Page 30 - Des Pawson "Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices"
P. 30
Techniques
To tie a knot you need a piece of rope familiar place and they will not be so
and the knowledge of how to tie the difficult to cope with when you get to
knot. This book contains that knowl¬ more complex knots. Certainly you
edge, but you will need to learn to get should not try to tie the most complex
the most from the book. To help of the knots at the end of the book
describe how to tie a knot, words have without building yourself a base to
evolved over the years to describe the work from. Do not try to run before
various parts of the rope and the moves you can walk, even though we are all
and shapes the rope takes as we are tempted down that road.
making knots. Some of these are self- When you come to make a knot
explanatory. The end that we are using you may not notice, but there are actu¬
to make the knot is called the working ally two distinct stages. First, you need
end, and the length behind it is the to make all the moves that are
working part. The other part of the described. Second, you need to tighten
rope not being used is the standing part or dress the knot into the correct form
with the very end not being used called with the strands positioned correctly,
the standing end. everything being neat tidy and tight.
Folding the rope back on itself will For most knots you will probably do
give a bight in the middle of the rope, this with you fingers and thumbs
Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices
and making a loop with the rope cross¬ almost without thinking
ing itself is a crossing turn, or It is possible to make all the right
sometimes a half hitch. Take the rope moves and then pull the wrong ends of
round an object and it is a turn, with the knot and have either a different
two turns being a round turn. knot or a complete disaster. The tying
It can help if you actually follow of the reef knot (see page 98) and the
the instructions for a very simple knot, way to make it collapse into a slip knot
that you probably know already, such is a good example of this at work—so
as the overhand knot (see page 38) or look for the shape of the finished knot
the reef knot (see page 98). This will and make sure that you have what you
illustrate many of the terms in use in a want. Do take care that the working
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