FANCY KNOTS AND ROPE WORK
The knots and splices described above are all more for practical use
than ornament, although such shortenings as the Single and Double
plaits, the Chain knots, the Twofold, Fourfold, and Sixfold knots, and
others are often used for ornamental purposes only. A certain class of
knots are, however, really ornamental and seldom serve to fasten two
ropes together, or to make any object fast to another. They are,
however, very useful in many ways, especially aboard ship, and they
are so handsome and interesting that every one interested in rope work
should learn to make them. The simplest of the fancy knots is known as
the "Single Crown" (Fig. 110). To form this knot unlay the strands of
a new, flexible rope for six to eight inches and whip the ends of each
strand, as well as the standing part, to prevent further untwisting.
Hold the rope in your left hand and fold one strand over and away
from you, as shown in _A_, Fig. 111. Then fold the next strand over
_A_ (see _B_, Fig. 111), and then, while holding these in place with
thumb and finger, pass the strand _C_ over strand _B_, and through the
bight of _A_ as shown in the illustration. Now pull all ends tight and
work the bights up smooth and snug; cut off ends and the knot is
complete. This single crown is a very poor knot to stand by itself,
however, and is mainly valuable as a basis for other more complicated
knots and for ending up rope. To end up a rope with a crown it is
merely necessary to leave the projecting ends long and then by
bringing them down tuck under the strands of the standing part, as
shown in Fig. 112. Then halve the strands and tuck again, as in
making a short splice, until the result appears as in Fig. 113. This
makes a neat, handy, and ship-shape finish to a rope's end and is very
useful for painters, halyards, etc. It will never work loose like a
seizing and is quickly put on at any time, whereas to make a seizing
one must be provided with small stuff of some sort, and this is
frequently not at hand. The "Wall Knot" (Fig. 114) is almost as simple
as the crown, and in fact is practically a crown reversed. In making
this knot bring _C_ downward and across the standing part; then bring
_A_ over _C_ and around standing part and finally bring _B_ over _A_
and up through bight of _C_, Fig. 115. When drawn snug the ends may be
trimmed off close or they may be tucked and tapered as in the crown
and will then appear as in Fig. 116. As in the case of the crown knot,
the wall is mainly of value as an ending when ends are tucked, or as a
basis for more ornamental knots such as the "Wall and Crown," or
"Double Wall," or "Double Crown." It is also very largely used in
making "Shroud Knots" (Fig. 117). The common shroud knot is made by
opening up the strands of a rope's end as for a short splice and
placing the two ends together in the same way. Then single "wall" the
strands of one rope around the standing part of another against the
lay, taper the ends, and tuck and serve all with yarn or marline (Fig.
118). The "French Shroud Knot" is far neater and better, but is a
little harder to make. Open up the strands and place closely together
as for the short splice; make a loop of strand _A_, pass the end of
_B_ through the bight of _A_, as at _C_, make a loop of strand _D_,
and pass the end of strand _A_ through it as at _D_; then pass the end
of strand _D_ through the bight of strand _B_ and one side is
complete. Repeat the operation on the other side, draw all ends taut,
and taper and tuck the ends. The whole should then be served carefully
and the finished knot will appear as in Fig. 120.
[Illustration: FIG. 110.--Single crown.]
[Illustration: FIG. 111.--Single crown (making).]
[Illustration: FIG. 112.--Single crown tucked (making).]
[Illustration: FIG. 113.--Single crown tucked (complete).]
[Illustration: FIG. 114.--Wall knot.]
[Illustration: FIG. 115.--Wall knot (making).]
[Illustration: FIG. 116.--Wall knot (tucked).]
[Illustration: FIG. 117.--Shroud knot (complete).]
[Illustration: FIG. 118.--Shroud knot (making).]
[Illustration: FIG. 119.--French shroud knot (making).]
[Illustration: FIG. 120.--French shroud knot (complete).]
Double wall and double crown as well as the beautiful double
wall-and-crown knots are made exactly like the single crown or wall
but instead of trimming off or tucking the ends they are carried
around a second time following the lay of the first, as shown in Fig.
