Knot

A knot is an intentional complication in

cordage which may be practical or
decorative, or both. Practical knots are
classified by function, including hitches,
bends, loop knots, and splices: a hitch
fastens a rope to another object; a bend
fastens two ends of a rope to each
another; a loop knot is any knot creating a
loop, and splice denotes any multi-strand
knot, including bends and loops.[1] A knot
may also refer, in the strictest sense, to a
stopper or knob at the end of a rope to
keep that end from slipping through a
grommet or eye. Knots have excited
interest since ancient times for their
practical uses, as well as their topological
intricacy, studied in the area of
mathematics known as knot theory.

Some knots
 1. Yarn knot (ABoK #2688)
2. Manrope knot (ABoK #847)
3. Granny knot (ABoK #1206)
4. Wall and crown knot (ABoK #670, #671)
5. Matthew Walker's knot (ABoK #681)
. Shroud knot (ABoK #1580)

7. Turk's head knot (ABoK #1278-#1397)

. Overhand knot, Figure-of-eight knot (ABoK #514,
#520)
9. Reef knot, Square knot (ABoK #1402)
10. Two half-hitches (ABoK #54)

Artwork with different knots.

An example of a quipu from the Inca Empire, currently
in the Larco Museum Collection.

Alexander cuts the Gordian Knot, by Jean-Simon

Berthélemy (1743–1812)
Gordian Knot statue (1990)

Magimagi sennit of Fiji around wooden ceiling posts.

Blackfoot "Teton" tipi tie[2]

History
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Knots and knotting have been used and

studied throughout history. For example,
Chinese knotting is a decorative handicraft
art that began as a form of Chinese folk
art in the Tang and Song Dynasty (960-
1279 AD) in China, later popularized in the
Ming. Knot theory is the recent
mathematical study of unknots.

Knots of ancient origin include the bottle

sling, bowline, cat's paw, clove hitch, cow
hitch, double fisherman's knot, eskimo
bowline, figure-eight knot, fisherman's
knot, half hitch, kalmyk loop, one-sided
overhand bend, overhand knot, overhand
loop, reef knot, running bowline, single
hitch, thief knot, Turk's head knot, and two
half-hitches.

The eleven main knots of Chinese knotting

are the four-flower knot, six-flower knot,
Chinese button knot, double connection
knot, double coin knot, agemaki, cross
knot, square knot, Plafond knot, Pan
Chang knot, and the good luck knot.

Knots of more recent origin include the

friendship knot of Chinese knotting. The
sheepshank knot originates from 1627
while the Western Union splice originates
from the beginning of telegraphy.

Use
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There is a large variety of knots, each with

properties that make it suitable for a range
of tasks. Some knots are used to attach
the rope (or other knotting material) to
other objects such as another rope, cleat,
ring, or stake. Some knots are used to bind
or constrict objects. Decorative knots
usually bind to themselves to produce
attractive patterns.
Teaching …

Sailors learning knots and ropework in the early 20th

century

Sailor Bag with different knots.

While some people can look at diagrams
or photos and tie the illustrated knots,
others learn best by watching how a knot
is tied. Knot tying skills are often
transmitted by sailors, scouts, climbers,
canyoners, cavers, arborists, rescue
professionals, stagehands, fishermen,
linemen and surgeons. The International
Guild of Knot Tyers is an organization
dedicated to the promotion of knot tying.

Applications …

Truckers in need of securing a load may

use a trucker's hitch, gaining mechanical
advantage. Knots can save spelunkers
from being buried under rock. Many knots
can also be used as makeshift tools, for
example, the bowline can be used as a
rescue loop, and the munter hitch can be
used for belaying. The diamond hitch was
widely used to tie packages on to donkeys
and mules.

