of gripping better while the second, third (and more) half hitches are added. They call it a Surgeon's Knot.

A Thief’s Knot is tied with the tag ends on opposite sides of the running ends and must be “woven” to complete. This knot is even weaker than the true square knot and because of the deliberate method of tying it, the owner of a package tied with a thief’s knot could tell if the package had been tampered with if the thief’s knot was retied with a square knot. 2 half hitches (Animated Illustration – one half hitch), You Tube

This week's knot is 2 half hitches. It is used to secure a rope to a pole or other object (such as tying a guy line on a tent to a rock or tree), or to start or finish a . Pass the running end of the rope around the tree or rock twice. Then pass the running end over the standing part of rope, and tuck it back up and under itself, forming a half hitch. Repeat this for a second half hitch. (See knot page in the student manual) This knot rarely jams. It is superior to a for starting and finishing a lashing as the half hitches prevent this knot from unrolling, as they have the effect of locking the knot. A simple but useful knot to tie and untie. You may want to practice a useful variation: the slippery half hitch - pretty secure but can be untied very quickly, a handy variation to be able to teach.

Two Half Hitches

Slippery Half Hitch

This is occasionally useful but should be temporary. It is actually only an around the object with the end run back through the knot and left "slippery." It can be quickly untied by pulling on the free end. The Slippery Half Hitch can be locked by passing the end back through the eye and pulling tight.

Taut-line Hitch (Animated Illustration), You Tube

This Wednesday, the knot du jour is the taut-line hitch. Its primary use is to adjust the tension on guy lines by sliding the knot along the standing part of the rope. Since it is just two half hitches with an extra , it follows well on the heels of our teaching the two half hitches last week. The knot has two useful variations: the midshipman's hitch and the adjustable jam hitch. The midshipman's hitch works better when tied on a very smooth guy line because it is harder to adjust than the taut-line hitch. It is the ideal knot for adjusting tension on synthetic rope guy lines. The adjustable jam hitch is useful for tying a bundle because the knot is tightened by sliding the knot toward the bundle and loosened by sliding the knot away from the bundle.

Taut-line Hitch

Since it will only slide one way, the Taut-line hitch is often used on tent ropes. The taut-line hitch will hold firmly on a smooth pole such as a scout stave. Place rope end around pole, make a turn below it, then bring rope up across the standing part around the pole and tuck through

Tautline Hitch (aka )

The Tautline Hitch is an adjustable knot that is commonly used for tensioning guy lines, such as on a tent. The knot can slide along the standing part. When the knot is released, the tension on the standing part tightens the coils in the knot, increasing the friction which keeps the knot in place under tension. Since the Tautline Hitch is tied to its own standing part, the rope must be able to slide around the object it is secured to for it to be adjustable. This knot is known as the Rolling Hitch when, instead of being tied around its standing part, it is tied around another rope, spar, or cylindrical object.

Step 1

Pull the end around a secure object (The picture shows an empty thread spool.)

Step 2

Bring the end under the standing part.

Step 3

Wrap the end around the standing part.

Step 4

Wrap the end around the standing part a second time.

Step 5

Now you add a half hitch above the turns. Bring the end over the standing part.

Step 6

Make a half hitch.

Finished Tautline Hitch Tighten the loops. Be careful to keep the knot neat while doing this, and tighten it enough so that it will grip the standing part reliably, but not so tight that it can't easily slide.

Finished Tautline Hitch - Opposite View

Opposite view.

Finished Tautline Hitch This picture shows the knot having been slid further up the standing part. Note that the rope had to move around the spool in order for this to occur.

Bowline (Animated Illustration), You Tube

This week’s knot is the , a very versatile knot. It is used to form a temporary loop in a line that may then be put around an object. It can also be used to attach a line to an eye. This knot won’t slip or jam and can be untied easily.

The bowline has been called the king of knots. It will never slip or jam if properly made and, thus, is excellent for tying around a person in a rescue. Begin by formatting an in the standing part. Then take the free end up through the eye, around the standing part and back where it came from.

The bowline is not a recommended knot for nylon kernmantle rope without a backup or on the bitter end. Nylon is too slippery and the knot will slip. This knot reduces the strength of a rope by about 50%.

Practice tying it with just one hand around your body.

Variation: The bowline on a makes a secure loop in the middle of a piece of rope. It does not slip or bind. Trucker’s Hitch (Animated Illustration), You Tube

The knot du jour is the Trucker's Hitch. The knot is such a useful knot that you'll probably want to use it for the rest of your life. Use it to tighten loads, cinch down things, tighten tarps, tent lines, etc. Remember that it is a combination of knots which when tied together form a pulley system to do the tightening.

Summary of Knot Videos

Square Knot Two Half Hitches , Slippery Half Hitch Tautline Hitch Bowline Knot Trucker’s Hitch Overhand on Bite Figure Eight Bite