Page 268 - The Ashley Book of Knots
P. 268

BENDS









                                     some to tie,  and not to be preferred to the following knot, which is




                                      made  in a similar manner.





                                             1412.  This  bend is  called  the RING  KNOT  in  Hutton's  Dictionary




                                     of  1815.  At an  earlier  date Izaak Walton calls  it the  WATER  KNOT,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1412




                                     and Dr. Holden, in Streamcraft  (1919), follows the latter authority.



                                     But  as  there  are  several  other WATER  KNOTS  the  name  RING  KNOT




                                     is perha  s preferable.




                                             It is  a so known as the GUT KNOT.




                                             The RING  KNOT  is  an excellent bend for wet gut. It may be tied



                                     in the wa  illustrated here or a SINGLE  OVERHAND  KNOT  may be put




                                     in  one  0  the  two  ends  and  then  the  other  end  "backed"  for  the




                                     length of the first knot.





                                             1413.  The BARREL  KNOT,  called  BLOOD  KNOT  by  Keith  Rollo,  is
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1415


                                     the best bend there is for small, stiff or slippery line. The ends may




                                     be  trimmed  short  and  the  knot  offers  the  least  resistance  possible




                                     when  drawn  through  water.  It is  sometimes  tied  with  additional



                                     turns, which are unnecessary unless the material is  piano wire. Some-




                                     times  it is  tied with opposite twists,  or with ends  leading  from  op-




                                     posite  sides,  none of which is  an  improvement.  Before  tying  piano




                                     wires,  shellac  and dry  them.  Even  then  the  chances  of success  are




                                     relatively small.





                                             1414.  WATER  KNOT,  also  called  WATERMAN'S,  ENGLISH,  ENGLISH-



                                     MAN'S,  FISHERMAN's,  TRUE-LoVER'S  and  ANGLER'S  KNOT.  Hutton




                                      (1815)  calls it WATER  KNOT.  It is  very strong and one of the com-




                                     monest  of bends employed by anglers,  but it is  needlessly  bulky.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1415'






                                             1415.  GRAPEVINE  KNOT,  also  called  DOUBLE  ENGLISH  KNOT.  This



                                     is used by anglers in knotting horsehair and gut. If the latter is  well




                                     frayed  the DOUBLE  KNOT  does  not bulk objectionably.





                                             1416. This DOUBLE  FIGURE-EIGHT  BEND  is  of interest because both                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       1416




                                      faces present the same appearance, which is identical with one of the



                                     faces  of the WATER  KNOT  (~1414)'






                                             1417. This bend, based on the TIl\lBER  HITCH, is strong and secure.




                                     Moreover it may be tied successfully in galvanized iron and copper


                                            •
                                     WIre.





                                             1418. The WEAVER'S KNOT is the simplest way in which the SHEET




                                     BEND  may  be  tied  in  yarn  and  twine.  It is  employed  for  joining




                                     threads  that  have  parted  in  the  loom,  and  it  has  been  known  and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           1417



                                     used  for this  purpose the  world over for  as  long as  there is  record.




                                     It is not recommended for stiff material that is  to be in constant use,




                                     as it may spill on occasion. For ordinary purposes where a safe knot




                                     is required,  ~ 1474, which does not spill, is  preferable.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1416


                                             1419. A  WEAVER'S  KNOT  that is  closely related to the REEF  KNOT




                                      was shown to me by Charles R. Gidley. Both ends tend to lie in the




                                     same  direction,  which  allows  the  knot  to  pass  through  the  reeds



                                      easily.




                                             WEAVER'S  KNOTS  are  bends  that are  designed  to  be  permanently




                                     tied in small material. There are four pages of WEAVER'S  KNOTS  near




                                     the end of Chapter  2,  and in the same  chapter among FISHERMAN'S



                                     KNOTS  are  a  number  of  methods  for  attaching  a  line  to  a  LEADER




                                     Loop  which are clesely akin to bends.  Among the BECKET  HITCHES




                                      of Chapter 25  will be found others that serve a similar purpose.
































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