In hazardous environments such as

mountains, knots are very important. In the
event of someone falling into a ravine or a
similar terrain feature, with the correct
equipment and knowledge of knots a
rappel system can be set up to lower a
rescuer down to a casualty and set up a
hauling system to allow a third individual
to pull both the rescuer and the casualty
out of the ravine. Further application of
knots includes developing a high line,
which is similar to a zip line, and which
can be used to move supplies, injured
people, or the untrained across rivers,
crevices, or ravines. Note the systems
mentioned typically require carabiners and
the use of multiple appropriate knots.
These knots include the bowline, double
figure eight, munter hitch, munter mule,
prusik, autoblock, and clove hitch. Thus
any individual who goes into a
mountainous environment should have
basic knowledge of knots and knot
systems to increase safety and the ability
to undertake activities such as rappelling.

Knots can be applied in combination to

produce complex objects such as lanyards
and netting. In ropework, the frayed end of
a rope is held together by a type of knot
called a whipping knot. Many types of
textiles use knots to repair damage.
Macramé, one kind of textile, is generated
exclusively through the use of knotting,
instead of knits, crochets, weaves or
felting. Macramé can produce self-
supporting three-dimensional textile
structures, as well as flat work, and is
often used ornamentally or decoratively.
Properties

Strength …

Knots weaken the rope in which they are

made.[3] When knotted rope is strained to
its breaking point, it almost always fails at
the knot or close to it, unless it is defective
or damaged elsewhere. The bending,
crushing, and chafing forces that hold a
knot in place also unevenly stress rope
fibers and ultimately lead to a reduction in
strength. The exact mechanisms that
cause the weakening and failure are
complex and are the subject of continued
study. Special fibers that show differences
in color in response to strain are being
developed and used to study stress as it
relates to types of knots.[4][5]

Relative knot strength, also called knot

efficiency, is the breaking strength of a
knotted rope in proportion to the breaking
strength of the rope without the knot.
Determining a precise value for a
particular knot is difficult because many
factors can affect a knot efficiency test:
the type of fiber, the style of rope, the size
of rope, whether it is wet or dry, how the
knot is dressed before loading, how rapidly
it is loaded, whether the knot is repeatedly
loaded, and so on. The efficiency of
common knots ranges between 40—80%
of the rope's original strength.[6]

In most situations forming loops and

bends with conventional knots is far more
practical than using rope splices, even
though the latter can maintain nearly the
rope's full strength. Prudent users allow
for a large safety margin in the strength of
rope chosen for a task due to the
weakening effects of knots, aging,
damage, shock loading, etc. The working
load limit of a rope is generally specified
with a significant safety factor, up to 15:1
for critical applications.[7] For life-
threatening applications, other factors
come into play.

Security …

Even if the rope does not break, a knot

may still fail to hold. Knots that hold firm
under a variety of adverse conditions are
said to be more secure than those that do
not. Repeated, dynamic loads will cause
virtually every knot to fail.[8]

The main ways knots fail to hold are:

Slipping …
The load creates tension that pulls the
rope back through the knot in the direction
of the load. If this continues far enough,
the working end passes into the knot and
the knot unravels and fails. This behavior
can worsen when the knot is repeatedly
strained and let slack, dragged over rough
terrain, or repeatedly struck against hard
objects such as masts and flagpoles.

Even with secure knots, slippage may

occur when the knot is first put under real
tension. This can be mitigated by leaving
plenty of rope at the working end outside
of the knot, and by dressing the knot
cleanly and tightening it as much as
possible before loading. Sometimes, the
use of a stopper knot or, even better, a
backup knot can prevent the working end
from passing through the knot; but if a
knot is observed to slip, it is generally
preferable to use a more secure knot. Life-
critical applications often require backup
knots to maximize safety.

Capsizing …

Bowline
To capsize (or spill) a knot is to change its
form and rearrange its parts, usually by
pulling on specific ends in certain ways.[6]
When used inappropriately, some knots
tend to capsize easily or even
spontaneously. Often the capsized form of
the knot offers little resistance to slipping
or unraveling. A reef knot, when misused
as a bend, can capsize dangerously.

