Page 17 - Des Pawson "Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices"

Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices

be given up; perhaps the fruits of one or creating beautiful examples of ropework

even two voyages. Men would trade rather than watching a video, carrying on
knots among themselves, vying with one the tradition of the old time sailor.

another to produce the best work, It is not just the oldest methods of
encouraging the beginners to show that transport that need knots, the world of

they were real sailors. space travel found that knots tying
He could prepare for the next run together bundles of cables performed

ashore by making himself a life preserver, better than clips—so, remember those
walking stick, or night stick, or perhaps a knots circling the sky in our communica¬
knotted rope animal, a bag, or mat as a tion satellites. There will be a need for

gift .The rope mat at the entry of the knots on the moon, just as we still need
home would signify the fact that this was knots today in all walks of life.

the home of a man who worked at sea.
The sailor, often part of an international
crew and so in contact with knots from

around the world, was an ambassador for
and collector of knots, spreading and

trading knot knowledge around the globe.
To give some idea as to just
how much skill and knowledge these

ropeworking artists could possess,
C. W. Ashley in his monumental work,

The Ashley Book of Knots (1944),
illustrates over 3,500 differing knots,

splices, and other ropeworking tech¬
niques. Far less rope is used at sea today,

yet it is still true to say that a ship cannot
go to sea without ropes and there can be
found some very special examples of rope-

work in hi tech fibers on the rigging of
today’s racing yacht. There is still the occa¬ Above: Examples of sailors’ decorative

sional sailor who will spend his spare time ropework.

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