Page 140 - Adlard Coles "The Knot Bible"

LOOPS

KNOT KNOW-HOW

The hangman’s noose wasn’t always
tied in the form of a knot. The standard
executioner’s kit issued in the UK until
the 1960s included a running noose
with a hard eye (page 264) spliced
into the end of the line. The noose
was traditionally placed behind the
condemned person’s left ear. Other
items in the kit included a hood, various
straps, and a bottle of whisky, to calm
4 Once the required number of 5 Tighten the knot by working the the prisoner’s nerves.
turns are complete (6–8 for an eye slack upwards through the end.
‘splice’, 9–13 for a hanging), tuck the
end through the topmost bight.

139