Page 15 - Peter Randall - The Craft of the Knot

are two ways of starting a hitch around a ring, bar, or rail. With the turn, the running
end is passed just once around the rail, which will allow a transfer of strain from the
standing part to the rest of the knot. This may be desirable for some hitches that are
better able to hold with strain on them. With the round turn, the extra turn around the
rail allows friction to help hold against strain in the standing part, which may help

when hitching a rope under strain and takes some of the strain off the knot. The round
turn is the first part of the popular hitch called the Round Turn and Two Half Hitches.

TYING OVERHAND

The Overhand Knot and the Multiple Overhand Knot structures are used in many knots,
and it is valuable to become familiar with their form. The following illustration shows
the shape of a Multiple Overhand Knot of three turns in what is called its “belly-and-
spine” form (the belly may also be referred to as the bight).

When you tighten the Multiple Overhand Knot by pulling on both ends, the belly

wraps around the spine until it is barrel shaped, as shown here.

THE BEST KNOT FOR THE JOB

When you open a drawer or box of tools, it is immediately obvious that some of them
are right and some of them are wrong for the job you have in mind. When you have a

job to do with rope, the knots you know will serve you as your toolbox. Just as you
would not have much use for a toolbox with just one tool in it, you would not want to
do different jobs with rope or string with just one knot. You will want to learn a few

different types of knots and learn to use the right one for your application.