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What are knots and splices?

As a general term, 'knot' includes all configurations made in a cord or line (or other material). However, when naming knots, the term knot is used in a more specific way. The knotting 'family' is best explained by the following diagrams made by IGKT Member Tim Field:

KNOTS
The rope is tied to itself

STOPPER KNOTS BINDING KNOTS LOOP KNOTS
FIXED LOOPS SLIP LOOPS
Making a bulky part in a rope to stop it passing through an object or to stop the strands unlaying Stopper Knots Joining the ends of a single rope around an object or objects. The knot 'bears upon' the object Binding Knots Whippings, lashings and seizing are special types of binding knot. A single loop or more than one loop that does not close under strain. Fixed Loops Knots that slide, closing the loop under strain or allowing it to be opened. Slip Loops
  • Thumb knot
  • Figure of eight knot
  • Oysterman's knot
  • Heaving line knots also make weight at the end of a rope:
  • Barrel knot
  • Monkey's fist
  • Loaded Turk's Head
  • Reef knot
  • Surgeon's knot
  • Packer's knot
  • Constrictor knot
Whippings for binding rope ends:
Admiralty whipping
West Country whipping
Palm & needle whipping
Lashings for binding spars:
Square/Japanese Diagonal/Filipino
Sheer lashing
Tripod l
  • Seizing for binding ropes:
  • Flat seizing
  • Round seizing
  • Bowline
  • Artillery loop
  • Figure of 8 loop
  • Fireman's chair knot
  • Alpine Butterfly knot
  • Running Bowline
  • Honda knot
  • Handcuff knot
  • Jar sling
  • Hangman's knot
BENDS… join ends HITCHES… tie to something else SHORTENINGS SPLICES
MIDDLE HITCHES END HITCHES
Joining the ends of two ropes. The knot must hold, even when jerked in mid-air. Unlike a binding knot, a bend does not have to bear upon an object. Bends Attaching the middle of a rope to an object when there is strain on both sides of the knot. Middle Htiches Attaching the end of a rope to an object - a ring, a post, a bollard, a peg or even another rope. End Hitches Taking up the slack in a rope. Working with the constituent parts of the rope - disturbing the structure and intertwining the strands. Splices
  • Sheet bend
  • Carrick bend
  • Fishermans 'knot'
  • Hunter's bend

For different thicknesses:

  • Racking bend
  • Bowline bend
  • Clove hitch
  • Marlinspike hitch

Various other hitches are adapted as 'crossing hitches' Blackwall from other knots:

  • Mooring hitch
  • Constrictor knot
  • Cat's paw
  • Lark's Head
  • Timber hitch
  • Becket hitch
  • Round turn and two half hitches
  • Anchor hitch (Fisherman's 'bend')
  • Buntline hitch
To a hook:
Blackwall hitch
Quick-release:
Highwayman's hitch
Lengthwise pull:
Rolling hitch
Increase tension:
Waggoner's hitch (Harvester's hitch)
  • Sheepshank
  • Chain shortening
  • Bellringer's knot
  • Eye splice
  • Short splice
  • Long splice
  • Cut splice
  • Back splice
  • Chain splice
  • Tucked splice

©Tim Field 1999

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