Page 364 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

ing on narrow cylinders such as tool handles and seen how to increase the number of bights alone,
lanyards. It starts with a Constrictor Knot, then the using a 3 5 4 or 3 5 5 knot, but what we’re about
end is passed behind the hand, then under, over, and to do is more involved and results in a much more
under, as shown. To finish, take it behind the hand impressive finished product.
once more, and lead it alongside the standing part, Let’s start with a comparison to weaving. Fig-
to double and triple. ure 10-22A shows two vertical strands with two
horizontal strands woven into them. All the strands
Four Leads by Five Bights follow a regular under-and-over sequence. In Fig-
A handsome knot, and complicated enough to ure 10-22B, a third horizontal strand has been
impress the neighbors (Figure 10-21). Start with an added, but its course duplicates that of the middle
Overhand Knot with the end leading off to the right. strand. As a result, the left vertical strand now fol-
Pass the end behind the hand, bring it up on the left lows an under-one-and-over-two sequence, while
side of the standing part, and tuck it up to the right, the right strand goes under two and over one. The
through the center of the Overhand Knot. Rotate the symmetry of the weave has been lost. But we can
works toward you and tuck the end over and under regain it by introducing a fourth horizontal strand
to the left. Rotate back to where you were, pass the (Figure 10-22C) above the third one, in an oppos-
end behind your hand, again on the left side, but this ing sequence.
time pass it over the standing part, then under, over, This is essentially the process followed in
and under as shown. Rotate things toward you again enlarging Turk’s Heads. It’s referred to as “split-
and pass the end over, under, and over to finish. ting the lead”; first you create an asymmetry by
leading the end parallel to an existing lead, then
Building Up you go around again and restore order. The trick
One of the most interesting and least understood is in knowing which lead to parallel, no small mat-
features of the Turk’s Head is that one can increase ter since the niceties of harmonic sequence must
the number of leads and bights in a given knot, be attended to here as well as in the formation of
building it up to make a more complex knot. We’ve the knot you enlarge. Typically, writers of knot

Figure 10-22. A weaving comparison. Four pieces of twine can be arranged in a regular under-and-over weave
(A), but introducing a fifth strand between the original horizontal strands makes the weave asymmetrical; the
left-hand vertical strand now goes under one and over two, while the right-hand vertical strand goes over one
and under two (B). The symmetry of the weave is restored by introducing a sixth strand whose course is opposite
that of the fifth strand; once again all strands follow a regular under-and-over sequence (C).

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