Page 85 - Randy Penn Everything Knots Book

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THE EVER YTHING KNOTS BOOK

around the standing ends of the opposite rope. Anything from a
Half Hitch to a Triple Overhand Knot can be used for this purpose.

ESSENTIAL

Do not be surprised that this chapter does not include a
Square Knot. Also called the Reef Knot, it is notorious for
coming undone when used as a bend. If bumped, it will
untie so readily that it is used in magic tricks to give the
appearance of “magically” untying two ropes without effort.
It is especially unstable if used on ropes of different size or
material. If kept flat against a surface, however, it makes a
great binding knot, so you will find it in Chapter 8.

Bends vary in how easily they are untied after being under
strain. Since ease of untying may or may not be desirable
depending on your circumstances, you want to keep this property
in mind when you choose your bend. Knots like the Water Knot
or the Fisherman’s Knot can be very difficult to untie, especially in
twine. The Zeppelin Bend can be untied easily even after being
subjected to great strain.

Working with Two Dissimilar Ropes
It often happens that the ropes you want to join will be of dif-
ferent size or material. Great care must be taken because most
bends have very little security when they are not tied with two iden-
tical ropes. There are two ways of dealing with this. One is to use
a knot that is somewhat suited for ropes of different size, like the
Sheet Bend or the Double Sheet Bend, and the other is to treat
the join as if it were a hitch.
The Sheet Bend is commonly used when a rope of larger size
is tied to a smaller one. In this case, the larger cord is the one that
is bent into a U-shape, as you’ll see in the instructions for tying the
Sheet Bend later in this chapter. If the size difference is too large,

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