Sometimes a knot is intentionally capsized

as a method of tying another knot, as with
the "lightning method" of tying a bowline.
Some knots, such as the carrick bend, are
generally tied in one form then capsized to
obtain a stronger or more stable form.
Sliding …

In knots that are meant to grip other

objects, failure can be defined as the knot
moving relative to the gripped object.
While the knot itself does not fail, it ceases
to perform the desired function. For
instance, a simple rolling hitch tied around
a railing and pulled parallel to the railing
might hold up to a certain tension, then
start sliding. Sometimes this problem can
be corrected by working-up the knot
tighter before subjecting it to load, but
usually the problem requires either a knot
with more wraps or a rope of different
diameter or material.
Releasability …

Knots differ in the effort required to untie

them after loading. Knots that are very
difficult to untie, such as the water knot,
are said to "jam" or be jamming knots.
Knots that come untied with less difficulty,
such as the Zeppelin bend, are referred to
as "non-jamming".

Components

A: open loop, B: closed loop, C: turn, D: round turn, E:

two round turns.
#34 Cross#35 Elbow #36 Round turn

#27 End#29 Bight #28 Standing

Bight …

A bight is any curved section, slack part,

or loop between the ends of a rope,
string, or yarn.

Bitter end …
As a ropeworker's term, "bitter end"
refers to the end of a rope that is tied
off. In British nautical usage, the bitter
end is the ship end of the anchor cable,
secured by the anchor bitts and the
bitter pin in the cable locker under the
forecastle. At anchor, the more anchor
line that is paid out, the better the
anchor's hold. In a storm, if the anchor
drags, ships will pay out more and more
anchor line until they reach the "bitter
end." At this point, they can only hope
the anchor holds, hence the expression
"hanging on to the bitter end". (A bitt is a
metal block with a crosspin for tying
 lines to, also found on piers.) Also, the
working end.

Loop …

A curve narrower than a bight but with

separate ends.

Elbow …

Two crossing points created by an extra

twist in a loop or a circle.

Standing end …

The standing end is the longer end of

the rope not involved in the knot, often
shown as unfinished. It is often (but not
always) the end of the rope under load
 after the knot is complete. For example,
when a clove hitch ties a boat to a pier,
the end going to the boat is the standing
end.

Standing part …

Section of line between knot and the

standing end (seen above).

Turn …

A turn or single turn is a curve with

crossed legs.
A round turn is the complete
encirclement of an object; requires two
passes.
 Two round turns circles the object twice;
requires three passes.

Working end …

The active end of a line used in making

the knot. May also be called the "running
end", "live end", or "tag end".

Working part …

Section of line between knot and the

working end.

Knot categories
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The list of knots is extensive, but common
properties allow for a useful system of
categorization. For example, loop knots
share the attribute of having some kind of
an anchor point constructed on the
standing end (such as a loop or overhand
knot) into which the working end is easily
hitched, using a round turn. An example of
this is the bowline. Constricting knots
often rely on friction to cinch down tight
on loose bundles; an example is the
Miller's knot. Knots may belong to more
than one category.

Bend
A knot uniting two lines[9] (for knots
joining two ends of the same line, see
binding knots or loops). List of bends.
Binding
A knot that restricts object(s) by making
multiple winds. List of binding knots.
Coil knot
Knots used to tie up lines for storage.
Decorative knot
A complex knot exhibiting repeating
patterns often constructed around and
enhancing an object. List of decorative
knots.
Hitch
A knot tied to a post, cable, ring, or spar.
List of hitch knots.
Lashing
A knot used to hold (usually) poles
together.
Loop
A knot used to create a closed circle in a
line. List of loop knots.
Plait (or braid)
A number of lines interwoven in a simple
regular pattern. List of plait knots.
Slip (or running)
A knot tied with a hitch around one of its
parts. In contrast, a loop is closed with a
bend. While a slip knot can be closed, a
loop remains the same size. List of slip
knots.
Slipped
Some knots may be finished by passing
a bight rather than the end, for ease of
untying. The common shoelace knot is
an example, being a reef knot with both
ends slipped.
Seizing
A knot used to hold two lines or two
parts of the same line together.[9] List of
seizing knots.
Sennit
A number of lines interwoven in a
complex pattern. See also Chain sinnet.
Splice
A knot formed by interweaving strands
of rope rather than whole lines. More
 time-consuming but usually stronger
than simple knots. List of splices.
Stopper
A knot tied to hold a line through a hole.
Whipping
A binding knot used to prevent another
line from fraying.

