Page 279 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

knob knots 273

block, monkey forecastle), and the term ‘Monkey’s as the one shown in the photographs, which was
Fist’ was adopted as being somewhat easier to made from simple dry-cleaning hanger wire. Forms
remember. The knot’s principal function is as can also help if you are making just one Monkey
weight at the end of a light line to help with heaving Fist, although your fingers will work well for most
(tossing to another ship, dock, or other mooring). small projects. Ultra-small projects may need a
The weight of the line combined with the core of the smaller and thinner wire frame, shaped similarly to
Monkey Fist will carry for a considerable distance, the one shown here.
depending on the type of line and the mass of the
core. That is not to say that a heavy core is always a
good idea – if you try heaving a line from ship-to-
shore, for instance, it is better to use a Monkey Fist
with a light, floating core so that it will float if your
toss is off and lands in the water. A heavy-cored
Monkey Fist will sink and could snag on a rocky
sea-bed. In an arborist’s work, a heavy core is an
advantage for getting the ball and line through heavy
twigs and leaf cover in a tree of perhaps fifty or more
feet in height. A Monkey Fist may also be useful in
rock-climbing to get a top rope over a projection
above to use when assisting another climber. The second method of making the Monkey Fist
There are seldom any Scouts with whom I have used here is the British Admiralty method, useful
met, be they Boy, Girl, Cub or Sea, who have not at for making the ends of the single cord come out
least heard of the Monkey Fist, and many of them of the knot at the same place. The normal method
have learned how to tie more than one. I made shown in many other books of knotting is to have
matching-sized Monkey Fist earrings, one red and the two ends exit the knob knot at each side of the
one green (for Port and Starboard), in light cotton turns, instead of together like the second one. Take
thread for my wife, many years ago. She wears a look at Hervey Garrett Smith’s illustration of the
them to this day! You may find it helpful, if you are Monkey Fist in his book The Marlinespike Sailor. His
going to make many Monkey Fist knots, to devise a description is very well done and very well worth
formwork skeleton on which you make them, such getting your own copy!

1 Wrap enough turns so that there are the same 2 Turn the cord only (not the frame) to wrap
the same number of turns at 90 degrees to the
first set of turns. Note that the first wrap from
number on each face and enough turns to cover
the bottom appears loose, so hold it with your
at least three-quarters of the sphere.
thumb and build upward on it.