ISSUE 57 AUTUMN-SEPTEMBER 1997 ISSN 0959-2881 Guild Supplies Price List 1997

Item Price

Knot Charts Full set of 100 charts £10.00 Individual charts £0.20

Rubber Stamp IGKT - Merrlber, with logo £4.00 (excludes stamp pad)

Guild Tye Long, dark blue polyester, with knot motif £8.95

Badges - all with Guild Logo Blazer Badge £1.00 Enamel brooch £1.80 Windscreen Sticker £1.00 Display Stand Logo on stiff clear plastic £7.50 freestanding, or for cutting and mounting

Certificate of Membership £2.50 parchment-like membership scroll signed by the President and Hon Sec for mounting and hanging

Cheques payable to IGKT, or simply send your credit card details PS Don't forget to allow for Postage

Supplies Secretary: - Sylvia Harding 16 Egles Grove, Uckfield, TN22 2BY - 01825 760425 1...1 iiiiiiiiiiiKiiiNiiiOiiiTiiiTiiiINiiiGiiiMiiiAiiiTiiiTEiiiRiiiS""iiiiiiill THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL GUILD OF KNOT TYERS ISSUE NO 57 AUTUMN - SEPT 1997

PRESIDENT Robert Chisnell HON VICE PRESIDENT Dr Vaughan Jones FRS PAST PRESIDENTS Percy Blandford - Geoffrey Budworth - Eric Franklin - Jan Vos Stuart Grainger - Glad Findley - Des Pawson

SECRETARY: Guild Annual Subscription rates: Nigel Harding Payable by cash/cheque Eurocard 16 Egles Drove Mastercard or VISA Uckfield Juniors £4 SUSSEX TN22 2BY Seniors £14 Tel: 01825 760425 Families £19 Corporate By arrangement EDITORS: Taxpayers in the UK - we would Lonnie & Margaret Boggs prefer a covenanted subscription. 78 Marlborough Avenue KIDLINGTON Advertising rates:Members Non Members Oxford OX5 2AP Full page £32 £49 Tel: 01865 378104 Half page £19 £22 Quarter page £10 £15 Except as otherwise indicated, copyright For inclusion in one issue only in Knotting Matters is reserved to the International Guild of Knot Tyers IGKT 1995. Copyright in members' articles Submission dates for inclusion of articles published in Knotting Matters is KM58 22 NOVEMBER 1997 reserved to the authors and permission to KM59 07 MARCH 1998 reprint should be sought from the author KM60 07 JUNE 1998 and editor. All sources of quotations KM61 07 SEPT 1998 printed in Knotting Matters are acknowledged.

THE IGKT IS A UK REGISTERED CHARITY NO 802153 KNOTTING MATTERS

CONTENTS

03 Editors Bytes and Pieces Lonnie Boggs 03 Knot Garden Gone Geoffrey Budworth 05 Secretary's Blotter Nigel Harding 07 Swedish Branch First Meeting Olof Nystroem 08 Bell Pulls ?! Ken Yalden 09 Anoraks!! Anon 10 Six knot Challenge Richard Hopkins 18 Narrow Boat "Decorative" Ropework Mr. Alf Langford 22 Turks Heads and the Rule of the Greatest Jesse Coleman Common Factor 26 Cylindrical Chains Nils Kristian Rossing 34 Prehistory of Knots Charles Warner and Pieter van de Griend 43 5 by 5 Turks Head with 5 Cords Jesse Coleman 43 'Knots Made Easy', Viewers View Robert Wiseman 44 Perfection Loop on a Bight Robert M. Wolfe 45 Perfection Loop Olof Nystrom 46 Merrtbers Profile and Comments Mr. Tony Fisher 51 Bowline and Nilsen Bend Karl Wilhelm Nilsen 53 Please, Tell Me a Story? Fred Veith 54 Bowline Type Knots John Smith 57 "New Knots", Some Points of View Owen Nuttall, John Halifax, Stuart Grainger 61 Basic Knots Colin Grundy 62 Basic Knots Tony Doran 63 The Braid Society AGM Anne Dyer 64 Albright Special Knot Brion Glennon 66 A Single Bowline on a Bight Stuart Grainger 68 Knots and the IGKT on the Internet Gordon Perry 69 A visit to Sunset Line & Twine Co. Penny Bodger 72 Cowboy Knots Percy Blandford 2 KNOTIING MATTERS 56 - JULY 1997 EDITORS BYTES Neuwirth and Jearl Walker. AND PIECES Topics range from maritime to Just, a correction and some mathematical, featuring cats' notes from Geoffrey Budworth cradles and Celtic artwork, and others in this issue of plaits and prestidigitation, E.B.&P. D.N.A., topology and even a bit KM 55, page 27, column 1, about chaos theory. amend '8 part x 5 lead' to read Try your newsagent first - but, '8 lead x 5 bight' (the caption if that fails, contact: Fran<;oise for the diagram is correct). This Cinotti, Pour la Science, 8 re was my mistake - writes Cy Ca­ Ferou, 75006 PARIS, France nute - and not an editorial one. From Geoffrey Budworth: Supplier's Update: The full From an account of an Eng­ range of Amossco ODS prod­ lish battle in February 1461... ucts previously reviewed in KM "The Yorkists made great use 52 (April 1996) is now more of nets across gaps in the hedge­ widely available from their rows; these nets each being warehousing facilities in Aber­ about 24 ft. in length and 4 ft. deen (tel: +44 [0]1224 898456), wide, could not be passed over Sevenoaks (+44 [0]1732 by man or beast without injury 463888) and Great Yarrnouth from nails attached to every (+44 [0]1493 440024). second knot, which stood up­ La Science des Noeuds. right when the nets were in For any keen collector of place." printed knotwork the April The Military Campaigns of 1997 issue of Pour la Science ( the Wars ofthe Roses, by Philip the French edition of 'Scientific A. Haigh, pub. (1995) Alan American' magazine) is not to Sutton Publishing Ltd. be missed. the entire issue is devoted to a learned look at knotting, with nineteen glossy by Geoffrey Budworth and colourful articles from elite The Giant Knot Garden on the experts who include Geoffrey South bank of London's River Budworth, Vaughan Jones, Lee Thames has gone. I was there in KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 3 March and some construction British Architects, the Institute company had fenced off the site of Landscape Architects and the and was building on it. Sunday Times. This was no formal English I was at the opening on Mon­ flower and herb patch - under­ day, 6th. July 1981, celebrated stand - but an assembly of life on-site and then in the historic sized cable-laid 'trees' of rope Mayflower public house just a around metal armatures tied in throwing-line's length up­ various sailor's knots. It was the stream, as well as witllin hailing surreal concept of architect (and distance - it later transpired - of subsequent Guild member) Tom Lee Boo's burial place in St. Meddings, winner in 1981 of a Mary's churchyard (see KM 30, competition to transform the page 22 and also KM 37, page open space at 125 Rotherhithe 16); and I.G.K.T. publication Street, S.E.16, alongside Bran­ Much Ado About Knotting rec­ dran's Wharf, with funds from ords the Guild's first public the Arts Council (now defunct) venture there on Saturday 4th. and the Department of the Envi­ June 1983. ronment. The challenge was Sadly - like the G.L.C. - Tom entitled 'Art into Landscape' Medding's Giant Knot Garden and organised by the Arts no longer exists. Council, the Royal Institute of

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4 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 After the rambling notes in the last KM, I shall be quite brief this time. For one thing, having just moved house, I cant actually find the blotter from which I take the notes. As with anyone involved in moving house in this country, it was a very traumatic experience, made much worse by the increasingly obscure and obtuse questions raised by the legal profession. We eventually exchanged contracts at 5 pm on the Friday evening, ready for a Monday morning move. This did not give us much time to properly organise ourselves, especially as it was a two day move, and we were booked to go on holiday on the following Sat­ urday. The net result of all this was that my office was effectively closed for something over five weeks whilst it was dismantled, and then completely reassembled in a room half the size of the original. No doubt many members were beginning to wonder w11at had hap­ pened. My apologies to all of you who had to wait an eternity for a response of a sort from me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank John and Audrey Addis who for the last couple of years have helped me 'sttlff' KM and get it ready for posting. John has become so enthused by this experience, that he has now taken on the role as Secretary of the East Anglian Branch, and has organised some interesting meet­ ings. My thanks to John, and I wish him every success with the East Anglian Knot Tyers. Perhaps there is a member not too far from Uckfield, (conveniently situated on the A22), who might have a little time to spare, and would like to join Sylvia and me for an evening of 'stuffing'.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 5 A point to note for the West Country knotters, is that Mrs. Maria Venn, 49 Bush Avenue, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS12 6NE, tele­ phone 0117 9315847 (answer machine too) has now taken on the role as secretary of that branch, Richard Hopkins no\\' being the treasurer. One of our members has an interest in string stories~ and mnemon­ ics. If anyone knows of any, such as the rabbit running round he tree, and back down the hole, please let me know so that \'le can pass them on. Just a reminder to those splendid members who pay their subs by Bankers Order. As you know, the subs will be going up in Janu­ ary, and it will be necessary to change your Standing Order. I shall be sending out a revised form, (together with a Deed of Covenant form for those UK taxpayers who have not yet filled one in) ,in time for the end of the year. If their is anyone else who would like to pay their subs by Standing Order, please ask me for a form. Just a little news about 'The Knot Book'. The publishers have ad­ vised me that this is currently out of print, but will reappear to­ wards the end of the year in a slightly enlarged, and no doubt more expensive edition. I have no stocks left of the existing edition, you will have to be patient until then. Those who have an interest in Turks Heads should note that Har­ old Scott has recently published a fascinating book on Cruciform Turks Heads, which is a must for the connoisseur. See the inside cover of KM for details of this and all the other Guild Supplies. I must stop now, or this won't be a brief note after all. I hope to see many of you in Liverpool. Best wishes - Nigel - please note my new address 16 Egles Drove, Uckfield, TN22 2BY Telephone 01825 760 425