121, which shows the construction of a double crown at _A_, and a
double wall at _B_. When finished, the ends may be tucked or trimmed
and the two knots will look like Figs. 122 and 123. A far better
effect is obtained by "Crowning" a wall knot. This is done by first
making a single wall knot and then by bringing strand _A_ up over the
top and laying _B_ across _A_ and bringing _C_ over _B_ and through
the bight of _A_; a crown knot is formed above the wall, as shown in
Figs. 124 and 125. This is the foundation of the most beautiful of
rope-end knots, known as the "Double Wall and Crown," or "Manrope
Knot," illustrated in Fig. 126. Make your single wall and crown it,
but leave the strands all slack; then pass the ends up and through the
bights of the slack single-wall knot and then push them alongside the
strands in the single crown; pushing them through the same bight in
the crown and downward through the walling. This may seem quite
difficult, but if you have learned the wall and crown you will find it
simple enough, for it is really merely "following" the strands of the
single wall and crown. The result, if properly done, and ends drawn
tight and cut off closely, is surprising, and to the uninitiated most
perplexing, for if the ends are tapered and tucked through the
standing part of the ropes, as shown in Fig. 127, there will be no
sign of a beginning or ending to this knot. This is probably the most
useful of decorative knots and is largely used aboard ship for
finishing the ends of rope railings, the ends of man-ropes, for the
ends of yoke-lines and to form "stoppers" or "toggles" to bucket
handles, slings, etc. Its use in this way is illustrated in Figs.
128-130, which show how to make a handy topsail-halyard toggle from an
eye splice turned in a short piece of rope and finished with a double
wall and crown at the end. These toggles are very useful about small
boats, as they may be used as stops for furling sails, for slings
around gaffs or spars, for hoisting, and in a variety of other ways
which will at once suggest themselves to the boating man.
[Illustration: FIG. 121 _A_.--Making double crown.]
[Illustration: FIG. 121 _B_.--Making double wall.]
[Illustration: FIG. 122.--Double crown (complete).]
[Illustration: FIG. 123.--Double wall (complete).]
[Illustration: FIG. 124.--Wall crowned (making).]
[Illustration: FIG. 125.--Wall crowned (complete).]
[Illustration: FIG. 126.--Double wall and crown.]
[Illustration: FIG. 127.--Double wall and crown (complete).]
[Illustration: FIG. 128 FIG. 129 FIG. 130
FIGS. 128, 129, and 130.--Topsail-halyard toggle.]
The most difficult of ending knots and one which you should certainly
learn is the "Matthew Walker" (Fig. 131), also known as the "Stopper
Knot." To form this splendid knot, pass one strand around the
standing part of the rope and through its own bight, then pass _B_
underneath and through bight of _A_ and through its own bight also;
next pass _C_ underneath and around and through the bights of _A_,
_B_, and its own bight. The knot will now appear as in Fig. 132, but
by carefully hauling the ends around and working the bight taut a
little at a time the knot will assume the appearance shown in Fig.
133. This is a handsome and useful knot and is widely used on ends of
ropes where they pass through holes, as for bucket handles, ropes for
trap-door handles, chest handles, etc. The knot is well adapted for
such purposes, as it is hard, close, and presents an almost flat
shoulder on its lower side.
[Illustration: FIG. 131.--Matthew Walker (making).]
[Illustration: FIG. 132.--Matthew Walker (complete but slack).]
[Illustration: FIG. 133.--Matthew Walker (complete).]
The "Turk's Head," Figs. 135 and 136, is a knot much used aboard
yachts and warships and is so handsome and ornamental that it is a
great favorite. It is used in ornamenting rigging, in forming
shoulders or rings on stays or ropes to hold other gear in place, to
ornament yoke lines, and for forming slip-collars on knife lanyards.
It is also used to form collars around stanchions or spars, and,
placed around a rope close beneath a man-rope knot, it gives a
beautiful finish. When made of small line sailors often use the Turk's
Head as a neckerchief fastener. Although so elaborate in effect, it is
really an easy knot to make, and while you may have difficulty in
getting it right at first a little patience and practice will enable
you to become proficient and capable of tying it rapidly and easily in
any place or position. To make a Turk's Head, have a smooth, round
stick, or other object, and some closely twisted or braided small
line. Pass two turns of the line around the rod, _A_, Fig. 135, from
left to right, and pass the upper bight down through the lower and
reeve the upper end down through it, as at _B_. Then pass the bight up
again and run the end over the lower bight and up between it and the
upper bight. Turn the upper bight again through the lower one and pass
the end over what is now the upper bight and between it and the
lower, _C_, Fig. 135. Now work from left to right, following the lay
of the knot (or, in other words, passing your long end alongside the
first end), _D_, Fig. 135, until a braid of two or more lays is
completed, as shown in Fig. 136. The Turk's Head may be drawn as tight
as desired around the rope, or rod, by working up the slack and
drawing all bights taut. A variation of the knot may be formed by
making the first part as described and then by slipping the knot to
the end of the rod; work one side tighter than the other until the
"Head" forms a complete cap, as shown in Fig. 137. This makes a
splendid finish for the ends of flagpoles, stanchions, etc.
