Page 240 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE TURK'S-HEAD

ber) mdY be used and the euds are "finished off" decorativel , in-

stead of being seized as in the ROUND SINNET. This is the pre erred

method for covering long rails and stanchions aboard ship.

Take any number of strands (in this case an even number is not

required), seize them at the middle around a rope or rail and twist

slightly so that the upper ends all rotate to the right, as in a right

corkscrew, and the lower ends to the left. Now turn the upper set

downward, and using both sets, one leading to the right, one to the

left, lay up a section of ROUND SINNET of the wanted for the

knot. Make as directed for SINNETS ~ 302 I and 3022. But use the

A
rope or rail as a core. Seize at the end and fair all strands. If it is

desired to double this, work the ends back into the structure parallel

with the legs of the opposing set, using a sail needle if convenient.

Do likewise with the other legs until the whole surface is closely

doubled or tripled. Scatter the ends well and trim the knot closely.

1295. The term CoACHWHIPPING is also commonly applied when a

covering is made by the SQUARE SINNET method (~300l). Several

parallel strands are worked as a unit, arocnd a. rope or rail, the whole

surface being covered in· one operation clOd the ends tucked back at

the rim and scattered.

The name CoACHWHIPPING is given ill Alston's Seamanship of

1860 and the name "WHIP STICH" [sic] was applied to it by Ned

Ward in 1707.

A COACHWHIPPING of four leads is the usual thing. It is made with

doubled or tripled strands as described for SINNET ~3015. In cover-

ing a long rail the boatswain should have the assistance of a "mate."

The parallel cords are wound in balls or on bobbins.

1296. With six leads (SINNET ~3016) a boatswain's mate is indis-

pensable, if the bobbins are to remain disentangled.

1297. In making the knots of this chapter the direction of the

strands around the cylinder can be deflected so that the same ma-

terial will cover a very varied circumference.

1298. Instead of sticking the ends back into the structure the

may be tied at the rim in a DIAMOND KNOT, each set of parallel en s

being worked in a unit, after which the ends are sometimes "trimmed

long" and left to form a fringe. This is quite common on stanchions.

The top edge of the knot may be straight, not scalloped, if arranged

as shown in #1295. Ordinarily the knots of the TURK's-lIEAD family

have scalloped rims as detailed in # 1296.

1299. A commoner method of finishing off CoACHWHIPPING on

long rails is to trim all ends close to the seizings and then to cover

them with narrow independent TURK'S-HEADS made of the same or t291

smaller material. For such purposes tarred fishline is often used.

TURK's-HEADS may be made of cord, thongs, tape, shoestrings,

itraw, cellophane, wrapping aper and other flattened materials, and

the rims turned as illustrate in ~ I 895. The ends of flat materials

are laid above and underneath each other before trimming. (Round

material is laid alongside.) Flat ends can be pasted, cemented, glued,

riveted, seized, sewed or spliced together. Pull them forcibly to the

~urface, distorting the knot no more than is necessa ,fasten them

md when fast, work them back out of sight a ain efore cutting

them off. It is commonly unnecessary to fasten t e ends of ordinary

TURK'S-HEADS if they have been properly drawn up.

1~99

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