Page 465 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

2787. SALVAGEE or SELVAGEE STRAP EYEs. Marline or rope yarn is

wound around two pegs or nails which are spaced according to the

length required. The strap is marled over and may be served as well.

The cores for chest beckets are often made in this way. The center

between the eyes is generally raised with spun yarn in order to

increase the size of the grip. The details of this are given in Chapter

41 (jIj?3622). The eyes of chest beckets are commonly covered with

ringbolt hitching.

2788. Block straps were formerly made selvagee-fashion and were

either grafted or served over, after which the block was seized in.

2191 Nowadays g;rommet straps are more commonly used.

2789. Slings or cargo straps are sometimes made with eyes tightly

seized into the doubled ends. These are seldom served over as the

selvagee has an excellent "cling" that is most desirable in slinging

cargo.

2790. A snotter for a spritsail rig has a large eye at one end and a
(

2189 ,I small one at the other. Generally these are regular SAILOR'S EYE

SPLICES, but, when made selvagee-fashion, they are seized in and

, served over.

(

( (
2791. An EYE SPLICE for banding or other tubular braided mate-

rial. Pull out the heart and cut off about nine inches of its length.

Skin back the surface yarns in order to reach the heart. Then stretch

the cord and work the remaining heart back into place. Insert a large

sail needle six inches from the end and reeve it eye end first through

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•
the tube for four inches, sticking it out to the surface. Thread the

needle with twine or copper wire, leaving a loop. Loop the bight

end of the sail twine or copper wire over the end of the banding

and pull the banding end through the tube until the eye is of the

desired size. Then smooth out the neck and stretch well before

trimming the end. If the material is soft, sew through with a few

2191 stitches of twine near the cut-off end.

2792. An eye for a braided fishline, or a silk cord. Ravel for an

inch and a half. Twist strongly to the left and serve tightly to the

right with silk thread, holding one end of the splice in a vise or

clamp. This makes an excellent buttonhole in a cord for the knots of

Chapters 5, 9 and 10 when they are required in the end of a lanyard.

2793. An eye for a braided silk cord. Scrape to a taper, wax the

end and form the eye. Take a long thread of the same color and

material, thread it through the needle, seize with a CONSTRICTOR and

serve. Every two or three turns shove the needle through the

material instead of passing around it. Finish off as a whipping or sew

with the needle. See that all frayed ends are covered and that the

finish is smooth and even.

2.1<:)2. 2793

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