Page 133 - The New Encyclopedia of Knots

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Natural rope: all the kinds of cordage made from natural vegetable fibre, including coir, hemp, jute,
Manila, raffia and sisal.

Needle and palm whipping or sewn whipping: the palm refers to a leather guard worn around the

hand and which is used to push the needle through the rope. Sewn whipping by needle and palm is
both permanent (it will not slip off the end) and tidy.

figure 94.1

figure 94.2

Start by anchoring the end of the twine with a couple of stitches through the rope. Pass turns around
the rope, working towards the working end, but make sure that they are both tight and snug to each
other. When you have made sufficient turns (we suggest that together, they should be equal to the
diameter of the rope) pass the needle through a strand at the top of the rope (figure 94.1) and work the

twine back over the turns so that it lies in a natural groove between two strands of the rope. Stitch
though the next strand at the bottom of the whipping, and take the twine to the top again via another
groove, to repeat the operation up and down the whipping until all of the spiral turns are doubled.
Secure the end of the twine by taking extra stitches through the rope, and the whipping is complete

(figure 94.2).

Sail or whipping twine can be used, but for sheathed ropes both core and sheath must be stitched
together.