Page 156 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

150 tHe ULtiMAte Book oF DecorAtive knots

graFTing anD poinTing
Rope ends need pointing when used for agricultural,
arborist, nautical, and other applications in which
a line must be repeatedly passed through a ring
or a shackle. Grafting also has a practical use –
protecting a line from being frayed early in its life.
All rope ends require some finishing in my opinion,
whether by burning (not very decorative, but
functional), with a stopper knot, or a whipping or
a piece of grafting or pointing. A snaked whipping
will prevent the end of a line from coming undone
regardless of the conditions to which it is exposed,
and is also quite beautiful. It is to the decorative
aspect that we are drawn in this book.
Ashley’s #3557 pointing to the end of a line. Note
the snaked whipping top and bottom on the right-
most illustration taken from the famed Ashley Book
of Knots.

and then incorporating them into the finished
piece as part of the pattern. The finish can look
very elegant on a bellpull, a light pendant, or as an
alternative to a tassel end on a curtain tieback.

pointing a rope end
Many would tell you that you cannot point a rope
at anyone because it is too limp, but a rope end can
be pointed – just using a different meaning for the
word! In this alternate meaning, pointing is the
wrapping of all alternate layers of the outer covering
yarns of each of a rope’s basic strands with a
wrapping cord, to give some rigidity to the rope end.
This helps in being able to ‘point’ the line to where
This example shows a rope end on a dead-eye’s lan- you want it to go. If, for instance, you want to poke
yard as the finish to a Matthew Walker stopper.
the end of the line through a small ring, for keeping
some drapes in place, then by applying pointing to
Normally people who wish to use something a the line you will end up with a stiffer and more hard-
little more elegant than simply burning the ends or, wearing ‘end’ to your line. Of course, as a decorative
worse still, allowing them to fray like cows’ tails, finish, a silken rope may be pointed to give it a more
will perhaps wish to try this alternative to normal elegant appearance. This is often done with curtain
whipping methods when they have some time on tiebacks and the ends of pull cords. To be consistent
their hands and wish to draw admiring glances and with the use of the words in weaving, we describe
discussions from their fellow rope-users. It can here the weft threads as those crossing from one
be applied equally to braided lines or to laid lines, side of the line to the other, while the warp cords are
because it involves taking the yarns out separately those that lie along the piece.