6 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 entity with a Board of Directors and so on. The result was tl1at I, the undersigned, undertook to by Olof Nystroem act as kind of a Communication Somerled Karlsson having Center for the Swedish mem­ initiated the first meeting of the bers. Guild's Swedish Branch, 9 Des demonstrated the making members and 2 guests met on of environment-friendly fenders Saturday July 5, 1997 at the of a convincing beauty. National Maritime Museum in A very impressing visit fol­ Stockholm. We started by lowed in the rope-makers work­ studying and admiring David shop of Pille Repmakare in the Davenport's impressing collec­ Square-sailors' House at tion of knots and other marlin Skeppsholmen. spike seamanship, displayed for Gunnar Fagerlind guided us a long time in the Museum's during a visit onboard the af premises. Chapmen, former school-ship of Special honorary guests were the Royal Swedish Navy, now a Liz and Des Pawson, who had youth hostel and restaurant. As spent some time cruising in the a boy Gunnat was once trained Swedish waters with Sten Jo­ on board the ship as a member hansson in his sailing boat. of the naval rating's preparatory The meeting being the first school. general gathering of the Swed­ Next day, Sunday 6, we went ish members a prime issue was to Elmsta, north of Stockhom, of course getting acquainted. Situatedin Roslagen, a former This was quickly done, thanks center of coastal shipping. to the somewhat odd fascination There is a very interesting and tying us together. very well arranged Museum, We enjoyed a very interesting concentrating on ship-building, guided tour through the mu­ locally-based shipping, fishing, seum and then had some formal sail and rope-making, manufac­ proceedings regarding the turing of steam engines, marine Branch's future activities. We motors, the navigation tech­ abstained from forming a legal niques and much more. KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 7 The gathering was blessed ons mate who actually holds the with formidably sunny weather. bell rope to ring the bell; on two Pille was greatly impressive counts, one the shackle will wearing a basket -cap with a permit a bend like an elbow built-in fan, powered by a solar between the rope and the clap­ panel on the top. The Branch per giving an ad hoc number of intends to meet annually. Fur­ rings, and a thick war when the ther information from; 'officer of the watch' catches up OLAF NYSTROEM later. Two, bosons mates have FLODAVAGEN 12 dirty hands. S-16776 BROMMA 2. 'CHURCH' BELL ROPES SWEDEN are long ropes from the belfry to E-mail:[email protected] the bell ringing chamber - for whom the bell tolls. I hear rural bell ringers are well versed at beer drinking too. Ashley #3487 explains the making of a bell rope Sally for those who are from: Ken Yalden interested. BELL PULLS? 3. BELL PULLS come from Pull the other one Ed. What 'upstairs and downstairs' days, you saw a T.S. Blake really when those who wished to were bell ropes. Please may I summon a servant from down­ explain. stairs to the upstairs, pulled the 1. 'SHIPS' BELL ROPES ­ 'bell pull', a cord running from are the shortest designated rope the bell box, with indicators, in on a ship - other ropes that the kitchen downstairs to a come to mind, man ropes and decorative tape or strap bolt ropes, to name but two. A (upstairs). The puller always ships bell rope is the short lan­ had clean hands, because it was yard, traditionally very decora­ the servant who put the knobs tive and only one and a half of coal on the fore. In another times the diameter of the bell in lif~, I was in the little room next length, joined to the clapper by to the kitchen with boot black­ a shackle. Woe betide any bos- ing up to my elbows. (this an- 8 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 swers a lot of questions Ken, with a Guild tie knotted per­ Ed.). fectly (with running knot motif) 4. LIGHT PULLS hang from and lengths of coloured string the ceiling and turn· the light on draped around the neck for and off when pulled. If your quick access. Turks Head hands are dirty it is up to you; bracelets or woggles. Females but if you have wet hands you may wear earrings made of a are safe from electric shock. I series of knots that form a have two light pulls, one from miniature bellrope. Leading Ann Norman (well I have three, Lights : Professor Vaughan Ken, Ed.), and one from Glad lones who uses knotting in Findley (ok, I don't have one of maths to unravel the basis of them yet, Ed). DNA; Harry Asher (uncle of 5. MILLENNIUM BELL lane); Erik Franklin, knotting ROPES, read the "Inter Knot columnist for the Scout Asso­ 2000 and Beyond" notes, when ciation's magazine. they come out. Distinguishing Features: (It's about time someone caught Long pieces of string, or other one of my 'DELIBERATE yarn, draped fashionably about MISTAKES'. I make enough of their person, one end with a se­ them. Ed) ries of amusing half-started ~~~ knots. Best Club Joke: "Are ANORAKS! ! you a piece of string? No I'm a Paraphrased from a recent frayed knot!" Er ... newspaper article; 'Anorak: A club you should be seen at.' The mission of the IGKT is to evangelise the art, craft and sci­ ence of knotting: and to chart the thousands of knots. The perks are meeting other strange people and getting knotted in ones and two's as well as in groups. The dress is off-duty scoutmaster. Anoraks or blazers KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 9 took just 8.1 seconds! This is quite quick. You try it. Details of the timing technique used by Richard C. Hopkins and arrangement of the cords Bristol, England seem to be no longer available. The purpose of this article is to I had read of the challenge in explain the rig I use for the Six KM but first met it in the flesh Knot Challenge, tell you how I at a three day meeting at Farn­ arrived at my present set up, ham a few years ago when I was how it is operated and ask for persuaded by Ken Yalden to suggestions to improve it. help run his rig. It was a busy Over the years, much has time as some Sea Cadets were been mentioned about the Six very competitive and returned Knot Challenge and the way in time after time in an attempt to which the record in the Guin­ become the local champion. ness Book of Records was When I returned home I set up achieved. According to our New my own rig on a similar lay-out Zealand Branch, a four knot and later operated in parallel version has been introduced with Ken at the Tall Ships Race there and I have discussed the in 1994, running a competition set-up with many people from between the ships crews. This various places around the world. also was hard work but brought For new members, the chal­ a fastest time of 16.5 seconds lenge consists of tying the six and also a blindfold time of 18 basic Boy Scout knots, using six seconds. different cords, as fast as you The Challenge is a good com­ can against the clock. The knots petition and if the audience is are reef knot, sheet bend, sheep­ suitably minded it can be quite shank, clove hitch, bowline and exciting. however at most of the round turn and two half hitches. events I have attended, people According to the Guinness are reluctant to try to "beat the Book of Records the fastest clock" because they feel that time was achieved by Clinton their time will be embarrass­ R. Bailey Snr., of Pacific City, ingly far from the Guinness Oregon on 13th April 1977. He time. 10 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 This is where it becomes hard when the rest of the show was work. The rig acts as a great under cover. eye-catcher and is excellent to Now for detail about the rig. draw the passers-by towards the The illustration will, I hope, display, it requires determined explain any awkward parts of effort to attract a "victim". the text. Any distortion in the When one person is standing picture is caused by the angle at still and listening to you, or which the original photo was asking a queston, they act as a taken, from which I traced the magnet to others and a small drawing, you can tell that I am crowd can collect to hear all no artist. It may be of interest to about the Guild and try to tie a know that the whole rig, dis­ few knots. It helps to be able to mantled, fits in the boot of my give a length of cord to custom­ car, except for the long pipes ers to take away "for practice". which go beside the passenger It need only be cheap stuff but seat. acts as reinforcement to what The basis of the rig is a Black they have been told about the and Decker Workmate but Guild, especially when this may anything sturdy can be used. In be the only "hands-on" exhibit the vice jaws I have a piece of 4 in the show (as was the case at inch by 2 inch timber, four feet Bristol last year) and thus they long. near each end is a hole can gain a sense of achievement sized to accommodate plastic at mastering a knot that has water pipes (1 1/4 inch). These eluded them for many years. are a tight fit and are spaced to This is frequently the bowline. come outside the jaws of the The Challenge will not, in Workmate. most cases, act as a stand alone These plastic pipes are about item (unless the crowd are al­ six feet long and go down to the ready knotters) but is perfect to ground where they fit into tight draw people in to the rest of a holes in another piece of wood display. Perhaps this is why I (4 x 1 inch). The tops of the found myself stationed outside a pipes are joined by another tent in the rain at Penzance piece of the same size pipe us­ ing push-on right angle bends.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 11 The rectangle thus formed is My six Challenge cords are fairly rigid. six feet long of a soft braided At a convenient height, about nylon around 8 or 9 mm diame­ five feet from the floor, a four ter, although Ken uses a rather inch long eyebolt goes through stiffer, thinner cord. Almost any each upright pipe. They stop the reasonable cord can be used but cross rope from sliding down the cheaper laid ones tend to the pipes and the projecting bolt come apart. The ends are cut shaft provides a place for a with a hot knife and thus sealed. clove hitch when made by flip­ In addition I keep a few spare ping two loops. The shaft is cords, as it is not unknown for a covered with a bit of plastic cord to disappear when the tube to prevent the exposed stand is busy. One or two 9 foot thread from cutting the cords. lengths are also handy for some The laid cross rope is one inch demonstration, especially the diameter and has an eye splice one handed bowline around my at each end made to fit fairly waist. (And, No, I am not that tightly between the uprights. fat.) Some slack can be taken up by Along the length of the wood, twisting the rope but it is best to underneath the cross rope but get the eyes in the correct posi­ not shown in the drawing to tion at the start. Possibly this prevent clutter, I have a picture rope could be removed and the of each of the six knots, drawn top bar lowered using shorter in waterproof ink and laminated side pipes but it feels good and in plastic, with their names in emphasises the rope work English, German and French. theme. The knots are shown loosely For my own convenience I tied, i.e., not pulled tight, to aid have clamped a piece of ply­ the memories of contestants and wood (using G-clamps) to the act as a guide when showing back shelf of the Workmate to beginners what to do. The pic­ extend the space available. The tures are then taped to the 4x2 stopclock and holders for pub­ as they will otherwise get licity brochures stand on here in knocked off by the rope ends or relative safety. even taken as souvrenirs. 12 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 Finally, there is a score board ing your best efforts at com­ with space to add the name of munication and explanation in­ the best performer of the show, dicates comprehension. It seems and the time achieved. China­ to work, and when they subse­ graph pencil or a dry wipe pen quently practice, they form the is useful as the time will focus for the next group of probably need to be changed passers-by, who can then be several times if there is a com­ persuaded to stop, listen and petitive spirit present. learn. Pictures of the knots are Useful additions to the spares shown on the scoreboard as crate are boiled sweets or throat people often look at this before lozenges and a supply of soft making an effort to approach drinks or coffee, although if you the stand. As can be seen my have a good crowd, there may scoreboard fits under the front not be time to drink very much , bar of the Workmate, thus giv­ as you are talking for most of ing concealment to the small the day. However, listening to crate in which the various com­ the "customers" is essential, be­ ponents and spares are carried cause even though you hear the and which fits beneath the stand same problem, or joke or when in operation. A large memories of the Guides, Scouts, plastic bag protects the contents Navy etc., time after time, oc­ from the rain, sand and dust. casionally you hear a little gem You will notice that I have or learn a new technique that added a ringbolt at each end of makes the day stand out in your the main crossbar and a small memory. pin or bollard . These have been Obviously a stopwatch or provided to make it easier to stopclock is required and if the demonstrate other knots. Fre­ challenge is likely to approach quently I have been asked about the record, two independant mooring small boats, and it is timekeepers will be needed. much easier to demonstrate on Further details of the rules can something that looks familiar to be obtained from the Guinness the questioner, rather than hope Book of Records if you decide that the blank expression greet- to make a serious attempt at the KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 13 title. I use a stopclock because Now for the operation of the everyone can see what is hap­ Challenge. This is my own way pening, and also because stop­ of working, based on Ken Yal­ watches always break down on den's systenl and seems to work me, especially the electronic effectively. Tie the six knots in variety. the six cords as quickly as pos­ Other items for the crate in­ sible. There are no hard and fast clude note book and pen or rules. Practice is a great help pencil, Guild publicity bro­ and is useful for each contestant chures, give away lengths of to work out how they want to cord, tissues to wipe the china­ position the cords. graph off, and even a copy of It has been found that if the the Guinness Book of Records challenge cord is middled and to show doubting customers. tied over the cross rope, (as on Old copies can be found very the extreme left cord in the il­ cheaply at charity shops or car­ lustration) the ends may be boot sales. Only post 1977 edi- grabbed quickly without fum­ bling, and time can thus be saved when tying the reef knot and the sheetbend. For the sheetbend it may be easier to have the ends of different length but personal preference will show at the practice sessions. A cord tied to the top bar and hanging down, possibly with the end on the 4x2 or the bench top, can speed the bowline, while there is no objection to a cord already resting across the cross-rope before starting the round turn and two half hitches. The clove hitch can be formed around the cross rope, in which case it starts by resting across 14 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 the rope, or it may be dropped The clock is started as the over the bollard pin or a project­ competitor makes the first ing end of the eye bolts in the move, although the ends of the pipes when it could start or be cords can be in the hands, and it resting anywhere convenient. is stopped as the last knot is The sheepshank may be tied completed. When pressure is in different ways and the layout tense I turn the clock away fron1 for each is different but a fast the competitor to prevent dis­ method using the idea of the traction. It is sometimes con­ truckers dolly knot will benefit cealed from the audience if they from one end of the cord being become too vocal in support or fixed to the top bar as with the detraction from the competitor bowline. who must always be given The competitors do not have every encouragement. to use the rig, and can tie knots Finished knots may be in their hands rather than hang dropped on completion, they cords from the cross rope if that need not be placed down before is how they feel most comfort­ grabbing the next cord. This able. applies mainly when knots are For the puposes of the com­ tied in hand and especially for petition only, I do not insist on , long enough ends to prevent things coming undone under strain, although it is best if the knot holds together until the end of the challenge attempt. Every attempt is made to help competitors, none of whom would ever consider cheating, but careful control must be in evidence to prevent creative re­ duction of the challenge time, such as pre-forming loops for the clove hitch or sheepshank. the sheepshank which IS often left until last.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 15 clock while you s110w them how As mentioned earlier, it can be to do it. A gift of the gab is use­ hard work running this chal­ ful to attract customers, but es­ lenge, both in attracting the at­ sential when making excuses. tention of passers-by and in It is not unusual for someone dealing with the questions that to start at 90 seconds and rap­ are asked. It helps to know more idly (after only 2 or 3 attempts) than one way to tie each of the to have reduced their time to knots, several uses for each one about -30 seconds. This is when and wide ranging, if sketchy, the tension mounts, and the knowledge of several different excitement builds up as seconds aspects of knotting as you will are pared from the score. This be asked questions that cover can also be the time that some­ almost every use of cordage. one takes one of the cords "to Inevitably you will be asked show my wife how to tie up the what your best time is. It is use­ boat" and your attention must ful to have a reasonable answer, cover the whole crowd as well but you can always say that you as focusing on the clock. A sec­ have been too busy to attempt it ond helper can be a godsend. A yourself. large number of information ~ brochures can be handed out each day so the Challenge is a good and enjoyable way to spread the word about the Guild. Although I do not charge, comments from members of the public suggest that if run on competitive lines, at say, ZOp a go, the challenge Then you have to be able to could be a useful fund-raiser put off offers to operate the 16 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 that is not expensive to con­ the helpful ones anyway). If you struct. The workmate can revert can suggest alterations or de­ to do-it-yourself when not on velopments to beat the record or duty. make the rig a more versatile In conclusion, I would like to teaching tool, I would be de­ remind you all that there is no lighted to hear from you. copyright on the rig shown, I hope that this article will thoughts expressed are my own have explained the idea of the views and although this system Six Knot Challenge and will works well for me you may help those wishing to set up a wish to adapt it. Thanks are due challenge for their own to Ken Yalden for giving me the branches, wherever they are In idea and to countless contest­ the world. ants for their comments, (well,

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 17 MAST DROPPER (Whores Knot or Donkeys C--k) The common name of the Mast by Mr. Alf Langford Dropper becomes apparent from, First let me say that there is it's appearance. It looks like a no "DECORATIVE" rope work large bell rope but with a knob on a canal narrow boat. All rope instead of a tassle. work on the narrow boat has a The Mast Dropper hangs on the practical purpose, with one ex­ mast box which houses the ad­ ception, "The Swans Kneck" justable mast, facing the stem. which I will explain in my last It's purpose being, should the paragraph. Mast Box break free, we are led The boats (not Barges) usually to believe, it would fall towards work in pairs, a motorized boat the stem, and the mast dropper (the motor) towing a dumb boat acts as a fender, protecting the (the butty) and both of them bright paintwork on the Mast have rope work made from Box. white cotton rope on them. SIDE STRINGS (Can or The following paragraphs Chimney Strings) explain the practical uses of the These are simply made from a rope work. length of boatline, which is CRATCH ROPES crowned back at both ends for At the forend of both boats is about 18". the cratch, a tent like structure The purpose is to protect the slotted together from wooden cabin side. The fresh water cans slats, covered with canvas and sit on the cabin top in front of the the whole held rigid by 2 or 3 chimney The can strings are fas­ ropes passed back and forth tened to the cabin top and passed over the top. The end is then through and around the can han­ coiled into a small wheel and dles, it is then draped over the tucked under itself. side. If the ,chimney or cans get dis­ lodged they would (we hope) fall on the strings and not the cabin 18 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 / Looby (Towing Stud) Canal Motor &Butty Forend

Mast -Mast Dropper" Top ~lank --Head Board Mast Cratch- Box

II II I I II II I I II sides. They also provide a secu­ have to be taken out and placed rity feature by preventing the on the cabin top when working cans from being lost. through a lock. The cabin top of REMOVABLE TILLERS a well kept boat was usually Both the motor and the butty grained and clear varnished. tiller have turks heads worked The Turks Heads acted as fend­ around them at intervals. ers' to protect the polished sur­ the purpose being, both tillers face.

