Page 39 - The Knot Bible

Constrictor knot

Despite the popularity of the clove hitch in its many forms, in almost
every case there are other knots that can do the job better. One of these
is the constrictor knot. Although only very slightly more complicated than
the clove hitch, it is infi nitely more secure. If anything, it is too secure and
may have to be cut off rather than untied. Like the clove hitch, it lends
itself to being tied in several different ways.

You know you’ve got a special knot surgery. It can be used as a clamp
when it’s one that’s been prescribed while woodworking, or as an
to surgeons some 2,000 years ago. improvised hose clamp or cable tie.
The constrictor knot is one of 18 More commonly, it can be used to
knots recorded by the Greek physician tie the neck of a canvas bag.
Heraklas in a list of surgeons’ knots Tied with thin twine, it can be
published in the fi rst century AD. used to bind the end of a piece of 1 Pass the working end around the
Described by one writer as rope to prevent it fraying, prior to item to be bound – rope, bag, hose,
‘probably the world’s best seizing applying a permanent whipping (see body part, or whatever.
knot’, the constrictor has a wide from page 244). As a temporary
range of applications, apart from seizing, it is more durable than

either a reef knot or a strangle knot,
the other two candidates for the job.
The constrictor knot was one of
the knots studied by Dr Harry Asher
as part of his Law of Loop, Hitch &
Bight published in 1986. Dr Asher
made the point that some knots,
when removed from their point of
attachment (eg pole, ring, or
whatever) will collapse completely,
while others will retain their shape
and have to be untied manually.
He then showed that the knots
that collapsed (eg the constrictor
knot) were those that were able to
be tied in the bight, while those that
kept their shape were not tie-able
in the bight. Strange but true.

KNOT SCORE
Strength
Security
Diffi culty Tying
Diffi culty Untying
Usefulness

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