Basic useful knots …

Alpine butterfly knot for a secure loop in

the middle of a rope when the ends
aren't free
Bowline for tying a loop in the end of a
rope, as around one's waist or to secure
a ring or grommet. The knot is also used
as an anchor knot and is used in many
knot systems that are used in
mountainous terrain such as a highline
or hauling system.
Constrictor knot for making bundles or
cinching the neck of a sack, though this
knot jams and may need to be cut
Figure-eight knot as a stopper
Grass bend for tying belts together,
though insecure with ropes
Monkey's fist used to weight the end of
a rope
Prusik for ascending a rope
Reef knot (square knot), a common but
insecure binding knot for joining the
 ends of a piece of cordage wrapped
around an object or objects
Sheet bend for joining the ends of two
ropes, which need not be the same
diameter
Double sheet bend for tying the
ends of two dissimilarly sized ropes
together
Spanish bowline used to hoist crewmen
aloft or suspend them over the side
Versatackle for hoisting heavy loads and
tightening rigging
Water knot for tying a knot in flat
material such as nylon webbing
Hitches …
Anchor bend (or anchor hitch) for tying a
rope to a boat anchor
Clove hitch for tying a rope to a pole –
simple and won't jam, but not
particularly secure and won't work on
rectangular shapes
Buntline hitch for tying a rope to a pole
or other shape, but can jam
Diamond hitch for packing trail animals
Rolling hitch for securing a rope to a
pole when the pull is lengthwise rather
than outward, or to tie one rope to the
middle of another
Taut-line hitch (or Midshipman's hitch)
for forming an adjustable (ratcheting)
 loop that does not slip smaller under
tension
Timber hitch for securing or hauling long
narrow loads, with the pull in one
direction
Trucker's hitch for clinching down a load

Trick knots …

Trick knots are knots that are used as part

of a magic trick, a joke, or a puzzle. They
are useful for these purposes because
they have a deceptive appearance, being
easier or more difficult to tie or untie than
their appearance would suggest. The
easiest trick knot is the slip knot.[10] Other
noted trick knots include:
 Grief knot. The starkly differing behavior
of the knot, depending on how it is
arranged, has been exploited as the
basis of a parlor trick.[11] When pulling
on the standing ends the knot starts
slipping and the working ends become
crossed. By twisting the working ends
so that they uncross and then recross in
reverse, the knot's structure capsizes so
that it will no longer slip. The twisting
motion resembles the turning of a key,
"locking" and "unlocking" the knot.
Tom fool's knot, used as a trick knot due
to the speed with which it can be made.

Coxcombing
Coxcombing is a decorative knotwork
performed by sailors during the Age of
Sail.

The general purpose was to dress-up,

protect, or help identify specific items and
parts of ships and boats.

It is still found today in some whippings

and wrappings of small diameter line on
boat tillers and ships' wheels to enhance
the grip, or to identify rudder amidships.

Knots used in coxcombing include Turk's

head knot, Flemish, French whipping, and
others.
Knot theory

A trefoil knot is a mathematical version of an

overhand knot.