Tall Pipe

o ide Strings --

Hull

Canal Motor Boad Stern

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 19 THE BUTTY RUDDER The purpose of the Tingle This has more white rope Fender is obvious that it pro­ work than anywhere else on the tects the back edge of the rudder boat. There are three and five blade. part Turks Heads and Frapping The Turks Heads need more Turns. The Rudder Post (Rams explanation. When working nar­ Head) has a Turks Head as close row locks, the rudder is pulled to the top as possible. around to lie along side the The Tingles (wooden blocks stern, this throws the top of the on the rudder blade) have either Rams Head back and if the boat frapping turns or a three part surges it would strike the gate. turks head, with the ends turned The Turks Head acts as a fender in a wheel and tucked under, to absorb the blow. and a small fender usually a five The Turks Head or frapping part Turks Head worked into a turns on the Tingles act as ball is placed on the tingles. chafing gear between the rudder blade and the side of the boat.

Turksheads Chimney Tiller Swans Kneck Rams Head

Tingle Fender~~11bfC Canal Butty Boat Stern Turks Head

20 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 THE SWANS NECK I like to think is the correct ver­ I have never managed to find sion is:- when canal transport a practical reason why this rope first started, the boatmen lived work came about, despite many on the bank and like other enquiries, I have however for­ country people they had corn mulated theories of my own, I dollies to keep away any bad must stress that my ideas are spirits. I think that when they theory not fact. moved onto the boats they took My first theory is that a metal their corn dollies with them, and or wooden stay to strengthen a that this developed into the rudder was covered in rope. To Swans Neck. This is just gues­ be a decorative feature. sology and I could be com­ My second theory and the one pletely wrong.

A motor and butty being enjoyed by holiday makers.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 21 by Jesse Coleman,Alabama, USA. Many books on knots state that in order to tie a turks head knot, the number of bights and the number of leads must be relatively prime. That is, these FiOu~e 1 two numbers must have no common divisors. Ashley called knot. Erase the lines, represent­ this the "Law of the Common ing the outer part of the outer Divisor" and wrote that this bights, shown by the arrows in applies to TH knots tied using figure 1. Extend the lines, pre­ only one cord. serving the over-under pattern We will examine how many as shown in figure 2. cords are required to tie a TH knot with any number of bights and leads. All you'll need is some paper and a pencil with an eraser. We'll illustrate drawing TH knots with 4 bights and 2 or more leads. Start with a square, extend the lines past the cor­ ners, choose an over-under pat­ tern and join the lines, as shown in figure 1. This is a drawing of a 4Bx2L TH knot and it requires 2 cords If the lines are joined (figure 3) to tie. Now we extend this we have a drawing of a 4Bx3L 4Bx2L TH into a 4Bx3L TH 22 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 TH knot that requires only 1 4Bx4L TH that requires 4 cords cord to tie. to tie. This process can be extended until your paper or patience run out. Figure 5 is a 4BxSL TH knot that requires 1 cord to tie.

Returning to figure 2, the lines ~;~o..t'e may be extended once more S- (figure 4) Figure 6 is a 4Bx6L TH knot that requires 2 cords to tie. Feel free to add more leads if you want to draw them. After each lead is added, follow the lines and see how many separate

F;~ (..lre 4 If they are closed into bights then we have a drawing for a

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 23 cords are needed to tie that par­ 9Bx6L TH knot and also a 6Bx9L ticular TH knot. TH knot. Start with a square if you want Suppose we wish to tie a to make TH knots with 4 bights. 4BxSL TH knot. The Law of the You could start with a 2 sided fig­ Comn10n Divisor says that this ure for TH knots with 2 bights. may be tied using one cord. The After the first extension, this factors of four are 1,2 and 4. The would resemble Ashley's figure' factors of five are 1 and 5. The 2203. Or you could start with a largest number in both sets of figure with any number of equal numbers (1,2,4) and (1.5) is 1. sides. The number of sides of this Therefore a 4Bx5L TH knot may initial figure will be the number of be tied using only one cord. Thus. bights in the resulting TH knots. the Law of the Common Divisor is The number of leads may be in­ a special case of the Rule of the creased without limit using this Greatest Common Factor. method. Multiple cord TH knots are Having made many such very attractive when tied in cords drawings, I arrived at this rule: of contrasting colours. The differ­ The number of separate cords re­ ent colour patterns spiral along the quired to tie a turks head knot with length of the TH knot in a "barber B bights and L leads is the greatest pole" fashion. common divisor of Band L. Let's In a table printed just after his call this the Rule of the Greatest knot number 1314, Ashley' listed Common Divisor. all combinations of bights and So what's a divisor and what's leads that are possible for a TH a greatest common divisor. Sup­ knot tied with one cord for knots pose we wish to tie a 9Bx6L TH with not more than 24 bights and knot. Nine can be divided by the not more than 40 leads. In the at­ whole numbers 1,3 and 9. So that tached table, I list the number of the integer factors of 9 are 1, 3 and cords required to tie TH knots that 9. That is, 1 X 9 = 9 and 3 X 3 = have not more than 24 bights and 9. Six has factors 1, 2, 3 and 6. 40 leads. For each entry in this The largest number in both of the table that is greater than one. two sets of numbers (1,3,9) and Ashley placed an X in the corre­ (1,2,3,6) is 3. Therefore 3 is the sponding position, indicating that greatest common factor of 6 and 9. the knot could not be tied \vith one Thus, 3 cords are required to tie a cord.

24 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 The Number of Separate Cords Needed to Tie Turks Head Knots of Not More Than 24 Bights (Columns) and 40 Leads (Rows)

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 4 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 5 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 6 2 3 2 1 6 1 2 3 2 1 6 1 2 3 2 1 6 1 2 3 2 1 6 7 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 8 2 1 4 1 2 1 8 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 8 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 8 9 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 9 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 9 1 1 3 1 1 3 10 2 1 2 5 2 1 2 1 10 1 2 1 2 5 2 1 2 1 10 1 2 1 2 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 12 2 3 4 1 6 1 4 3 2 1 12 1 2 3 4 1 6 1 4 3 2 1 12 13 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 13 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 14 2 1 2 1 2 7 2 1 2 1 2 1 14 1 2 1 2 1 2 7 2 1 2 15 1 3 1 5 3 1 1 3 5 1 3 1 1 15 1 1 3 1 5 3 1 1 3 16 2 1 4 1 2 1 8 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 16 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 8 17 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 17 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 18 2 3 2 1 6 1 2 9 2 1 6 1 2 3 2 1 18 1 2 3 2 1 6 19 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 19 1 1 1 1 1 20 2 1 4 5 2 1 4 1 10 1 4 1 2 5 4 1 2 1 20 1 2 1 4 21 1 3 1 1 3 7 1 3 1 1 3 1 7 3 1 1 3 1 1 21 1 1 3 22 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 11 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 22 1 2 23 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 23 1 24 2 3 4 1 6 1 8 3 2 1 12 1 2 3 8 1 6 1 4 3 2 1 24 25 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 26 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 13 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 27 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 9 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 9 1 1 3 1 1 3 28 2 1 4 1 2 7 4 1 2 1 4 1 14 1 4 1 2 1 4 7 2 1 4 29 1 1 1 1. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 30 2 3 2 5 6 1 2 3 10 1 6 1 2 15 2 1 6 1 10 3 2 1 6 31 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 32 2 1 4 1 2 1 8 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 16 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 8 33 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 11 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 11 1 3 34 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 17 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 35 1 1 1 5 1 7 1 1 5 1 1 1 7 5 1 1 1 1 5 7 1 1 1 36 2 3 4 1 6 1 4 9 2 1 12 1 2 3 4 1 18 1 4 3 2 1 12 37 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 38 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 19 2 1 2 1 2 39 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 13 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 40 2 1 4 5 2 1 8 1 10 1 4 1 2 5 8 1 2 1 20 1 2 1 8

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 25 Cylindrical Chains1

In my last article HT~e old art ofrope 'fvork and lnodern signal processing" I di~­ cussed the relationship between Lissajous figures, rope ll1ats and signal analysis. In this article I will discuss how these methods can be used on 3-dimensional knots 2 and L~ylindrical chains .

Cylindrical Turk's Head chain I have in my last article showed how a rectangular mat is equivalent with a two dimensional Lissajous figure.

Figure 1 Rectangular mat realised with rope (left). Same mat simulated on a computer (right)

A rectangular mat can be simulated on a computer by two cosine function. The number of bight along the two sides shows the ratio between the two frequencies involved.

(1)

(2)

A are the amplitudes,fthe frequencies and cp the phases. For the rectangular 111at in areJ~. Figure 1 the frequency values = 2 and./Y=3.

1. Author: Nils Kristian Rossing, Bromstadekra 11 B, 7046 Trondheinl. ~orway, e-mail: [email protected] 2. In this article I have consistently used the tenn "Cylindric Chain" of models made hy nl~. However a nlore official nan1e would be "C'ylindric braids",

26 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 We can now introduce a third harmonic function in the z-direction. This gives us a 3-dimensional mat or knot. It is not surprising that this gives a Turk's Head knot.

Figure 2 shows some examples fetched from Kaj Lund's book: HTovrerks kunsf·.

Figure 2 Three 3-strand Turk's Head (Kaj Lund)

Turk's Head can be simulated by means of the following equations: (3)

(4)

(5)

For the Turk's Head in Figure 2 the three frequencies areft =4,/)' =4 and/z==3.

Figure 3 Stereoscopic view of a 4-strand Turk's Head with 3 bights

To obtain a cylindrical knot,ft had to be equal with /v which also is the number of strands andj~ gives the number of bights. In the same" way it is possible to simulate a Turk's Head of any strand and number of bights.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 27 A more suitable way of representing the knot when it shall be realised with rope is to fold it out as shown in Figure 4.

-----~-~------(- ~; '------~--_.---

TIle knot is folded around The cylinder is being the surface of a cylinder folded out

I~_ _~ --______~ ~_____ ~E.- 'T') 1 1 --'><~ . ---::x::------.><:...... H I .~ 3 -~'- '~~" __ ~/ "'-~ / -~.,~, ~/ '''7~~:-<:~~~-:;>:::~:_~----_.----~>:;.2-',- ./ 15 4 The unfolded cylinder with the trace of the knot

f"'igure 4 Unfolding the pattern is a more suitable way of representing the simulated knot

The unfolded sinlulated pattern shown in Figure 4 is suitable as a tenlplate fl)r nlak­ ing the real knot. By scaling the pattern it can be fitted to a suitable cylinder as shown in Figure 5.

Template sheet

Figure 5 Template sheet is folded around a suitable object

The Turk~s I-Iead can be looked at as a Turk~s Head rosette which is folded up {r(nn its original 2-dimensional shape to a 3-dimensional shape.

28 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 'Ihis is illustrated in Figure 6 below.

Turk's Head Turk's Head Turk's Head Rosette HBaskef' Knob

Unfolded Turk's Head Knob

Figure 6 The Turk's Head Rosette folded up to a Turk's Head Knob

An interesting question is if a Simple Eye rosette can undergo an equivalent transformation.

Simple Cylindric Eye chain

A Cylindric chain is a braid surrounding a cylindrical body. In my terminology every cylindrical chain consists of one or more basic ~figures. Each figure linked together with the next one, winding up around the cylindric body.

