Page 23 - Gibson W.B. "The complete guide to knots"

15
"Two Rope" Square Knot

Seldom, if ever, has the peculiar
construction of the Square Knot (or
Reef Knot) been properly analyzed.
This knot can be formed solely by the
union of two bights, nothing more.
That's right — you use a bight. tweaaaKjaaaBtr
Take the exact center of the long
rope, and form the center into a
downward bight (fig. 1.)
Take one end of the short (ten
inch) rope and insert it through the fig. 1
bight from front to back, and right to
left. Then, carry it across in front of
the neck and narrow portion of the
bight (fig. 2.)
Thrust that same end through the
bight, this time from front to back,
bringing it out the left side of the
bight, as you view it (fig. 3.)
Get the short rope "middled" and
pull the ends of both ropes. The
result is instantaneous and obvious fig. 2
(fig. 4). You have a Square Knot
formed by two bights.
Note that the ropes hold strongly
in that position. Nothing could be
stronger at the middle of a rope. If
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they cause trouble, it's always when
an end is too close.
You will observe, too, that the
bights can be loosened by simply
pushing them toward each other. The
operation of this knot, so simplified,
is of value in the study of the more
fig. 3
complicated knots that will now be
discussed.

TSS3SS33SG

fig. 4