Knot in October GAW

[enki_ck]

Hope all is well.

We call it the half boatsman, but I don't know the english name for it.

It's a cousin to the clove hitch, just overlapping the ither way around. It releases in both directions but provides friction and can be used to absail short pitches.

Munter hitch, found it.

[Nix]

I have injured my hand so:
1. i cannot type
2. i have to go to hospital 

 

Very sorry to hear this!

Hope you have been treated and are busy recovering!  (And get yer tetanus shot updated...... )

Wishing you a quick recovery. 

[Nix]

Munter hitch, found it.

 

[Nix]

I had to draw the line three times, and I'm still not sure I'm right.

It works fine in my hands, but I can't make it work on the screen to save my life....


When you're not thinking about it, it's quick and easy to tie - two twists of the bight then pull through.....

If I stop to think about it, I balls it up every time.


It is marginally easier to make and unmake than an alpine butterfly, and fulfills more or the less the same role in a lot of utility situations. I'm not a climber myself, but it does not appear to be favoured by climbers, so it is perhaps considered less strong or reliable than the alpine butterfly.

 

I've always thought of this as a quick way to put a loop in a line to be used for hauling. Very handy when the ends of said line are not free. Legend has it that Artillerymen would use this to move a gun when it got stuck in sand or mud. A few loops were added to a hauling line and men 'harnessed' to help pull out the stuck gun.

I've used it to add a quick loop to a ridge line where the ends are tied in but the line is slack. I've also used it to make a loop to use in a Trucker's hitch. I think this knot is directional, so when making the knot the bight getting pulled through should be passed in the direction of the force and away from the object being pulled on. I suspect this is why it is not a climbing knot.   

[Nix]

My Knot in October knot number 3 is called the Uni-knot.  The descriptor simply states that it is another knot for attaching a tippet to a fly and that it is stronger than the Improved Clinch. Apologies in advance for the quality of the photos.

I love the Uni-knot. I use it in double form as a bend, or as you've done here, to tie on a fly to me tippet.

The Uni is very similar to the Grinner or Grapevine knot, but in monofilament requires more wraps to stay secure. If it collapses/dresses just the right way when being tensioned, a two-wrap Uni will collapse into a perfect Grinner knot. 



Two-wrap Uni



Uni dressed as a Grinner



Close up of Grinner


Knot only is the Uni-knot versatile, secure, and strong, but I have found it easy to tie with fine monofilament and cold, wet hands.  A very useful knot, indeed!   

[Nix]

It is 22 Knotober, JAFA time!

[Nix]

ATTENTION!!!   ATTENTION!!! 

     

Time Period Three (3) is now closed!

Time Period Three (3) is now closed!

I say again, Time Period Three (3) is now closed!

ATTENTION!!!   ATTENTION!!!

[Nix]

[Nix]

ATTENTION!!!   ATTENTION!!! 

     

Time Period Four (4) is now open!

Time Period Four (4) is now open!

Time Period Four (4) is now open for new entries!

ATTENTION!!!   ATTENTION!!![/quote]

[Nix]

Well, Period Three was a real hoot....aside from Huntsman damaging himself..... I'm excited to see what Period Four brings! 

(And I've got my spoiler knot awl picked out....    )

To celebrate the end of Period Three I'm going to put one more twist in the set of tools the GAW winner is able to choose from. I've spliced in another BRK Bravo-1, this time a model with the thumb ramp:


Left to Right: BRK Vidarr, BRK Bravo-1, BRK Bravo-1 no thumb ramp, Benchmade Contego, ML EDC


A close up of the thumb ramp:




A word on the color of the scales. I think it was originally white or Ivory, but with time the scales have become more straw-colored or, dare I say it, antique ivory. The photo (not the best light) gives them more of a yellow hue. I find them to be rather classical, without being actual ivory. Seems like the kind of knife Teddy Roosevelt or Ernest Hemingway might have liked. But the question for the winner is: thumb ramp or no thumb ramp?