Figure 7 The Simple Eye rosette and the rosette bask figure.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 29 ! However, the basic figure sho\\'11 in Figure 7 ll1akes a chain (or braid) which is not , sylnmetrical. Therefore, I will ll10dify the lower part of the basic figure. The n:sult­ : ing basic figure is shown in Figure 8. I

C~-~+----~ )

.--igure 8 a) ~lodified basic figure of the Simple f~ye rosette and b) basic figure wrapped around the cylindric body

! We can now wrap this basic figure around a cylindric body as shown in Figure X : h). However. wrapping one basic figure around the cylinder is not very exiting. If we shrink the basic figure in its longitudinal direction, the figure will not reach total around the cylinder. We can, however, add 1110re hasic figures until we reach the first one. If we shrink the basic figure length to 2/3 of the cylinder circumfer- r : ence, we need 4 basic figures tn reach to the heginning of the first figure. To get a better in1pression of the chain we can split up the cylinder and unfold it as shown : in Figure 9. z, ;--~ ------r------

~ IZ I ~ u Zo "----~+--

_L/\ ..-:-.:_=.- .• ~ -'" 1t-:-:-.-==--=~--="_"':"_-~ ... V 5/3n 2n er

.-'igure 9 Two basic figures linked together

: As we can ohserve from Figure 9 we need two more basic figures [0 reach hack td I the heginning of the first hasic figure. i To luake a total 111athematical description of the chain we can find the spectru111 uf

I the hasic figure. When we have found the spectrull1 of the hasic figure. we can gen­ : crate the curve descrihing the figure and we have got a tlHll tll ~xpcrin1ent visually : with this kind of 11lodels. I I

30 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 Figure 10 shows three variants of the Simple Cylindric Eye chain.

Figure 10 Three examples of Simple Cylindric Eye chains

Cylindric Twisted chain

The symmetrical basic figure for the Cylindric Twisted chain has its basis in the overhand knot and has its equivalent in the Twisted rosette.

10 -----r---

5 ---

o ~

-5 -

-10 --~~----~-~------'~~------'------~-~ o 2 3 4 5 6 7

Figure 11 Basic figure for the Cylindrical Twisted chain

By shrinking the basic figure~ linking several figures together and manipulating paran1eters of the basic figure, we can construct several different Twisted chains.

I

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 31 Figure 12 shows some exan1ples.

:Figure 12 rrhree example of the Cylindric Twisted chain

All the examples shown in this article can he realised by rope. The models can he

I expanded to the correct forlnat hy a copy machine with zoon1. Before fastening the lClnplate to a cylinder it is smart to mark the crossings (over/under).

[' Cylindrical .lens Kusk Jensens chain

p.p.a. Harrison luentions a cylindric braid hased on the Jens Kusk Jensens rosette in his bookI, 'The following figures are fetched from this book.

F~igure 13 The Cylindric Jens Kusk Jensens braid (Harrisun)

32 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 The basic figure of this braid is sho\vn in Figure 14.

10

5 -- 1

o L'_ - ~- \-,-- -- J '-- \ /'\ -5 - ---I I

-10 0 2 3 4 5 6 7

Figure 14 Basic figure of the Cylindric Jens Kusk Jensens chain lJsing several basic figures linked together we can construct some variants of this cylindric chain. Two exalnples are shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15 Two examples of the Cylindric Jens Kusk Jensen Chain

I hope these models will inspire you to realise some of them with rope. Up to now I have only realised one of these 1110dels, a Cylindric Twisted chain, in rope. A piece of cylindric wood. expanded polyester or cork would be suitable for fasten­ ing the template with needles. It is important that the template fits the cylinder exactly. I will recommend rope with a diametre of 4 - 6 mm doubled 3 or 4 times.

1. P.P.O Harrison, \-faster Mariner. "The Harrison Book of knots", Brown, Son & Ferguson, Ltd. 1964 - 199~.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 33 THE PREHISTORY OF KNOTS When, How and Why Knotting Might Have Started

Charles Warner, Australia, and Pieter van de Griend, Netherlands

PART 1: They Surely Must Have Had Knots

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES might have been developed, but we found that we were stuck for the words No one will ever know just when the with which to do this. So we first define first Reef Knot or Clove Hitch was tied, some words and usages to describe some unless someone invents a time machine. structures and processes in knotting. We Knots and the materials in which they go on to list a number of knots that need are made disintegrate very readily and do only a tuck or two to tie, so that they not form fossils. The oldest actual knots could have been made by anyone with a known are no more than ten thousand bit of cord or similar material in his or years old, though fragments of cordage her hands. have survived nearly twice as long. Yet Archaeological finds less than a few there is, as we shall see, good evidence thousand years old sometimes have for knotting much earlier than that. knotted cordage attached, but these knots We plan to present a series of arti­ and cords have rarely been described by cles on what we know or can reasonably archaeologists in any detail. We discuss guess about the development of knotting a few good reports that have been made up to the time when people first started and compare the knots tied with our to write about knots. earlier speculations. We start with the indirect archaeo­ Finally, we wonder why there are so logical evidence for the use of knots, many different knots around the world such as pendants with holes for suspen­ for very similar purposes, and what is sion, or the need for watercraft to travel meant when we talk of a 'new' knot. to places known to have been visited. We also discuss some of the hypotheses INDIRECT EVIDENCE FOR KNOTS that have been presented about the de­ velopment of the cognitive processes that The only evidence we have for the ac­ might have been needed to tie and use tivities of the very early hun1ans and knots. their precursors consists of stones and We wanted next to speculate about bones; all other signs disintegrated long what the first real knots tied might have ago. Wooden tools were almost certainly looked like, and how and why they made and used long before stone tools

34 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 were invented, but the earlier ones have there are no fossils of either words or all rotted away long ago. Skeletons show knots, and we must rely on much the us how big their owners were, how they same indirect archaeological evidence. In walked, how much manual dexterity they the studies that follow, we have not tried might have had; skulls show us what sort to describe all the differences of opinion of food they ate, how large their brains about the interpretation of that evidence, were and just a little about brain anato­ but have selected those ideas that seem my, which can give an indication of to us easiest to apply to the development cognitive powers. Stone artefacts give us of knotting. more evidence on the manual dexterity In the rest of this article, it can be and planning skills of their makers, and taken that the archaeological finds are tell us something of their ecology. well-substantiated, though there are This evidence, together with what we sometimes some doubts about dates or know of modern apes and modern the exact species involved, but the inter­ humans, including those leading lives pretations are purely speculative, though similar in some respects to those of based on a lot of experimental research, ancient humans, allows us some idea of and may be accepted or rejected as you how tool use first developed and then wish. influenced and was influenced by chan­ ges in cognitive powers. The develop­ AUSTRALOPITH ECIN ES ment of knotting probably showed some con1n10n elements with that of stone Since at the present time all kinds of ape knapping. Both activities involve manual and all humans practice at least some dexterity and planning ahead and, at least elementary knotting, it seems reasonable in the more advanced stages, require to assume that our common ancestors some sort of mental template of the final and extinct links also made use of entan­ product; and both have little value in glements of some kind. Those links themselves, only as means to ends, the include the several species of Australo- stone tools to gather and prepare a pithecus perhaps 2.5 to 4 million years number of things, the knots and cordage ago and can be expected to have had to attach them to other things and use some knotting ability. Everything that we them in constructions. know about their anatomy and ecology There has been little study of the was ape-like, except that they walked cognitive powers needed for tying and upright. This bipedalism freed their applying knots, con1pared with the stud­ hands for carrying, probing and throw­ ies on the n1aking and using stone tools. ing, and eventually allowed adaptation to Many believe that tool use, intelligence tool making and using. and language share con1mon cognitive Thus, while the australopithecines and developmental bases, so that studies may well have tied knots no more so­ of the development of language have phisticated than those tied by modern relevance to that of knotting. Certainly, apes, it is quite possible that they tied

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 35 many more of them. Arthur C. Clarke in They made the so-called Oldowan 2001: a Space Odyssey (1968) wrote that stone tools, though there are suggestions the very first thing taught to the 'man­ that the typical chipped cores may have apes' by the crystal monolith from outer actually been discards after removal of space was a knot, long before stone the sharp flakes really wanted. There tools, fire or language, and this may well seemed no need for any mental template represent the time sequence of events of the finished tool, only the technique to even if not the cause. The australopith­ produce flakes. By analogy, they prob­ ecines quite likely started to incorporate ably knew no real knots, but were able knotting into their culture, making only to make crude entanglenlents with entanglements, ambushes, snares and vines or the like, the kinds of thing we perhaps traps, as well as carrying devices call conglomerates in the next article of to transport food, useful objects or their this series. infants who would otherwise have trou­ But the cobbles they chose to pro­ ble clinging to their upright parents. duce the flakes were often carried fronl The use of tools by apes is almost their source over considerable distances, always individual and solitary, whereas which seems to show some foresight; in all modern traditional human societies perhaps they used skin or bark contain­ it is predominately social and coopera­ ers, fastened with knotted creepers or tive. Perhaps apes lack the cognitive intestines or something. powers needed to cope with a division of Two activities have been attributed labour needed for large projects, or with to them which, if confirmed, would have the requirements of cooperative sharing. required knotting. A circle of stones at a Maybe the australopithecines were a little habitation site dated at some 2 million better able to share materials or activities years ago was at one time thought to than the apes. represent a shelter of skin-covered branches held in place by stones and HOMO HABILIS, THE HANDYMAN perhaps guys, but it is now thought more likely to be a purely natural association The first Homo species, Homo habilis, of rocks and stone tools. Many pebbles lived in Africa from about 2.5 to 1.6 have been found in several places, plain­ nlillion years ago. They had brains a 1y shaped into near spheres that were little bigger than their predecessors', and once thought to be stones for bolas their skulls showed that structures often swinging on the ends of some cordage, thought to be related to the ability to use which would have needed some fairly tools and acquire language, Broca's area sophisticated knotting, but they are now and neural laterisation, were fairly well believed to be mainly well-worn ham­ developed. There seems to have been a mer stones. significant amount of meat in their diet, and they may have had a more coopera­ tive society.

36 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 HOMO ERECTUS, THE UPRIGHT MAN years old show cut marks that have been interpreted as due to cutting a carcase to Homo erectus lived between 2.0 and 0.4 remove skin and tendons rather than million years ago, and was the first meat. It can be postulated that some of hominid to n1igrate beyond Africa and the hides, perhaps secured with the ten­ spread to Asia and Europe. Their brains dons, were used to transport tools or were significantly larger than for habilis, meat. An increased brain size probably and seem to have expanded gradually meant a prolonged period of infant de­ throughout their period. Their stone pendency, demanding increased parental tools, in the Acheulian tradition, were care. The upright stance meant that some n10re advanced than the Oldowan but sort of baby-carrier was probably need­ showed remarkably little change in ed, again perhaps provided by the skins design until near the end of their period. and tendons. So it appears that the expansion of the When the erectines appeared in brain had little relation to more sophisti­ northetn China perhaps 1.8 n1illion years cated tool use. Four alternative adapta­ ago and in glaciated Europe rather later, tions have been proposed: an increased they would have found a need for warm ability for aimed throwing; an increase in clothing and shelter such as would prob­ social intelligence, the ability to under­ ably have involved knots. stand, respond to and manipulate social If their culture was as conservative situations; an ability to cope with the and non-innovative as their stone tools widely different climatic, geographic and suggest, it is likely that their knots also biological environn1ents met as they showed little innovation throughout this spread throughout the Old World; and a long period. growing lexicon or store of words in a There is no evidence for such knot­ proto-language, thought by some to be a ted things as slings, snares, nets or syntax-free pidgin-like language without fishing lines until late in the Paleolithic, the profound symbol-manipulating qual­ less than 20 thousand years ago, but they ities of full language. would have left no traces and it is at The stone core-tools known as least possible that they were already in Acheulian hand-axes, that changed so use even by erectines. little in design for more than a million years, may still only represent discarded cores after production of the wanted LATE ERECTUS, EARLY SAPIENS flakes, but they show a regularity of design presun1ably due to better tech­ There is a period fron1 about 500 thou­ nique. The density of artefacts on the sand to perhaps 50 thousand years ago ground and the distances of caches from when there were several hominid species the sources of the stones increased, or subspecies present, son1e of then1 presun1ably due to improved carrying stages in the evolution of modern hu­ techniques. mans, others representing evolutionary Son1e fossil bones son1e 1.5 million dead-ends. They included late Homo

