Page 234 - Des Pawson "Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices"

Four-Lead, Five-Bight Turk’s Head

The more leads and bights, the more

complex the start. As you make the
passes round your hand, look out for
the way that paths or ladders are

prepared for the future when you will
need to pass under, over, under, over to

lock the structure into its continuous
weave. If you find difficulty with

keeping passes in place, you may prefer
to try making this knot round a rolled
piece of cardboard and hold the line in

place with pins. Use this Turk’s head
when you want a wider band with a

larger diameter. When you are familiar
with making the four-lead, five-bight

Turk’s head, use it to cover a “T”
junction such as the place where a
spoke on a ship’s wheel touches the rim

or the handle on a corkscrew. Because
of the even number of leads, it is

possible to split the leads each side of
Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices
the junction.

1 Bring the rope round the hand and tuck
under itself, open out the “diamond."
2 Bring the rope round the hand and

passing under the standing part and up
through the “diamond," This will create a
“diamond ladder” for later.

3 Tuck by going over then under to the left.
This will form a “diamond ladder.” Keep it
in place, it will be used in the next cycle

of passes.

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