[Nix]

Here are awl the knots entered so far:

[enki_ck]

Aren't they both Bravo 1s, not 2s?

[Nix]

Aren't they both Bravo 1s, not 2s?

 

I think you are correct!

Fixed.

(And both the Bravos feature A-2 tool steel.  )

[Hevy (CT-782)]

Thanks for the comments about the small wooden Sak. Vitor apreciated a lot.

This challenge is really nice! Very nice knots!

He told me to post this one:
Mooring hitch.

It's a quick release knot. But holds fast under load.


He made on the handle of his lightsaber.



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[Hevy (CT-782)]

Hope you are ok Huntsman! Get well soon!

Enviado de meu moto g(6) usando o Tapatalk

[Nix]

He made on the handle of his lightsaber.

Nice!

[Nix]

I think Ray Mears uses this knot--or one very like it--to secure his hammock's ridge line when camping in the Amazon. (I can't be certain, but I think so....)

[Sea Monster]

[...]I've spliced in another BRK Bravo-1, this time a model with the thumb ramp:

You're not the only one -

With bends, hitches, and loops out of the way, there is another technique...though usually you'll only use it once

You could call this a "multi strand loop" if you want, or just an eye splice....


Not so easy to just untie and demo, so you'll have to be patient for me to get photos of a new one being made - for now, though, the finished product.

The eye splice has a hundred and one uses on its own, but the real beauty of the technique is in prolonging the life of three strand rope - If you've got significantly damaged portions, you can remove them and splice the healthy lengths back together, if you're rubbish at whipping, or you want a reliable solution to fraying ends, you can back splice.
You can use two splices to put a loop midway on a line, known as a...*ahem* cut splice....

[RF52]

My next entry is the reversed half hitches.
Find it handy for fastening the dogs lead when I have to

You start by going around whatever you are fastening to.
Then over, under and up through the loop.
Then you go over, under and up through the second loop and thighten and dress the knot and it's done, nice and easy and it's easy to undo again

Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk

[Nix]

You're not the only one -

With bends, hitches, and loops out of the way, there is another technique...though usually you'll only use it once

You could call this a "multi strand loop" if you want, or just an eye splice....


Not so easy to just untie and demo, so you'll have to be patient for me to get photos of a new one being made - for now, though, the finished product.

The eye splice has a hundred and one uses on its own, but the real beauty of the technique is in prolonging the life of three strand rope - If you've got significantly damaged portions, you can remove them and splice the healthy lengths back together, if you're rubbish at whipping, or you want a reliable solution to fraying ends, you can back splice.
You can use two splices to put a loop midway on a line, known as a...*ahem* cut splice....

 

I do know the correct term.... 

I had a sea-farring Brother-in-law who taught me to splice three-strand. It's a real skill....one that I never mastered...but can still manage.

I spliced an eye in this rope to use in one of the truck's tie-down rings. It just seemed easier to slip the loop through and then feed the rope back through the loop than tie a bulky knot there. And I believe a good splice (not pictured above) is stronger than any knot.

Cool skill to have; I should practice more.   

[Sea Monster]

I do know the correct term.... 

I had a sea-farring Brother-in-law who taught me to splice three-strand. It's a real skill....one that I never mastered...but can still manage.

I spliced an eye in this rope to use in one of the truck's tie-down rings. It just seemed easier to slip the loop through and then feed the rope back through the loop than tie a bulky knot there. And I believe a good splice (not pictured above) is stronger than any knot.

Cool skill to have; I should practice more.   

Aye, I keep a few lengths of cord with eyesplices laying around for just this purpose - the eye makes an easy cow hitch through a shackle or tie rail.

If you really want, you can have both ends with eyes - then the other end can be used for a variation on the truckers hitch, fed through another "link" to extend it, (giving the appearance of a reef knot...) or whatever else you may need.

There's a few other variations you can do when tying depending on how it is going to be used - you can tie a half hitch before the rope - this can assist with very narrow and slippery material (say for a knife lanyard) - more of a detriment in a lot of other applications. You can taper the splice by cutting the strands to different lengths, which will give a smoother finish.