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 37 erectus, Neanderthals, early or 'archaic' Nice, and dated at around 380 thousand H. sapiens, and, for some taxonomists, years ago. If they did represent dwell­ others. During this period new forms of ings, they may well have required some stone tool and other artefacts gradually sort of cordage-like medium and knots appeared, some of them plainly requiring to help support the posts and attach the some sort of binding material and knots, hide or thatch roofing. At Bilzingsleben but it is not always possible to identify in Germany there are similar, somewhat the responsible species with certainty, so younger, sites and also a pointed lance in what follows we merely describe the thought to have been bound to a handle. artefact or other evidence of cognitive A wolf incisor and a triangular bone powers without allocating species. In any fragment fron1 a cave in Austria were case, none of the n1ajor changes in perforated as if to make pendants, re­ hominid culture is unequivocally related quiring a suspending knotted cord, some to the stages in physical evolution that 300 thousand years ago. we recognise. People must have been crossing These early hun1ans started using Sh011 stretches of water for a very long different kinds of stone for different time, over rivers or lakes or over the sea purposes: basalt handaxes were found to nearby islands. While it is possible to with limestone choppers at sites in Israel swim or cling to floating logs or vegeta­ some 500 thousand years old. At Schon­ tion for a few kilometres, anything ingen in Germany some 400 thousand­ longer would have needed watercraft of years old wooden spear shafts were some kind. These could have been rafts, almost miraculously preserved; they coracles, bundles of reeds, inflated skins showed signs of having been fitted with or canoes. All would have required fas­ stone points, the earliest evidence for tening with cordage and knots except hafting so far discovered; some sort of perhaps dugout canoes, but those are binding material i)fnvolving knots was unstable in open waters unless fitted with probably involved. It is not known when outriggers or twin hulls, which would large animals were first hunted, as dis­ have needed cordage. Evidence for such tinct from scavenged. Stone-bladed crossings is the presence of signs of spears, accurately aimed, would probably humans at places unreachable except have been needed to penetrate thick over water for all relevant periods. The hides. Some 100 thousand-years old earliest crossings that we know about are stone points show traces of resin appar­ to Flores in Indonesia perhaps 700 thou­ ently used for hafting, though some sand years ago, and to some Greek bindings were almost certainly used as islands around 100 thousand years ago. well. These crossings could have been less A series of post-holes and stones than 8-15 km during the periods of low arranged as if for a series of dwellings, sea-level during the Pleistocene, so we with occupational litter and hearths in­ cannot be sure watercraft were involved. side, were found at Terra Amata near Some parallel cut-marks on some

38 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 flat bones more than 100 thousand years may be due simply to the much lower old have been interpreted as made while likelihood of survival. cutting thongs from animal skins. Evidence for modern human anato­ Some presumed pendants from my appears a long time before evidence Neanderthal times (around 100 thousand for modem human behaviour. This may years ago) have no perforations but have been no more than an example of grooves presumably for attaching cord­ ordinary biological exaptation, where age; tight knots would have been structures evolve before the functions required, not just entanglements. they later perform; in the evolution of It is uncertain whether all the knots intelligence, a capacity often appears first postulated in this section were no more in a narrow context later becomes than entangled conglomerates, or whether extended to others. Or it may have been some real knots would have been tied. due to a need for accumulated know­ ledge, techniques and culture to reach a MODERN HUMANS threshhold before any dramatic innova­ tions could take place. Anatomically modern humans, Homo Many believe that the mutations that sapiens sapiens, appear to have evolved produced modem humans included chan­ in Africa possibly 150-200 thousand ges in the brain circuitry that controls years ago, and then gradually spread all structural language and accurate throwing over the world. They are known to have and hitting. Indeed, there is a hypothesis been in Israel before 90 thousand years that there is a common neural circuitry ago, in Europe before 40 thousand, in the for all of language, throwing, kicking Americas before 20 thousand, and in and dancing, planning ahead, insight, Australia before 60 thousand years ago. musical ability, novel manipulations and Recent reports of humans in Australia tool making and using-and that would more than 150 thousand years ago need include the tying and use of knots. confirmation both of date and of species. Language is often held to be a There appears to have been a long necessary (but maybe not sufficient) pre­ gap before there was any obvious change requisite for rapid radical technological in technology, and then there was an progress. This refers to full language explosion of innovation, most thoroughly with syntax which orders both words and studied in Europe. However, some or thoughts, believed by many to have a even all of this apparent explosion may biological, genetic, basis. An undevel­ have been due to taphonomic factors, the oped language would consist of only a fact that older specimens are inherently lexicon, a store of words used in a less likely to survive. Many artefacts pidgin-like proto-Ianguage, and would commonly assumed to have been first have a purely cultural basis. If there is a made by modern humans can in fact be genetic basis for syntax, and the evi­ found much earlier in the archaeological dence seems good, it must have arisen record; they are then rare, but the rarity before humans spread from their point of

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 39 origin, since it is found in the languages able to voyage to Australia and New of all known communities. Syntax is Guinea for settlement more than 60 needed to relate things to time and place, thousand years ago. They could not have and so to complex planning in such avoided at least one open-sea crossing things as advanced hunting and gathering approaching 90 km, so they must have strategies involving divisions of labour had reliable knots! They also moved to and communication of knowledge about New Ireland, and the presence there, animal behaviour, ecology, or seasonal some 20 thousand years ago, of many fluctuations. deep-sea fish bones in their middens In Europe, the coming of modern may be the earliest hint of the use of humans (Cro-Magnons) around 40 thou­ sails, since prolonged off-shore fishing sand years ago saw accelerating innova­ using only paddled craft seems very tion in tools, in techniques (ground and laborious, and the effects of wind on cut as well as flaked stone artefacts), in watercraft is very obvious. materials (bone, antler, ivory, wood, Elsewhere, knotting activity can be hide, horn, clay and ceramics as well as seen in many things. In Israel, there are heat-treated stone) and in products indications of the frequent use of fish (sewing needles, bows and arrows, spear nets some 19 thousand years ago; some throwers, detachable harpoon heads, fragments of twisted plant material may fishing tackle, fur and leather garments, represent some of the cordage used. nearly all of which involve knotting). Bows required well-made cordage and And there was the birth of representa­ reliable knots, arrows needed lashed-on tional art, formal burials with grave heads. Large arrowheads are difficult to goods, the use of tally marks, formal distinguish from small spearheads, but architecture (as in the mammoth-bone almost certain arrowheads are known huts), and perhaps shamanism. There fron1 at least 30 thousand years ago in was substantial cooperative hunting of Angola, and less certain ones from may­ big game animals. There was also accel­ be four times that age. erated social change, with large living Stone axe-heads, ground to a pre­ units, long-distance contacts and region­ determined shape obviously intended for al differences in culture. These things lashed-on hafts, are known from New imply strong social cohesion, efficient Guinea from 40 thousand years ago, language use, conceptual thought, ad­ from Australia from 32 thousand and vanced planning, and a culture open to from parts of Europe rather later at change. These properties would also around 10 thousand years ago. have allowed the development of real There are the remains over much of cordage and considerable repertoires of Europe of n1any tent-like and more advanced knots. elaborate dwellings, many of them In southeast Asia modern humans around 10 thousand years old but the occupied the shorelines and developed earliest were the mammoth-bone struc­ watercraft of considerable sophistication tures of 40 thousand years ago. It is

40 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 likely that these needed substantial lash­ animal is less than 10 thousand years ing and guying. old, but there are some portable engrav­ Beads as decorations proliferated; ings of horse heads dating from about 15 one grave in Russia some 25 thousand thousand years ago and marked as if years old contained more than 13 000 wearing harness, though that interpreta­ ivory beads and 250 perforated fox teeth, tion is not generally accepted. but there are numerous perforated beads and pendants from n1any places up to 35 CONCLUSIONS thousand years old, as well as smaller numbers much older.; some show micro­ Thus there is good indirect evidence for scopic wear marks from the suspending some knotting activity throughout the cords. hominid line, though certain evidence is Limestone, ivory and fired-clay lacking before about 400 thousand years figurines from many places and around ago. Knotting seems to have been a 30 thousand years old or younger show major activity for the last 40 thousand apparent belts, girdles, and harness-like years or so. There is indirect evidence straps, some clearly representing two or for the early existence of binding knots, three-strand twisted straps on, usually, lashings, hitches and bends; stopper female bodies. There is no clear repre­ knots and nooses are also likely, though sentation of knots, but there can be little there is no definite evidence. It is diffi­ doubt that knotting technology was ad­ cult to imagine what the first fixed loops vanced. Rock art from many places, would have been wanted for; certainly, some of it 20 thousand years old or they would have been useful with do­ more, show clothing or decorative or mesticated animals. sYIT1bolic attire. Headdresses, anklets and The use of knots for decorative or armlets are shown, and sometimes what symbolic purposes may well also be appear to be string bags. ancient, though there is very little In several of the decorated caves of evidence, direct or indirect. Cognitive Magdalenian times (10-20 thousand requirements for such applications are years old) there are post holes suggesting probably different in some respects, but that ladders or scaffolding could have they have been very little studied and been used for access to the cave and such knots will not be discussed in this while painting the art. In Lascaux cave, series of articles. about 17 thousand years old, there are even some 'fossilised' fragments of two­ ply laid rope, some 7 mm in dian1eter, I thank Robert Bednarik for his com­ perhaps from lashings or guys on the ments, calling attention to several very scaffolds. recent items of archaeological infor­ Cordage and knots find much use mation. with domesticated animals. The earliest evidence for the domestication of any

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 41 FURTHER READING Human Evolution, Cambridge University Press, 1993. The archaeological data are mostly R. Leakey The Origin of Humankind, taken from: C. Warner and R.G. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Lon­ Bednarik, 'Pleistocene Knotting' don. 1994. in l.C. Turner and P.v.d. Griend S. Mithen The Prehistory of the Mind, (eds) History and Science of Thames and Hudson, London. Knots, World Scientific, Singa- 1996. pore, 1996, which also gives a W. Noble and I. Davidson HUfnan full bibliography. Evolution, Language and J\;lind, Cambridge University Press. other reading in: 1996. K.D. Schick and N. Toth Mak­ D. Bickerton Language and Species, ing Silent Stones Speak University of Chicago Press, Weidenfels and Nicolson, 1990. K.R. Gibson and T. Ingold (eds) London, 1993. Tools, Language and Cognition in

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42 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 from Jesse Co"leman, Ala­ bama USA In KM 55, Brian Walsh showed how to tie a delightful 5 lead by 5 bight covering knot. To study it, I tied it in hand, .laid it flat and drew it (figure 1). I believe this is not a turks head knot. As illustrated by Ashley fig 2 and se many others, each cord leaving each bight on one end of a TH goes directly to a bight on the other end of the knot. Walsh's knot doesn't have this from R Wiseman, Scotland characteristic. I am writing to Knotting Mat­ It isn't obvious from figure ters to let members know about 1, but each end of the knot is a video I have been watching the same as the other end. for the past week and which has A drawing of a 5 bight by 5 made a tremendous difference lead TH knot is shown in figure to my knot tying. The video is 2. This knot is quite possible, called 'Knots Made Easy' by a but requires 5 separate cords to fellow Guild member Richard tie. Phelan. The video is well made, runs for 94 minutes and is well worth the £12.99 + postage and pack­ ing. The video is excellently set out and inside the video box cover there is a list of twenty

fig 1 three different kinds of knots showing you how to make boat

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 43 fenders, swan necks, mast drop­ Richard's address~ 8 pers, bell lanyards, key rings Teesdale Road, Slough, Berks and many more. SL2 1VD, ~ 01753 821546 Over the past twenty-seven years, as a fisherman, I have Ed: We found the video verv seen a few sea kit bags with interesting and easy to folio"· decorative ropework, but the too, well done Richard, and one I made after watching thank you Robert for )Tour 'Knots Made Easy' has put kind comments on KM, and them all to shame. Not only also any others who have does Richard show you how to commented favourably. tie the knots, he has also in­ ~~~ cluded a list of relevant books, where to purchase ropes and cords (Des & Liz Pawson) and from Robert M Wolfe, Illinois. how to prepare and paint some USA of your rope work. As someone In KM54 a note from Joe who has been struggling to Schnlidbauer was included make a Turkshead of any which he called Bowline on a length, I was amazed to see how Bight. This could also be called easy Richard made it on the 'Perfection Loop on a Bight". video. I feel that this video since that's what it is. would be a great assistance to The way of tying this \\"as many people, more so to the demonstrated by Keyin new menlbers. O'Sullivan in a video called I hope Mr Phelan will not be 'Teach Yourself Knots and Splices' from Bennett Nlarine too errlbarrassed by this letter of 1 praise, but I felt as it 11as made a Vide0 • He calls it Burnhanl·S tremendous difference to my Bowline, and he ties it as fol­ work, some other members lows: could also benefit from the 1 The address of Bennett t\larine is 730 Washington St, Marina Del Re:. video and it is great value for CA 90292 USA W (310) 821 3329. money. The video is superb for beginner~. but probably too elementary for most IGKT n1embers.