Knot theory is a branch of topology. It

deals with the mathematical analysis of
knots, their structure and properties, and
with the relationships between different
knots. In topology, a knot is a figure
consisting of a single loop with any
number of crossing or knotted elements: a
closed curve in space which may be
moved around so long as its strands never
pass through each other. As a closed loop,
a mathematical knot has no proper ends,
and cannot be undone or untied; however,
any physical knot in a piece of string can
be thought of as a mathematical knot by
fusing the two ends. A configuration of
several knots winding around each other is
called a link. Various mathematical
techniques are used to classify and
distinguish knots and links. For instance,
the Alexander polynomial associates
certain numbers with any given knot; these
numbers are different for the trefoil knot,
the figure-eight knot, and the unknot (a
simple loop), showing that one cannot be
moved into the other (without strands
passing through each other).[12]

Physical theory of friction

knots
A simple mathematical theory of hitches
has been proposed by Bayman[13] and
extended by Maddocks and Keller.[14] It
makes predictions that are approximately
correct when tested empirically.[15] No
similarly successful theory has been
developed for knots in general.

Knot tying
 This section does not cite any sources.
Learn more

The Ashley Book of Knots is considered the definitive

work on the topic

Knot tying consists of the techniques and

skills employed in tying a knot in rope,
nylon webbing, or other articles. The
proper tying of a knot can be the
difference between an attractive knot and
a messy one, and occasionally life and
death. It is important to understand the
often subtle differences between what
works, and what doesn't. For example,
many knots "spill" or pull through,
particularly if they are not "backed up,"
usually with a single or double overhand
knot to make sure the end of the rope
doesn't make its way through the main
knot, causing all strength to be lost.

Difficulty …

The tying of a knot may be very

straightforward (such as with an overhand
knot), or it may be more complicated, such
as a monkey's fist knot. Tying knots
correctly requires an understanding of the
type of material being tied (string, cord,
monofilament line, kernmantle rope, or
nylon webbing). For example, cotton string
may be very small and easy to tie with
much internal friction to keep it from
falling apart once tied, while stiff 5/8" thick
kernmantle rope will be very difficult to tie,
and may be so slick as to tend to come
apart once tied.

Material …

The form of the material will influence the

tying of a knot as well. Rope is round in
cross-section, and has little dependence
upon the manner in which the material is
tied. Nylon webbing, on the other hand, is
flat, and usually "tubular" in construction,
meaning that it is spiral-woven, and has a
hollow core. In order to retain as much of
the strength as possible with webbing, the
material must be tied "flat" such that
parallel sections do not cross, and that the
sections of webbing are not twisted when
they cross each other within a knot.

The crossing of strands is important when

dealing with round rope in other knots; for
example, the figure-eight loop loses
strength when strands are crossed while
the knot is being "finished" and tightened.
Moreover, the standing end or the end
from which the hauling will be done must
have the greater radius of curvature in the
finished knot to maximize the strength of
the knot.

Tools …

Tools are sometimes employed in the

finishing or untying of a knot, such as a fid,
a tapered piece of wood that is often used
in splicing. With the advent of wire rope,
many other tools are used in the tying of
"knots." However, for cordage and other
non-metallic appliances, the tools used are
generally limited to sharp edges or blades
such as a sheepsfoot blade, occasionally a
fine needle for proper whipping of laid
rope, a hot cutter for nylon and other
synthetic fibers, and (for larger ropes) a
shoe for smoothing out large knots by
rolling them on the ground.

Use by animals
The hagfish is known to strip slime from
its skin by tying itself into a simple
overhand knot, and moving its body to
make the knot travel toward the tail. It also
uses this action in reverse (tail to head) to
pry out flesh after biting into a carcass.

