Page 113 - Derek E. Avery - The new encyclopedia of knots

figure 76.1

figure 76.2

Hemp: an old type of natural vegetable fibre rope, and the strongest.
Although it weathers badly this can be countered by tarring the rope.
Italian tarred hemp is traditionally regarded as the best available. Large
quantities of hemp also came from Russia until the mid-1800s, when it
was replaced by Manila hemp. This was itself replaced by man-made fibres
after the Second World War. Some specialist shops are still able to provide
small quantities of Manila hemp.

Highwayman’s cutaway see highwayman’s hitch.

Highwayman’s hitch or highwayman’s cutaway: as you might expect

from its name, this is a slippery hitch, supposedly designed for the rapid
release of a horse’s tether by fleeing robbers.

Form a bight in the rope and pass it up behind the post. Now pull the
standing part up in front of the post and between the bight at the back.
This will form another bight, through which the working end is pulled
(figure 77.1), to form a third bight (figure 77.2). Pressure applied to the
standing part will not budge the hitch, but a swift downward tug on the

end will release the rope from the post completely.