Page 130 - The Ashley Book of Knots

MUL TI-STRAND STOPPER OR TERMINAL KNOTS

691. The FOUR-STRAND FULL or DOUBLE MATTHEW WALKER is tied

as has already been described for the THREE-STRAND KNOT (jiW678).

Each strand is moved in tum, counterclockwise, once around the

whole knot. Each strand ties a HALF KNOT to the left, the end being

brought up through the structure as shown in the drawings for JiW678.

The knot having been formed, place the ends together and arrange in

the form of the upper left diagram of this page. Work the knot back

against the seizing, and tighten each strand a little in tum, at all times

keeping it symmetrical. But do not attempt to keep it in disk form.

Get it promptly into cylindrical form as in the right upper drawing.

692. The FOUR-STRAND SINGLE MATI'HEW WALKER is sometimes

seen on fire buckets and is ordinarily tied by first making the FOUR-

STRAND FULL MATI'HEW WALKER as above, and then withdrawing

each strand one tuck only, as illustrated for KNOT JiW 68 I. The direct

method, which is similar to KNOT JiW682, is as follows:

Make a bight with one strand, lead the next strand counterclock-

wise, making a wall with the first strand. Take the third strand and

lead it down and around the stem and up through the second bight.

Last, take the fourth strand, lead it down and around the stem

and up through the third bight. Work the knot fair in disk form, then

draw it taut in cylindrical form.

693. The DIAMOND KNOT, sometimes called the SINGLE DIAMOND,

is an early knot. Falconer mentions it in 1769.

Seize three strands, turn down the ends for a good working length,

and stop them. (A stop is less permanent, but it serves the same pur-

pose as a seizing.) Hold the structure in the left hand, take any strand

and pass it to the right over the adjacent strand and up under the

second strand. Allow the end to hang down away from you over the

back of the hand. Take the next strand to the right, and pass it

to the right over the next adjacent strand and under the second

strand. Repeat with the third strand. If there are more than three

strands, continue until all have been passed in the same manner. Next,

remove the stop and work the knot down hard against the seizing,

at the same time working it taut by hauling up on each strand a little

at a time and in regular order. The ends are finally laid up and

whipped. This knot was first used on jib-boom footropes and later

on side, yoke, and bell ropes.

When tied in a footrope, the strands were whipped and the rope

was opened to half length and knots tied at the distance of a yard

apart, to one end. Then the second end of the rope was opened and

treated likewise. At first seize or stop the rope at the point where

the knot is to be tied. But when the knot has become familiar, the

strands need not be stopped before tying.

If a CONSTRICTOR KNOT (JiW I 249) is put around the ends of a DIA-

MOND KNOT after it is tied, close to the knot, and the ends pulled and

tightened through the CONSTRICTOR, the ends of the knot will have

a much better lead.

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