[Illustration: FIG. 135.--Making Turk's head.]
[Illustration: FIG. 136.--Turks' heads.]
[Illustration: FIG. 137.--Turk's cap.]
Ropes that are to be used as hand-lines, stanchions, man-ropes,
railings, or in fact wherever a neat appearance counts, are usually
wormed, served, and parcelled. Worming consists in twisting a small
line into the grooves between the strands of rope, _A_, Fig. 138. This
fills up the grooves and makes the rope smooth and ready for serving
or parcelling. Parcelling consists in covering the rope already wormed
with a strip of canvas wound spirally around it with the edges
overlapping, _B_, Fig. 138. Serving is merely wrapping the rope with
spun yarn, marline, or other small stuff, _C_, Fig. 138. Although this
may all be done by hand, yet it can be accomplished far better by
using a "Serving Mallet," shown in _D_, Fig. 138. This instrument
enables you to work tighter and more evenly than by hand, but in
either case you must have the rope to be served stretched tightly
between two uprights. Often a rope is served without parcelling and
for ordinary purposes parcelling is not required. A variation of
serving is made by "half-hitch" work, as shown in Figs. 139-140. This
is very pretty when well done and is very easy to accomplish. Take a
half-hitch around the rope to be served, then another below it; draw
snug; take another half-hitch and so on until the object is covered
and the series of half-hitch knots forms a spiral twist, as shown in
the illustrations. Bottles, jugs, ropes, stanchions, fenders, and
numerous other articles may be covered with half-hitch work; and as
you become more expert you will be able to use several lines of
half-hitches at the same time. Four-strand braiding is also highly
ornamental and is easy and simple. The process is illustrated in Fig.
141, and consists in crossing the opposite strands across and past one
another, as shown in _A_, _B_, _C_, Fig 141. Still more ornamental is
the "Crown-braid" which appears, when finished, as in Fig. 143. The
process of forming this braid is exactly like ordinary crowning and
does not require any description; it may be done with any number of
strands, but four or six are usually as many as the beginner cares to
handle at one time.
[Illustration: FIG. 138.--Worming, parcelling, and serving.]
[Illustration: FIG. 139.--Half-hitch work.]
[Illustration: FIG. 140.--Half-hitch work.]
[Illustration: FIG. 141.--Four-strand braid (making).]
[Illustration: FIG. 142.--Four-strand braid (complete).]
[Illustration: FIG. 143.--Crown-braid.]
When the rope-worker has mastered all the knots, ties, bends, hitches,
and splices I have described, he will find a new field open to the use
of rope in innumerable ways. Barrels, casks, bales, or other objects
may be roped, or slung, with ease and security; ropes will be pressed
into service for straps and belts; and buckles may be readily formed
by the simple expedient shown in Fig. 144. If a swivel is required it
can be arranged as shown in Fig. 145, while several simple slings are
illustrated in Figs. 146-148. In a factory, or machine shop, rope
belting will often prove far better than leather, and if well spliced
together will run very smoothly and evenly even on long stretches. As
a recreation for killing time aboard ship, or on rainy vacation days,
few occupations will prove more enjoyable than tying fancy knots and
making new splices and bends or inventing new variations of the
numerous hitches, ties, and knots you already know.
[Illustration: FIG. 144.--Rope buckle.]
[Illustration: FIG. 145.--Swivels.]
[Illustration: FIG. 146]
[Illustration: FIG. 147]
[Illustration: FIG. 148]
[Illustration caption: FIGS. 146, 147, and 148.--Slings.]
