Page 101 - Peter Randall - The Craft of the Knot

Chapter 9

PACKING KNOTS

During the holiday season, it’s possible you’ve found yourself struggling to tie
recalcitrant bits of ribbon or string, all the while muttering things under your breath
that run quite contrary to the season’s festive mood. That’s quite unnecessary, because
there are plenty of knots that can be used to secure packages, whether for shipping
them through the mail or handing them to someone yourself.

The most important thing about packing knots is that they be secure and not slip, no

matter how much handling they receive. Some of these knots will be familiar to you (the
Granny Knot is among the most commonly used of all knots), while others will not. With
a little practice, you can learn to tie packages in a strong, secure, and even decorative
way that will be the envy of all your friends.

BUTCHER’S KNOT

Back when most people got their meat from a neighborhood butcher, the Butcher’s Knot
was commonly used to secure joints of meat. Nowadays, when meat usually comes in
sterilized plastic packages on the supermarket shelf, it has become a bit less common,
but you can still find it in use at butcher shops.

STEP 1 Tie a Figure Eight Knot (see Chapter 1) near the running end. Then, pass the

standing part over and around the object, so that it comes back out through the bottom
of the Figure Eight.

STEP 2 Make a Half Hitch (see Chapter 4) with the standing part around the running
end of the Figure Eight.