44 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 ~'l:'"._ '4 ~ f-. : .' _. - u .uf \ 1 Start with a small loop in the line as shown in fig 1 2 Make a second larger overhand loop overlapping the first loop (fig 2), then lift up the smaller loop and curl the working end under and around the smaller loop (fig 3). 3 Now pull the larger loop through the smaller (fig 4), and tighten the knot (fig 5). 'View 2' on p4 KM54 is the same as fig 5 below, just set up differently.

from Olof Nystrom, Stockholm son considers this knot to be- The article on a Bowline on a long to the simple, effective Bight by Joe Schmidbauer in bends, which, when they are KM54 was very interesting. I adequately used, reveal the pro- happened to know it before as a fessional. However, he calls it a very practical Bowline, but Standing Eye and says he has honestly I had overlooked that it never heard a name for it. was possible to make it on a I think Sam Svensson de- Bight. scribes an easier and more I had read about it in Captain handy way of making the knot Sam Sverlsson's Handbook than the Boatswain's Mate, in (Handbook in Sailor's work), which Joe Schmidbauer found Stockholm 1959. Sam Svens- it. As a matter of fact, it is not KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 45 necessary to have a surface as a base for the work. It is easy to make it, holding the rope in one hand and making it with the other hand. I enclose some sketches, showing the proce­ dure. The Ashley Book of Knots does not seem to include this knot, at least not in my edition from 1960. David Davenport, member of the Swedish Branch of IGKT, has arranged an im­ pressive knot exhibition in the Stockholm Marine Museum, . that I visited recently. I think ~ 11 \ one of the hundreds {thousands?} of knots, displayed I ---- \ I V V by David, is identical with the , ... ~ ....:;:" ... y Bowline on a Bight. He names ,p--~.. "' .... ~" .\,~ \'1'..1.. ", ~, :\: ,~ , it Angler's Bend. I tried to call him today to check this but he is abroad for some months.

from Tony Fisher FNZEI, New Zealand I want to thank the Guild for persevering with me. For the last three years I have been a Union Official and have not participated in Guild matters. You have continued to send me

46 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 'Knotting Matters' and friendly The indefatigable Roger Carter reminders. was there with a magnificent This period of my life has been IGKT display and a hands on traumatic. Our industrial scene set of knotting boards for all to here has gone back to the dark participate in. It was great to ages and for those of us in­ see him again and he invited me volved with the struggle to help to re-join the Guild. I explained our fellow unionists, the cost my financial situation and he has and is continuing to be high. said we can overcome that It nearly killed me. The stress somehow, but please come back was such that my doctor gave aboard! It's great to be back in me 6 months to live. I left that with the Guild again. scene in March last year and the I have offered to resume as the recovery has been slow. I will New Zealand Chapter Secretary be forever grateful to the Guild and will work with Roger to for not giving up on me. It may continue the interests of the be worth explaining to the Guild in these latitudes. The committee this situation that I following matters may be of was in. It is VERY IMPOR­ interest. TANT THAT WE MAINTAIN Gilwell Park I was thrilled to CONTACT WITH OUR see in KM 53 the report of the MEMBERS, even if they fail to AGM being held at Gilwell pay up. I am currently doing Park. As a member of the NZ odd jobs, relieving work and Contingent to JIM wtlich was financially things are difficult. I held at Sutton Coldfield in will pay my back dues as soon 1957, we were based at Gilwell, as I can afford it willingly and the real heart of Scouting. It will aim to pay this years subs was on this trip that I really by the end of March. started my knotting and rigging My return to active Guild work. I well remember John work happened about a month Thurman spending time with us, ago, when I was looking at the telling us of his interest in pio­ BT Global Challenge yacht fleet neering tec11niques in the use of whic11 has been in Wellington lashings to build structures. I for 6 weeks. Lo and behold! had already built (and lost) my

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 47 first bridge by then and knew going involvement there. \vith a what he was talking about. I scientific expedition (The pro­ also remember the beautiful tection of the Petrodroma ma­ Maori gateway to the campfire gentate, the Taiko) and am the site, it established for we Kiwis rigger in charge of the erection our right to be there. In this and maintenance of about 7 country we call it our Turanga­ masts used for telemetry track­ waewae (our place to stand). It ing of the birds. I enclose a is my hope one day to attend a Guild meeting in England and to revisit Gilwell. To those scouting Guild members; you will be interested to know that the survivors of that trip meet every four or five years and will be having our 40th year reunion at Nelson in May 1997. The New Millennium: men­ tion was also made on page 20 of KM53, about what could the Guild do about the new millen­ nium. Whether or not you settle for an HQ does not concern me here. I would personally hope that any funds the Guild has was spent on communications and supporting publications so photo of me atop one. that all members can share in the Guilds work. I have a sug­ I'm waving my Guild hac I gestion. The first place in the might add! I'm up there purely world to see the sun in the new because I forgot to put a stopper millennium is on the Chatham knot on the running end of a Islands. These islands are a re­ haulage line. With the inevita­ mote part of New Zealand, to ble consequence! I had to get on the east of us. I have an on- top and re-reeve it!

48 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 If there is support, I will get my mathematical astronomer friends at our National Cater Observatory to work out the Longitude times for various members from our list and ask other members who want to participate, to write to me with their locations. If they don't know them, we can work out the GMT times as near as pos­ sible. We would, however, need to know if their locations have Daylight Saving in operation then. I envisage a chain of knots being tied over the first 24 hours, linking us in being the first to knot in our own loca­ tions. Unfortunately, the very It even happens to old lags like first spot to see the light will be me. My idea is that at the on Pitt island, about 50 miles agreed time, that we decide it is from our scientific site, so I day break there, I tie an agreed may not be able to claim being knot (why not our symbol, the the first person to tie a knot at 3 lead, 4 bight Turkshead?) that time. That site is controlled which starts a chain of knot through a franchise deal with tying around the world as the the land owners and the sun rises at each location? It McWhirter people of Guiness would mean organising, at set Book of record fame. Please GMT times, members tie the give me some reaction and if same knot. I would like to call favourable, I will swing into this idea: "Knotting-in the action at this end. I plan to ask New Millennium!" Others may the Guild to issue to all partici­ have a better title. I would be pants a Certificate of Participa­ happy to organise it from here. tion after the event.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 49 The Fisher Bridge: Please appreciate hearing fronl guild find enclosed a copy of a photo members. All those enthusiastic of the bridge I built. I think that riggers and builders of bridges it is the biggest bridge to one and structures are m: targets. house in an urban setting in the The professionals haye their southern hemisphere and won­ own organisations, but \\"e en­ der if anyone can dispute this thusiasts, who often ha\"e to claim? I'm keen to form the employ the professionals in as­ Amateur Bridge Builders As­ pects of our work, have nothing. sociation (ABBA) and would

- ~

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Learning Knotting: This little a way to teach thenlselves and booklet is the result of 30 years from that success to launch into trying to teach people to tie a life time of knot usage and knots. As an educator, I know learning! I noted with much in- that until people take ownership terest the debate about various of their learning, much of what uses of knots and what should they take in, remains in their and should not be taught. I anl a short tern1 memory and never traditionalist. I think that the moves onto deep learning tried and true should be taught mechanisms. In this booklet I first and any use of specialist have attempted to give learners knotting with human made fi- 50 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 bres should be taught in-situ by ing, since I have known the two specialists. I believe that if knots for a number of years. I armed with a hitch, a bend, a do not claim ownership or any­ stopper and a non-slip loop, a thing, I stumbled into them learner can do most jobs re­ sometime in the seventies while quired of a general knot tier. I fiddling with a piece of string. also believe in the efficiency The most important fact is that and beauty of the Carrick-Bend we knot-tiers need a forum for and warning all people about discussion, and until now I did tIle dangers of the reef-knot. not even suspect that such a fo­ My book covers all of the rum existed. above. Nigel, Roger and I will be getting together soon to prepare another newsletter from the New Zealand Chapter and we will send it to you as soon as possible. This is purely a per­ sonal thank you and to say its great to be back!

from Karl Wilhelm Nilsen, Ris0r Mr. Jens Gunne Johansen of Porsgrunn, Norway introduced me to your guild at the Ris0r Wooden Boat Festival last year, but due to my sailing periods as a captain of a VLCC, I did not receive the proper material for membership until now. With the ------, material I also received your Fig. A : newsletters of 30/10/96 and 24/1/97. This is very interest- KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 51 A few words about myself: That interest has been \\'ith me Born in 1942 in Ris0r, close to since. I have been collecting. the sea and with plenty of ships experimenting with. teaching and seamen around, with two and learning ropes, seanlanship. grandfathers having both sailed knots, splices, mats, braid~ etc. in tall-ships and with plenty of for most of my life, and intend time for an inquisitive little boy, to go on as long as I can. I could not help developing an During the years, I haye intense interest in the ropes. stumbled, as mentioned aboye.

!Fig. B I I

52 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 I1 ~\''LYI ~~ h

Two fI'\-k.vloi.kuJ otJtrllttM.) .

OY'! tf+, ovtt.. r,ht 1

Very st<..l,l t't-, VU1f ~~y fo ~FI fI\.y bL lOOt- ~o s h'O~1 (brw k'lle".",a

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:Fig C I

I______...J into numerous knots that I can­ of his originals bllt he sent Ni­ not find in any publications. gel photocopies and Nigel sent Enclosed please find drawings them to me. Photocopies do not of three double constrictor knots make the best originals as each tied on the bight (Fig. A)(No 3 generation of copy degrades the is the Boa knot. I find No.2 best quality.) for the purpose. Mr. Ashley shows it tied in the end) two from: Fred Veith, Laingsburg, bowlines tied on the bight (Fig. Michigan USA. B)(No 2 is the one from Mr. I wasn't going to renew my Johansen tied in a different subscription to KM because I way) and a bend I think is hadn't learned any more stories original.(Fig. C) on how to tie knots. I still ha­ (Ed: This new members address ven't learned other stories, be­ is; Karl Wilhelm Nilsen, yond the bowline story of the Kastellveien 11, N-49S0 Risor. rabbit coming up out of the My apologies for the poor copy hole, seeing the dog, running KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 53 around the tree and back into from: John Snlilh, Surrey. the hole. England. I noticed the KM issue where Well done on the ~tead\ and you published my plea for more encouraging imprO\'enlcnt~ in stories on how the tie knots, but Knotting Matters. I confess to a I received no further informa­ (small) yawn when opening is­ tion. sues over the previous couple of I'm renewing for one more years, compared to a frenzied year in hopes of still learning ripping open of the envelope to more stories and because your get at earlier issues. No\\, for KM magazine is hard to ignore. the first time in quite a \vhile I You're all doing a great job for am actually stinlulated enough the Guild. to send something to the editor ~~~ again. Thanks. The correspondence initiated (Ed: I believe that story is for . by Joe Schmidbouer on the the bowline? The other one I Single Bowline on the Bight is heard was for the Sheet Bend. It just the sort of thing that Knot­ goes so; The snake came up ting Matters handles so well. from his hole near a tree and It is my belief that Ashley's had a good look around the tree #1017 called Anglers Loop. is for any danger, like dogs or one of several knots linked bv cats. Seeing it was safe , he de­ name to the Bowline. I mean cided to put his head under his the Bowline described by Ash­ belly and rest in the warm sun ley as #1010. Perhaps this has before coming all the way out. come about because of the fame Frightened by a noise he of the Bowline and people using trapped his head trying to pull the name to indicate that an­ back into the hole (at this point other knot is of the sanle type. you pull the standing lead tight) i.e. a good loop, usuall: in the and couldn't get free. We would end of the line. like to print any stories you can When demonstrating the ~-\n­ come up with.) gler's Loop, I often hear some­ WWW one say "Ah yes. that's a Bo\\'­ line". In some cases it is nlis-

54 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 taken identity (understandable) (1985) Stamford Maritime Ltd and in some cases I found they (originally published as The actually mean that they see it as Rigger's Apprentice). Im­ a Bowline type knot or a substi­ pressed enough to actually buy tute for the Bowline. it and for me that means really For those who have followed impressed. I struggled to make this correspondence, I strongly his Tugboat (or Flying) Bow­ suggest a read of Ashley num­ line. It is important to realise bers 1057 and 1058 which are that this is NOT the same as knots that might be called The the Angler's Loop_ Brion is single Bowline on the Bigllt. precise and accurate in his de­ Then look at the article in scription, saying that "this Knotting Matters 19 page 2, Bowline is really a form of the "Variant Bowlines", followed Angler's Loop. by the completion of the During one of many practice thought in Kn'otting Matters 20 sessions, I noticed that I had, page 7, "THE Single Bowline accidentally, tied a true Flying on the Bight". Angler's Loop. Even more at­ I know that Owen K Nuttall tempts were made to find out has some alternative thoughts what mistake I had made that on this, which he and I dis­ produced this different knot. cussed at some distant AGM, The answer was in what you do but I cannot find any published with your left hand. Turn the material. wrist out before you pull the Mention of Brion Toss's ex­ loop through and you get cellent book brings happy Brion's knot as illustrated in his memories of the Knotting Ex­ book. Keep the wrist turned to travaganza in Greenwich in the right and you are putting in 1986, when many Guild mem­ an extra twist, this makes a true bers were introduced to the Angler's Loop. FLYING Angler's Loop. What Of course, it happens over and really happened was this: over that we stumble on some­ I was mightily impressed with thing we think is new when Brion's book the Complete Rig­ somebody else has done the ger U'ife and Rop~ publ~hed same thing in another place at