HALTERS FOR ANIMALS
Every now and then a temporary halter is needed for a horse, and in
Fig. 149 such a halter is shown. This halter is made by putting the
end of a long rope around the neck of the horse and then tying a
common bow-line knot. (See Fig. 150.) Fig. 151 shows the second step
to be followed, that of passing the rope around the animal's head
twice, while Fig. 152 shows how the second loop is passed under the
first. In Fig. 153 the rope is shown sufficiently long enough to
enable it to be passed over the ears of the animal and leave the
halter completed, as shown in Fig. 154.
[Illustration: FIG. 149--Put a Loop over the Horse's Nose.]
[Illustration: FIG. 150--The "Bowline" Knot.]
[Illustration: FIG. 151--Follow this with a Second Loop.]
[Illustration: FIG. 152--Pass the Second Loop under the First.]
[Illustration: FIG. 153--The Second Loop should be Long.]
[Illustration: FIG. 154--It goes over the Forelock and Ears.]
INDEX
Artificial eye
Baggage
Barrels
Beams
Belaying-pin
Belaying-pin splice
Belting
Bends
Bight
Billet
Blackwall hitch
Blocks
Bolt-rope
Bow-knots
Bow-line
Bow-line on bight
Bow shortening
Boxes
Bridles
Builders' hitch
Builders' knot
Bundles
Butchers' knots
Cable
Casks
Catspaws
Chain hitch
Chain knots
Chests
Cleat tie
Clinches
Close band
Clove hitch
Cordage
Core
Cotton
Cotton rope
Crown braid
Crowning
Crown knots
Cuckolds' necks
Cut splice
Deadeye lashing
Deadeyes
Dogshanks
Double chain
Double crown
Double figure-eight
Double knots
Double plait
Double wall
Double wall and crown
End
Ending
Ending rope
End pointing
Eyes
Eye splice
Fancy knots
Fibres
Fid
Figure-eight knot
Fisherman's hitch
Fisherman's knot
Fivefold knot
Flemish eye
Fourfold knot
Four-strand braid
Four-stranded rope
French shroud knot
Gaff-topsail halyard bend
Garrick bend
Gordian knot
Granny knot
Grass
Grommets
Gunners' knot
Gut lines
Half-hitch
Half-hitch and seizing
Half-hitch work
Handcuff kings
Handcuffs
Handles
Handspike
Hawser hitch
Hawsers
Hemp
Hemp rope
History of rope
Hitches
Hooks
Introduction
Jute
Lanyards
Larks' heads
Lashed cut splice
Lashings
Laying up
Leather braid
Left-handed rope
Long splice
Loop lashings
Loop knots
Loops
Magnus hitch
Manacles
Manila rope
Manrope knot
Marline
Marline spike
Marline-spike seamanship
Matthew Walker knot
Midshipman's hitch
Monkey chain
Mooring knots
Necklace tie
Nettles
Nooses
Open chain
Open-hand knot
Ordinary knot
Overhand knot
Packages
Parcelling
Parts of rope
Pier bend
Pointed rope
Pointing
Quoits
Reef knot
Reefing knots
Repairing rope
Rigging
Right-hand rope
Rings
Roband hitch
Rolling hitch
Rope
Rope buckles
Rose lashing
Round turn
Running bow-line
Running knot
Running noose
Sailors' knots
Seized shortening
Seizing
Selvagee
Selvagee board
Selvagee strap
Serving
Serving mallet
Sevagee
Sheaves
Sheepshanks
Shortenings
Short splice
Shroud knots
Silk
Simple hitch
Simple knots
Single plait
Sinkers
Sisal flax
Sixfold knot
Slings
Slip knots
Slippery hitch
Snaking
Spars
Spiles
Splices
Splicing
Square knots
Standing part
Stopper knot
Stoppers
Stops
Strands
Straps
Strength of rope
String
Studding-sail bend
Swivels
Tackle
Threefold knot
Throat seizing
Ties
Timber
Timber hitch
Toggles
Tomfool knot
Topsail-halyard toggle
Treble knot
Turks' caps
Turks' heads
Twine
Twist braid
Twist knot
Twist shortening
Twists
Wall and crown
Wall crowned
Wall knots
Warp
Waterman's knot
Weaver's knot
Wedding knot
Weight of rope
Wharf tie
Whipping
Wind knots
Wire rope
Worming
Yarn