Page 122 - Jim Whippy - Reeds Knot Handbook

The monkey’s fist is a fascinating knot with a long history. It
was originally used by sailors to throw a rope from one boat
to another in an emergency. The knot on the end of the line
gave it extra weight that helped to project it through the air
towards the other vessel (acting as a heaving line). Today, it is
more commonly used as a fancy knot for necklaces, earrings,
keyrings, bellpulls or other decorative items. other useFul Knots
This knot can be tied with or without a central core (for
example a round stone). A heavy core gives an extra bit of
weight at the end of the rope.

3
Turn the rope at right
angles and make three more
loops, this time passing the
working end inside the first
set of loops and outside the
second set. At this point the
fist is complete but needs to
be tightened.
4
To tighten the monkey’s
fist, don’t simply pull on
both ends – you will need
to pull each part of the
wrapping until it becomes
snug around the central
core.

121

Rev_Reeds_Knots_inside pages.indd 121 16/07/2012 23:41