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 55 another time. That didn't stop various ways to tie the _-\ngler's enthusiastic flying displays Loop. anywhere, anytime to anybody First, the TR.-\DITIO\;.-\L who was interested (and a great way. Follow a laid out diagram many who were not), involving step by step. Make an oyerhand much knocking over of glasses, knot, put the end through. then furniture and risk to eyesight. tuck the end back and ~n on. Since then, memories l1ave Time taken: 14 seconds. emerged of such knots and Second, INVOL\-E THE techniques from way back. WORKERS, ask the people Great, that's what the Guild who actually use knots. They does so well. would never put an end through See what you've done, got me and then tuck it back. The\ stimulated. Here's a story of would pass a bight through. how knotting can turn up in the They would turn the knot as it n10st unexpected places. forms to save tin1e. Time taken: I have been running a series of 10 seconds. training courses and presenta­ Third, use ANALYTIC.-\L tions on Total Quality - Con­ methods. Get the IGKT to dis­ tinuous Improvement. The cuss, analyse and realise that grossly simplified message is this knot is made of a series of always look to improve a proc­ turns all going the same \\"ay. ess, involve the people who ac­ Tie it like Asllley does in tually do the work because they #1017. Time taken: 4 seconds. know a lot you don't, use ana­ Wow, what a saving. Surely lytical methods to really see that beats all! A reduction in what is happening, look for new process of time from 14 to 4 methods and the giant leap of seconds. imagination, never think that Last. the IMAGIN..\TI\;TE you have the best method, al­ was, a Flying Angler's Loop. ways believe that an improve­ Time taken: 2 seconds, ~it down ment is possible. to loud applause. To illustrate the point and get There is a drawback. I have some light relief, I demonstrate found over some 20 courses that the delegates don °t remember

56 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 much of the content, but they do breakaway section of the IGKT, remember "the Rope Trick". The Aeronautical Wing or F~ly­ I seem to have about four or ing Corps. five "Flying" Knots now. With [8J[8J[8J a few more I might form a

New Knot discoveries, invention, innovation and design is a subject touched on several times in the last few issues of KM. Remenlber it was the exciting "invention" of the Hunters Bend that was the catalyst which brought together tIle founders of the Guild. If we do wish to be as we say, the world authority on knots and knotting matters, then we need to agree an accepted path for declaring a "New Knot" or method of tying, crediting the author and registering the event. As I see it, a proposed new knot or method is published in KM as 'New' by the author, words of contradiction come forth from the mem­ bership and it turns out that either it is known by many but has never been published before, to our knowledge, or it has been published be­ fore, somewhere. There are many cases where a knot or method of tying is kept as a virtual secret, handed down from father to son or master to apprentice. To be published would change the nature and importance of the job or craft. In such cases can publication be the only deciding fac­ tor? Is the first to publish a book on Fender Making, Half Hitching, Knot­ ted Letters, Jewellery or Animals the inventor or discoverer or just the authors of good, descriptive ways of doing this task? Perhaps there is nothing new under the sun, only waiting to be rediscovered for a new age. The next three letters discuss this subject in detail and with some passion. Please refer back to previous KM's for more back ground and then send in your opinions. Each members opinion. no matter how skilled at knots or rope work, is valued on such a broad point.

KNOTIING MATIERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 57 from: Owen K Nuttall, Hud­ was 16 October 198~ along dersfield, England. with 23 other knots \\-hich I In his letter, Roger Miles (KM thought were ne\\ to the Guild. 55) states that my Folded Arms some of these knots ha\-e ap­ (KM 54) is Harry Asher's knot peared in past issues of K\1. Sleeping Beauty which is on This was one year prior to the cover of his Alternative Harry's first book and four Knot Book published 1989 and years before his second book the same knot is in his own and ten years before Roger book Knots and Everything Miles' book. Confusing ain't it. (A15) published 1995. There seems to be some con­ fusion about this knot with two names. I first tied this knot ten from: John Halifax, Suffolk. to twelve months before joining England. the Guild after reading Geoffrey In consequence of Stuart Budworth's Book of Knots, Grainger and Geoffrey Bud­ October 1984. Unfortunately I worth's articles "A Hens cannot substantiate this claim as Tooth" and "The Boa Knot" in all knots were from memory KM's No.55 (pages 19 and 52) until I joined the Guild. This concerning the method of knot has been researched fairly 'Doubling a Constrictor Knot" methodically to see if it was a by Peter Collingwood. new knot. I have looked through I became extremely annoyed numerous books and back is­ with the situation of claims be­ sues of KM (I have all but the ing made about so called ·~ e\v first four). Unfortunately I have Knots' being "Inyented. not seen Harry's first book of 'Discovered' or \vhateyer. knots for the Guild entitled 'A 'Devised' is another expression. New System of Knotting' 1986 Published they have got to be: and his later 'Alternative Knot t11en the whole membership of Book published 1989, so in the 'Guild' has an opportunity good faith for the second time I to make \\Ti tten send this knot Folded Arms. 'Reply/Comment' or 'Critique' The first time I sent this knot or otherwise 'Extolling it's vir­ 58 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 tues' or by a 'Non Response' all New Discoveries are subject to of these processes would then 'Ratification' or 'Otherwise' by tend to 'Ratify an accepted · Members Subsequent Com­ Agreement' of the. new 'Knot ment or Otherwise') Discovery'. The fact that the 'Hunters Not forgetting of course that Bend' in 1977 transpired to someone else might like to lay have been discovered some time claim to having 'Discovered' earlier by an American and this 'Contrivance' before, or the named 'A Riggers Bend' and 'Method' of tying/make-up etc'. now I am laying claim to having This, of course, being the rea­ discovered the 'Boa Knot' in son for this missive and copies 1989 tends to prove a point that of my new ideas and thoug11ts they are all there somewhere which I have sent to the 'Editor' between the two ends and that for publication. nothing is new under the sun. It Regarding my suggestion that is a delicate political issue a 'Sub Committee Quorum' which must be addressed if should be set up to 'Ratify' history is to be served correctly! contentious issues. On reflec­ Enclosed are what I believe to tion, because our Guild is run be new ideas of variations on on a voluntary basis; this idea old themes, Progressive Con­ would impose even more work strictors, New Sheepshank and on the ever pressed small body Button Knot with hints and tips. of willing volunteers who keep the 'ship' running. So in con­ clusion it has got to be down to the simple process of from: Stuart Grainger, Oxon. 'Publication' without extrava­ England. gant claims as to absolute (In answer to John Halifax's 'Discovery!Devised' etc. above letter.) (Perhaps the Editor could, in his If you read carefully and dis­ 'Editors Bytes and Pieces' in­ passionately what I did say in clude a Standard 'Cautionary "Knotting Matters" No.55, page Notice' in every issue of KM 20, you will note that the title that all assertions or claims of itself, A Hen's Tooth?, contains

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 59 a significant question mark, shed any further light on this which indicates doubt about the particular knot. so I felt ju~tified knot's rarity. The second line in saying that "as far as \\'e mentions that Peter Colling­ know, it is ne\\···. :\"0 other wood's letter used inverted claims were nlade and tht: arti­ commas to surround his use of cle was sent with m: dra\\'ings the word "invented", which to the Editor, who nlade the clearly indicated to me that he decision to publish it. doubted the accuracy of this. He It has been my experience is a man of very high principle, over many years of \\Titing on whose honesty and integrity are craft subjects that, as soon as beyond any doubt; he does not someone describes an inno\"a­ seek or need fame, having al­ tion in print, someone else \\'ill ready achieved more of that claim that they have follo\\·ed than he wants, even assuming the same procedure for years that an appearance in "Knotting and did not feel it worth pub­ Matters" can provide that lishing. It is a fact of life that doubtful benefit. He writes to publication of an innovation can me occasionally with snippets not be made retrospective. If it of information that he knows can be shown to have been will interest me and this was published earlier elsewhere. as just one such snippet. sometimes happens, due to geo­ As my little article explains, I graphical or political factors or had not seen this knot before, simply a long lapse of time although both the Constrictor during which the earlier publi­ and Strangle Knots are well cation has been forgotten. there known, of course, so I consulted is good reason for printing an Geoffrey Budworth, who, of all explanation of the facts. In a the experts I have met, has the case where there is a claim of most encyclopaedic knowledge prior innovation without publi­ of knots, and he did not know cation having follo\ved. the this one either. His comments claimant has only himself to are quoted in my article. None blame and must suffer his un­ of the published works of refer­ derstandable chagrin as best he ence in our combined libraries may.

60 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 "Knotting Matters" exists, at prior knowledge, which oppor­ least in part, to provide a vehi­ tunity they already have but cle for disclosing and dissemi­ neglect to use. The difference nating information about such between the 'Hunter's Bend' innovations in the craft of knot­ incident and this one is that the ting. It is open for use by all original discoverer of the members of the Guild, subject 'Rigger's Bend' actually did only to the Editor's scrutiny and publish it some time before and approval. If a member declines a long way away, before to make use of this opportunity, "Knotting Matters" came into it is surely unreasonable to being, so it was not surprisingly blame another for doing so, and overlooked. Despite the best still worse to attempt to sully endeavours of Geoffrey Bud­ another's reputation by way of worth and myself, no trace has jllstification. been found of 'The Boa Knot' To suggest, that the entire in any publication available to membership should have sight us, least of all in "Knotting of any claim of innovation be­ Matters" , which is where we fore it appears in "Knotting would have expected a Guild Matters", in order that its nov­ member to publis11 such an in­ elty may be a matter of consen­ novation. We therefore felt at sus, is ludicrous. It negates liberty to make the very limited much of the purpose of claims published in my article. "Knotting Matters", which un­ If you can show any evidence of der such a system would have to prior publication I shall be be circulated virtually in draft happy to acknowledge it. form before it could be printed, [g][g][g] even assuming that such a con­ sensus could be achieved. Basic Knots Months would be wasted on from: Colin Grundy, Coventry, circulating argument and England. counter-argument, without Peter Goldstone's controver­ achieving anything, just so that sial talk on the six Tenderfoot those suffering from inertia can knots certainly seems to have have an opportunity of claiming provoked a reaction from mem- KNOTTING MATIERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 61 bers, especially Mike Lucas or have always used natural fi­ (KM 55 pg 7). No doubt this bre ropes for their pioneering? was the intention, and also to Surely they should not hayc to get members to think about change their knot tying hahit~. what knots we are teaching and The six knots still hayc thcir why. I cannot entirely agree uses, and leaders will al\\"JYs with Peter's comments though. have their preference. The Ten­ It is now some thirty years derfoot knot test has gone. ex­ since the Tenderfoot badge cept as an amusing side sho\\ to passed into history. Scouting challenge the world record. In­ has moved on since then and the stead, let us make sure that the award scheme no longer stipu­ correct knot is used for the task. lates the knots that a Scout and better still teach it in its should know. In the Pathfinder practical application! Award, a Scout now has to 'carry out an activity using a knot, a bend, a hitch and a lashing'. Surely it is up to the From Tony Doran, Surre..r Li\ leader to teach an appropriate The recent correspondence on knot for the particular job in basic knots, i.e., the mininlum hand. I have always been taught set of knots a beginner should the requirements of a good knot be introduced to, has not nlade is one that is easy to tie, easy to it very clear that the merit~ of a untie and be suitable for the knot can only be judged in the task. context of a particular applica­ Some of Peter's comments tion. The fact that a Reef Knot also make assumptions that the can be capsized makes it a good Scouts being taught will be land knot for reefing/unreefing ~ails. based, rock climbing enthusiasts but a bad knot to use to bend and carry out their pioneering ropes together. A Sheepshank is with shiny polypropylene rope. a knot of minor importance be­ What about the Sea Scouts, cause it has little practical ap­ those Troops who do not have plication. leaders with the appropriate It would be a sad da\ if the mountaineering qualifications, IGKT could not produce an up-

62 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 dated list of basic knots that be invited (via KM) to identify takes into account changes in a basic knot for each application the material properties and using modern rope. Where construction of modern ropes. there is no clear majority in fa­ The first step in identifying a vour of a particular knot an list of basic knots should surely open discussion on the merits of be to define a /set of general the main contenders can be held applications, then to identify the to establish the 'Guild recom­ knot most suitable as a basic mended' choice. knot for each application. I offer My own feeling is that the the following list to generate exercise will produce a list of discussion: eight to ten basic 'general pur­ General Knot Applications pose' knots that could be the Tying a rope/line: IGKT equivalent to the Scouts' • to itself to make a stopper Tenderfoot knots, and could • to itself to make a fixed loop possibly replace them. • to itself to make an adjust­ I am willing to handle the corre­ able loop spondence and produce the • to itself to make a fastening analysis of returns. • to another line of the same size • to another line of a different size from: Anne Dyer, Westhope • to an object to exert a pull on College, Craven Arms, Shrop­ it shire, SY7 9JN. • round an object or objects as Tell: 01584 861 293 a binding Dear Knot Tyers, I have been • round an object as a lashing. asked to let you know about

I would like to invite IGKT THE BRAID SOCIETY members to comment on the list EXHIBITION with suggestions for additions / at the amendments. If a consensus of ARMLEY MILLS, LEEDS. general applications can be es­ tablished, Guild members can

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 63 The work of all our members, Split ply is an anci~nt craft. beginners, teachers, experts, the where tightly twisted cor(1:" ar~ full range of the subject from threaded through each oth~r to useful to elegant to crazy, fine make a textile like a douhle and bold, traditional and mod­ layer of oblique fell plaiting that em; come and see it all: has been bonded together. Elaborate patterns can be Tlladc. Tuesday 30 September when 2 different coloured cords to appear and disappear on thL' :"ur­ Sunday 16 November face, which leads, no\\'ada::". to 10 am to 5 pm jewellery. Sunday 1 to 5 pm Closed Mondays

