Page 58 - Peter Owen - Knots

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SHEET BEND

Also knowll as: COMMON BEND, FLAG BEND
The sheet bend is unusual in thai it can be G)
used to join lines of unequal diameters. It is
probably the most often used of all the
bends, but il is nOll00 percent secure and
should never be used in circumstances
where it is going to be subject to great strain.
Its breaking strain is further reduced in
proportion to the difference in the diameters
of the lines jOined .
Although the knot may be seen in Ancient
Egyptian paintings, the name did not appear ®
in print in 1794. The sheet was originally the
rope attached-fClthe clew (the lower or after
corner) of a sail, which was used for
trimming the sail, and it was from this usage
that the knot derived its name. It is also
traditionally used to join the two corners of a
flag to the rope used for raising or lowering
it. On such occasions it is sometimes referred
toas a flag bend. It can also be used to make
a rope fast to anything with an aperture- a
handle on a spade, for example- through
which the line can be passed and trapped z
under itself. When the knot is tied with the
o
short ends on opposite sides it becomes a
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left-handed. sheet bend, but this is to be
avoided as this knot is not secure.

A slipped sheet bend is
formed by placing a bight
bdween Ute loop of the
heavier rope and the
standing part of the
lighter rope. The slipped
knot may be more easily
untied when the rope is
under strain.

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