Some people like to put whipping over their splices. It's not really required, but if you are using it in an anchor chain or something, it may be worthwhile as all that wet/dry/going through the bowroller can be hard, and you want confidence that your anchoring system isn't going to fail at any point


To do good splices takes a bit of preparation and some basic tools.

Mine are normally done by hand while watching the telly on the couch, so they're all over the shop in terms of consistency and quality, but since I don't use three strand for any rigging applications anyway, they're good enough for my purposes.



For people who are into this sort of thing - a 6 foot bit of rope with a couple of eyesplices was standard equipment for british commandos - it was considered just that handy.

http://www.1stairborne.com/webgear.html

[Nix]

My next entry is the reversed half hitches.

Nice one, RF! 

Another straightforward knot that gets used a good bit. I think the pair of half-hitches was the only knot my father knew. He could be taught other knots, but he would forget them in short order, so everything he tied down got finished with a pair of half hitches.

Take the working line around a post or ring a second time, and you end up with the classic "Round turn and two hitches."  This seems to get used in nautical circles (no pun intended). The extra turn gives the knot a bit of extra holding power, I think. Might be a good idea if your dogs are large and very active. 




You guys can probably tell by now that I like a quick release knot and add a slippery bight to the end of many knots. I've found this to be useful when tying down gear or tying up a dog:

[Nix]

Some people like to put whipping over their splices. It's not really required, but if you are using it in an anchor chain or something, it may be worthwhile as all that wet/dry/going through the bowroller can be hard, and you want confidence that your anchoring system isn't going to fail at any point

My whipping is worse than my splicing....    Ashley has some good pointers on whipping, though...

[Nix]

[Nix]

http://www.1stairborne.com/webgear.html

Oh, I enjoyed that. 


A short Wiki entry on the toggle rope: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toggle_rope

[RF52]

Nice one, RF! 

Another straightforward knot that gets used a good bit. I think the pair of half-hitches was the only knot my father knew. He could be taught other knots, but he would forget them in short order, so everything he tied down got finished with a pair of half hitches.

Take the working line around a post or ring a second time, and you end up with the classic "Round turn and two hitches."  This seems to get used in nautical circles (no pun intended). The extra turn gives the knot a bit of extra holding power, I think. Might be a good idea if your dogs are large and very active. 

(Image removed from quote.)


You guys can probably tell by now that I like a quick release knot and add a slippery bight to the end of many knots. I've found this to be useful when tying down gear or tying up a dog:

(Image removed from quote.)

My dad is the same
The half hitches are so simple that I believe everyone knows how to tie it
I trust the half hitches with the one loop around whatever I'm tying my dog to, it has hold up so far, he is about 75-80 lbs and has a tendency to go crazy at other male dogs

Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk

[enki_ck]

My 4th entry will be the bowline on a bight knot. Or how we call it here, double bowline. There are many applications of it, some use it to tie in, some to attach the rope to anchor points when decending a rope, some for a Y-hang when the load needs to be evenly devided between two anchor points. It is very easy to tie, and most importantly, untie after being subjected to heavy loads, and I'd say the untie part is the only benefit it has to the double figure 8 knot.

To tie it, make an overhand knot. Flip it over and grab the bottom two wraps and pull them through the loop of the overhand and tighten. Done. But be careful, if you grab the wrong wraps, the top ones, not the bottom ones, you will tie a similar knot, but not a safe one. It's easy to se if it is a good one by applying force to it, if it just tightens the knot and the loops remain, it's good. If the knot slides and the loops get smaller, try again

And most importantly, always clip in through both loops, as if only one loop is loaded the knot might slip, and we don't want that.

[Nix]

 

This is such a fun way to tie a Bowline. It is obviously quite secure.  As well...it can be tied in a line where the ends are not free.

A great addition to the growing list! 

[Hevy (CT-782)]

Nice knots!

Anxious to spend some funny hours with my son tying knots in the weekend.



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[Nix]

That's great to hear.  Let us know which of the new knots he likes!