£2 entry to the Mills, nothing from: Brian Glennon. \la~~a­ extra to see the exhibition. Also, chusetts,USA. Here is a diagram I rect?i\ ed THE BRAID SOCIETY from Izorline InternationaI.. AGM Inc., a fishing line compan:. November 1st 1997 which illustrates how to tic the also at the Albright Special Knot. a knot ARMLEY MILLS, LEEDS devised by commercial deep sea from 12 to 1 pm fishermen to solve the problem of how to bend two inherentl\ 1 to 2 lunch, bring-your-own. slick (and very slippery) fishing 2 to 3:30 the lecture by Peter lines together. Spectra and Collingwood on the split-ply monofilament. The .~lbright camel girths in his collection, Special knot is a bend \\'hich the £2 non-members, plus £1 mu­ Izorline International COIll­ seum entrance. Tickets from pany endorses rather than the Chrissy Bristow, 1 Highbury use of glue, stitching. or TllC­ Villas, Ash Green Road, Ash­ chanical clamps to secure these green, Aldershot, Hants, GU12 two very different fishing lines. 6JF. Please send a stamped, self I just happened to be reading addressed envelope. a fisherman's news group on

64 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 the Internet when I glanced the days tracking down Izorline word 'KNOT' in the subject and was rewarded by being area (see REC. OUTDOORS. faxed with this diagram, cour­ FISHING) of a newsletter. tesy the Izorline company! There was an ongoing dialogue Now, in my first analysis, this regarding knots and which ones bend reserrlbles a variation of a were the best to use to secure common whipping, or snell. (I leaders, lures. hooks, or flies to used to snell fishing hooks for fishing line. my father in 1965 when he Naturally I followed these long-lined for a living.) So if discussions with both great in­ anyone can positively identify terest and admiration, for fish­ this bend, please respond in erman, in my opinion, are the Knotting Matters. great innovators in knotting; Also a question has arisen in they have to be, their liveli­ my mind. Since the material hoods depend on it. Specra wasn't marketed until One topic was how to secure a 1985, and more high technology spectral braided line leader to textiles later on, does tying a monofilament fishing line. If knot in these exotic materials, you're familiar with these ma­ for a different purpose than the terials they are as slick as Cod knot was intended originally, Liver Oil and notorious for not make it a new knot? Probably holding a knot very well. not, but it is an intriguing The discussions ran the gamut thought. from stitching, gluing, or My sceptical opinion on the clamping the two ends together. value of the Internet has been Someone who identified him­ challenged by my lucky discov­ self as 'Tuna King' casually ery of this Albright Special mentioned the Albright Special Knot. For some lively discus­ Knot used by the off-shore fel­ sions on knots, please visit the lows and to contact a Mr. Pete NEWSGROUP: Haynes of Izorline for tying REC.OUTDOORS. FISHING instructions. Well, I spent two

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 65 _ A SINGLE BOWLINE ON A BIGHT - forming a single loop in a bIght \\Jth n~\ e~1J~

Fold the Cent~e ,,\:' :he bight back ('n lL'e.:' :\' form a crOS~ln~ Jnd hold it \\ nh :he le!! finger and thunlb

Grip the two central parts below the crossing, as shown in 2.and twist anti-cloc~ \\ :~~ ','

form a double half-hitch lying over the crossing, as shown in 3.below and hold it with the left finger and thumb as before.

Pull the lower loop through the upper one, as indicated by the arrow in 3.

66 KNOTTING MATIERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 Open out the loop that is now on top, pass it around the other loop and back around the entire knot.

Pull on the upper part of ~SSs:s~~ss~ij!.~1J the remaining loop to take up all the slack.

6. shows the front ofthe completed knot and 7.shows the reverse side.

A Single Bowline on a Bight.

Information supplied by Jens Johansen of Porsgrunn, Norway, who says that he learnt this knot from an old sailor years ago, but has never seen it published.

Drawings by Stuart Grainger 24/]/97.

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 67 tion of knots ti('~ and ~plices KNOTS & THE J used in the Scouting \\·orlci. Run IGKT on the INTER­ by Alistair Honeybun. NET A good link page for knots on by the web is run by Peter Suber of Richmond Indiana gordon@g­ http://ww\v.earlham.edu/sube cisc.demon.co.uk r/knotlink.htm Dig e\"en Thanks to IGKT member deeper from here to look at The David Bowie and "Webshirt" at World Wide Web's Knotting Billerica, Mass. USA the Guild Index, The Knotting Dictionary now has a significant presence of Kannet, The Knots Home on the World Wide Web Page and many others. (WWW) of information. Just The KnotPlot Site - run bv ask a Web Browser to find you Robert Scharien from the Lni­ 'knot' and it will lead to a sur­ versity of BC Canada, contain­ prising number of pages of in­ ing some interesting conlputer formation on knotting, from the knot drawings is at Tenderfoot knots to ...you http://www.cs.ubc.ca/nest/ima guessed it - mathematics. rrhere ger/contribution/scharein/Kn are too many web sites to men­ otPlot.html tion everyone, and in any case I hope I have given you a taste one generally leads to another, of what is out there on the I~­ so to mention but a few - that TERNET without taking up too will lead you into the myriad much valuable knotting space in The IGKT home page ­ KM! But perhaps the nlost im­ http://www.webshirt.comlIG portant thing about these pages KT.html a brief introduction to is that they all lead to the IGKT the guild and links to at least 8 via one link or another. generat­ other sites and an e-mail link to ing about 30 or so enquiries a the guild (via myself). month on knots or IGKT mem­ The Scout Association of bership, from all over the \\·orld. Australia http://www.fcollins.­ com.au/Scouts/knots ad.html lots of drawings and explana-

68 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 Finally, if you have an e-mail father who has worked for the address of access to the IN­ company for some 60 years. TERNET please let me know as John himself soon took over I am putting together a list of and we embarked on a tour of members on the net - tell me if the building from bottom to top. you do not want yours pub­ John was a mine of fascinating lished please - then eventually information. we can incorporate it in the The impressive historic Membership Lists for the fu­ building dates fronl 1892 and is ture. Who knows, one day this unique in Northern California medium might save the Guild a being built in the style of a New lot of postage and KM could England textile mill. It arrive all over the world on the functioned originally as a silk same day! One day, hay? mill, receiving and processing ~~~ silk from the Orient until WW 11 curtailed this import and from: Penny Badger, Sunset relocated there in 1940. Leicestershire, England. The company had been founded A visit to the Sunset Line & a few years earlier in San Twine Co, Petaluma, Francisco as a manufacturer of California fishing lines and soon expanded My brother, a Petaluma local, and diversified. had long been intrigued by the Our tour took us through the creeper covered facade of the main body of the mill on two old building housing the Sunset levels both housing banks of Line & Twine company and the incredibly noisy braiding busy clack of machinery machines, twisters and the emanating from its interior various winders and spoolers whenever he passed. So he necessary to prepare material seized upon my recent stay with and deal with it during all stages him as an excuse to talk his way of the processing. The basic in to a conducted tour of the design and construction of the works. We duly turned up on braiders has remained relatively the appointed day clutching our unchanged over the years and credentials - an IGKT leaflet ­ many of the machines refuse to to be greeted by John Agnew's KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 69 wear out and have been there powered the silk mill used to be since the early days. We saw 8, housed; the oil r00I11 so named 16 and 32 strand round braiders when natural fibres necessitated in action as well as some specialist treatment: the dyeing machines producing flat braids. room where the raw material is I tried to visualise the miles of dyed in large vats under cord produced over the years as carefully controlled conditions. I watched the twirling bobbins We heard stories of early shuttling through their intricate "spoon" dyers whose recipes maypole dances and the steady were carefully guarded secrets streams of completed braids and who carried a miscellany of inching their way onto the take­ assorted nuts and bolts to act as up spools - in their heyday weights when they \yere Sunset ran some 2,000 braiders measuring out proportions of alone. dyes. Their rule of thumb In one corner John carefully expertise has now largely been removed the cover off a long replaced by standardisation contraption revealing a series of enabling reliable replication of rollers and 10 troughs of colours by dyeing out till all the different coloured paint/dye - an colour has been taken up. ingenious chain-driven 110me­ A small business like Sunset. made device to colour code John told us, could be trolling line with 30 foot colour extremely flexible in its bands to allow easy gauging of production, could turn orders depth. The floor in that area around in a hurry, do short runs showed an interesting range of to order, and hold its o\vn patterns and colours and we among the larger companies in joked that the sale of modem art the modem world. They could become a lucrative currently employ about 35 sideline! workers in two Sllifts. We visited some of the So what do they produce? adjoining rooms, welcome The answer is an inlpressive oases after the noise and hubbub array of cord with a \vide elsewhere - the steam room, variety of uses as one can see where the steam engine which from reading their catalogues -

70 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 everything from Duck Decoy of it with an alloy lead core for Cord, through Seine Line and reaching deep water fish. These Mason Line, to braided lacing are mainly for sport fishing but tapes conforming to various they also produce a special hard military specifications. The wearing braided nylon leader early production of linen and line for the commercial fishing silk twines and braids has industry where it performs very largely given way to synthetics well with modem automatic though they still produce a few baiting machines used for long linen cords for lacing and lining. They have an important serving, and a braided cotton export outlet for fishing lines in lacing cord primarily used for the UK and for years have lacing and tying in aircraft supplied a special monofilament fuselages! Other lacing tapes line to the Hawaiian Islands and cords, some with fungistatic where the heavy wear fishing wax coatings, have applications conditions take their toll of less in the electronic and aerospace durable lines. Finally one of the industries, specialised braids best sellers back home is a and threads are made for monofilament which they industrial users such as the process to make it "memory building trade and for free" and market under the recreational uses, and a variety name of "?Amnesia?"! This is of more general cords are sold one of those extraordinary through hardware and marine accidental success stories as it outlets, not to mention the mill was originally being sold as a ends which are popular with binding twine for general use on macrame workers. things like golf clubs. A fishing Fishing lines are still an friend had the idea of trying it important part of Sunset's and announced that it was the market and comprise products best he had come across. such as soft braided nylon Another friend came up with casting line, braided polyester the name and the rest as they fly line backing and big game say is history! line, and of course the coloured Last but not least tlley used to depth gauging trolling line some supply the parachute cords for

KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 71 the Apollo and Gemini space they used was made by some­ missions, onIy to be put out of one else. production of that particular line Michael says there is no book by the advent of the Space on the cowboy knots. but I Shuttle. John said he's always wonder if he kno\\"s about the considered it rather ironic that Encyclopedia of Ra"'hide and in a multi-million dollar Leather Braiding b) Bruce enterprise the all important Grant, (pub: Comell :rvlaritime return to earth should be Press, Centreville, Maryland. entrusted to $500 worth of USA). A well-illustrated book string! of 528 pages that started life in What an interesting morning. 1893 and contains a terrific Armed with catalogues and amount of information on the samples we left the cool airy use of rawhide. My reprint is rooms of the old mill and dated 1972 and cost $20. In walked back out into the warm England Des Pawson should be Californian sunshine wondering able to supply it. how many inhabitants of Cornell also publish Ho,,' to Petalurna know anything about make Cowbot Horse Gear and the remarkable industry in their How to make a Western Sad­ midst. dle by Bruce Grant and Lee ~1. Rice. I have not seen it. but it ought to interest Michael from: ex-president Percy I wonder if Michael has been Blandford, Warwickshire, Eng­ in touch with David Barro\\. land. When we visited him about 10 I was interested to read the years ago, he gave Iv) a \\'alk­ lengthy letter about cowboy ing stick (American 'CJne') knots from Michael Storch (KM covered with a multiplicit~ of 56), particularly his comments rawhide braided patterns. In his on the use of rawhide. My own truck the gear lever, fascia and brief contact with modern cow­ door panels, and just about eYe­ boys was in South Dakota. rything else in sight, \\'as Co\­ Their interest in knotting was ered with rawhide braiding. almost nil and the equipn1ent

72 KNOTTING MATTERS 57 - SEPTEMBER 1997 Guild Supplies Price List 1997

Item Price Geoffrey Budworth Knotlore a miscellany ofquotes from fact and fiction £2.50 Much Ado About Knotting history ofthe 1st 10 years ofthe Guild £2.50* The Knot Book £2.50 Brian Field Breastplate Designs £2.50 Concerning Crosses £1.50 Eric Franklin Turksheads the Traditional Way £1.50* Nylon Novelties £2.00* Stuart Grainger Knotcraft £3.60* Ropefolk £1.30 Turks Head Alternatives £2.20* Creative Ropecraft Hardback £9.95 Knotted Fabrics Hardback price includes UK postage £9.00 John Halifax Something Different with over 50 Button Knots £3.20* Colin Jones The DIY Book of Fenders £9.95 Harold Scott On Various Cruxiform Turks Heads £2.50 IGKT Knotting Matters copies of passed editions (some photocopies) £2.50

* bulk purchases of these items available at a discount - phone for details

Cheques payable to IGKT or simply send your credit card details PS Don't forget to allow for Postage

Supplies Secretary: - Sylvia Harding 16 Egles Grove, Uckfield, TN22 2BY - 01825 760425 Printed by Gipping Press, Needham Market Tel: (04491721599 Fax: (04491721372