Page 39 - J. C. Turner - History and Science of Knots

26 History and Science of Knots

Binding Knots and Hitches using Two Turns
With two turns round the object, a large number of binding knots or hitches
could have been formed quite readily. I show here (Fig. 4) only those that
require wrapping the medium twice round the object in a set pattern, followed
by a single tuck of the running end. All these knots could have been obtained
by chance tucking of the end.

Fig. 4. Binding knots using two turns and a single tuck

If a simple Round Turn was used, with no riding turns, the only single-
tuck knots possible were the analogues of (8), (10) or (13); these would have
been very little more effective than the originals.
In (19), the running end was passed round the object, crossed over the
proximal standing part and passed round again, tucking directly under the
distal standing part. This forms the Clove Hitch (#1245). In (20), the final
tuck was taken under the distal standing part in the opposite direction, forming
a Half Hitch and Half Knot (#0). In (21), the medium was passed over the
distal standing part and a tuck taken directly under the proximal standing
part. This forms a Sack Hitch, shown in Ashley in various conformations and
under various names in #277, 390, 1243, 1676. In (22), the final tuck was
taken under the proximal standing part in the opposite direction to make a
Snug Hitch (#1674).
In (23) and (24), the running end was passed round the object and crossed
over the proximal standing part as before, but then brought back between
the proximal and distal standing parts, tucking directly under the proximal
standing part in (23), forming the Miller's Hitch (#389, 1242), or reversed in
(24), forming the Bag Hitch (#388, 1241). Tucks under the distal standing
part from this start would have given unstable knots, where the two ends
could unlock and pass back round the object, leaving either a Round Turn or
an Overhand Knot.
Additional knots could, of course, have been obtained by using more than
one tuck or more than two turns, or by reversing the direction of the turns at
some stage.