See also
Circuit topology
 Chinese knotting
Gordian Knot
International Guild of Knot Tyers
List of knots
Quipu
History of knotting

References

Citations …

1. Ashley, Clifford W. (1944), The Ashley

Book of Knots, New York: Doubleday,
p. 12
2. Anthropological Papers of the
American Museum of Natural History.
Material culture of the Blackfoot
Indians. 1910.
3. Richards, Dave (2005). "Knot Break
Strength vs Rope Break Strength" .
Nylon Highway. Vertical Section of the
National Speleological Society (50).
Retrieved 2010-10-11.
4. Greenfieldboyce, Nell (January 2,
2020). "A Knotty Problem Solved" . All
Things Considered. Retrieved
3 January 2020.
5. Patil, Vishal P.; Sandt, Joseph D.; Kolle,
Mathias; Dunkel, Jörn (3 January
2020). "Topological Mechanics of
Knots and Tangles" . Science. 367
(6473): 71–75.
doi:10.1126/science.aaz0135 .
PMID 31896713 . S2CID 209677605 .
Retrieved 3 January 2019.
. Warner, Charles (1996), "Studies on the
Behaviour of Knots", in Turner, J.C.;
van de Griend, P. (eds.), History and
Science of Knots, K&E Series on Knots
and Everything, 11, Singapore: World
Scientific Publishing, pp. 181–203,
ISBN 978-981-02-2469-1
7. "Knot & Rope Safety" . Animated Knots
by Grog. 2010. Archived from the
original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved
2010-09-14.. "Knot & Rope Safety ",
AnimatedKnots.com. Accessed April
2016.
. Daily-Diamond, Christopher A. (12 April
2017). "The roles of impact and inertia
in the failure of a shoelace knot" .
Proceedings of the Royal Society. 473
(2200): 20160770.
doi:10.1098/rspa.2016.0770 .
PMC 5415684 . PMID 28484324 .
 9. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Knot"  .
Encyclopædia Britannica. 15
(11th ed.). Cambridge University
Press. p. 871.
10. Karl Fulves, Joseph K. Schmidt, Self-
Working Rope Magic: 70 Foolproof
Tricks (1990), page 17.
11. Ashley, Clifford W. (1944), The Ashley
Book of Knots, New York: Doubleday,
p. 415
 12. Nakanishi, Yasutaka; Okada, Yuki
(2012). "Differences of Alexander
polynomials for knots caused by a
single crossing change" . Topology
and Its Applications. 159 (4): 1016–
1025.
doi:10.1016/j.topol.2011.11.023 .
13. Bayman, "Theory of hitches," Am J
Phys, 45 (1977) 185
14. Maddocks, J.H. and Keller, J. B.,
"Ropes in Equilibrium," SIAM J Appl.
Math., 47 (1987), pp. 1185–1200.
15. "The physics of knots" .
www.lightandmatter.com.

General sources …
Clifford W. Ashley. The Ashley Book of
Knots. Doubleday, New York. ISBN 0-
385-04025-3.
Geoffrey Budworth (1999). The Ultimate
Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework.
Annes Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-
55267-986-1.
John Cassidy (1985). The Klutz Book of
Knots. Klutz Press, Palo Alto, California.
ISBN 0-932592-10-4.
Cyrus L. Day. Knots & Splices.
International Marine/McGraw-Hill
Companies. ISBN 0-87742-252-4.
Raoul Graumont. Handbook of Knots.
Cornell Maritime Press/Tidewater
Publishers. ISBN 0-87033-030-6.
R.S. Lee. All The Knots You Need.
Algrove Publishing. ISBN 0-921335-47-4.
Allen Padgett and Bruce Smith. On Rope.
National Speleological Society. ISBN 0-
9615093-2-5.
Des Pawson (2001). Pocket Guide to
Knots & Splices. Produced for Propsero
Books by RPC Publishing Ltd., London.
ISBN 1-55267-218-2.
Brion Toss. The Complete Rigger's
Apprentice. International
Marine/McGraw-Hill Companies.
ISBN 0-07-064840-9.
 J. C. Turner and P. van de Griend (ed.)
(1996). History and Science of Knots.
World Scientific. ISBN 981-02-2469-9.

External links

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Simplified list of knots

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