Page 648 - Bob Holtzman "The Field Guide to Knots How to Identify, Tie, and Untie Over 80 Essential Knots for Outdoor Pursuits"

8. The stacked Half Hitches confer a spiral pattern to the finished French Whipping.

Untying: cannot be untied; must be cut.

Serving a Rope

Wrapping twine around a rope to protect it from abrasion is known as
serving it, and the resulting ropework is either a serving or service. Service

is like whipping, but much longer. Service was used extensively on the

standing rigging of sailing ships to prevent abrasion from other pieces of
standing or running rigging. A French Whipping several inches in length

makes an effective service called a Grapevine Service. In applications where

it won’t be flexed, it can be painted to enhance its durability.

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