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Encyclopedia > Reef knot
Reef knot
Reef knot

Canonical Name: reef knot.
Variant Name(s): square knot.
Category: binding.
Origin: Ancient.
Related knot(s): thief knot, granny knot, grief knot.
Releasing: Jamming.
Efficiency: 48%.
Caveat: This knot should NEVER be used to fasten two separate pieces of rope together. It is far too insecure (contrary to common opinion). It spills easily, but this can be very useful in certain situations. To fasten two ropes together, use a Sheet bend or a Fisherman's knot instead.
Uses: Used to tie two ends of a single line together such that they will secure something that is unlikely to move much, such as furled sails. or a bandage. (The knot lies flat when tied with cloth and has been used for bandages for millennia.) With both ends tucked (slipped) it becomes a good way to tie shoelaces. It is also used decoratively. Finally, it is quite handy for tying plastic garbage or trash bags, as the knot forms a handle when tied in two twisted "ears". Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The binding knot may possess either of two possible fundamental mechanical properties by which they function: Friction Type: These binding knots pass at least once around a load and are held in place by the friction caused between the windings of the line that pass over top of other winding. ... Thief knot Thief knot step-by-step Canonical Name: thief knot. ... Granny Knot The granny knot is a bend knot, used to tie together two loose ends. ... A Grief Knot A Grief Knot is a type of knot. ... There are several meanings of spill: To tip out the contents of a container In the context of knots, if a knot spills it becomes untied. ... Sheet bend tied with two different types of nylon rope. ... The Fishermans knot is a type of knot. ... Black shoelaces Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shoelaces Shoelaces (also shoe laces or bootlaces) are thin cords fitted to shoes to prevent the shoe from slipping off by accident. ...


Note: The working ends of the reef knot must be cis (that is, both at the top or both at the bottom); the other lines lead to the full rope. This is important; if the line ends are trans (that is, top on one side and bottom on the other), you produce a thief knot, which may slip out under load. (The "cis" and "trans" terms are derived from terminology used to describe geometric isomerism.) Some knots: 1. ... Thief knot Thief knot step-by-step Canonical Name: thief knot. ... In chemistry, geometric isomerism is a form of stereoisomerism and describes the orientation of functional groups at the ends of a bond around which no rotation is possible. ...


It is called a reef knot because it was used to "reef" or tie up sails. It is called a square knot from its appearance.


A number of knotting guides have voted this knot "the worst knot", and noted that more deaths and injuries have been caused by its misuse than all other knots combined. Its symmetry and initial feel of security have led to it having a wide and undeserved reputation as a secure knot, which it certainly is not, especially if the ropes are of differing sizes or materials, or if the rope is likely to be bumped.


The International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT) warns that this knot should never be used to bend two ropes together even though many scout troops, and other organisations around the world, insist on teaching it for this very purpose. It is likely that this is the cause of most of the deaths referred to above.


If you pull on one end, at right-angles to the knot, it will loosen and invert (turning into a lark's head knot), hence its original purpose: it secured the furled-in sails, and is easily undone one-handedly by a sailor who is holding on with the other hand. The weight of the sail would drag the lark's head undone. The cow hitch is a knot (specifically, a hitch). ...


If you want to tie something securely, then investigate the bowline or other such loop knots.
Bowline Canonical Name: Bowline (pronounced bow -lin or bow -line) Variant name(s): Death knot, Rescue knot, French bowline. ...


The reef knot is one of the key knots of macrame textiles. Categories: Needlework | Stub ...

Contents


Tying a square knot

To tie a reef knot, tie a left-handed overhand knot and then a right-handed overhand knot or vice versa. Some knots: 1. ... The overhand knot is a type of knot. ...


The Boy Scout instructions for this knot are: right-over-left and under; left-over-right and through. (This knot is the first knot most Boy Scouts learn, and in fact mastery of the knot is listed among the joining requirements in the United States, and has been adopted as a symbol by the movement.) Scouting is a worldwide youth organization. ...


Do not tie two knots of the same handedness. That makes a granny. Granny Knot The granny knot is a bend knot, used to tie together two loose ends. ...


Alternative

A superior knot for joining two ropes is the sheet bend, or, better still, a Zeppelin bend. Sheet bend tied with two different types of nylon rope. ... Categories: Knot stubs | Knots ...


See also

This article contains an alphabetical list of knots. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Knot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (972 words)
Knots have been the subject of interest both for their ancient origins, common use, and the mathematical implications of knot theory.
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 to using a round turn.
Constricting knots often rely on friction to cinch down tight on loose bundles; an example would be the clove hitch.
reef - definition by dict.die.net (315 words)
Reef knot, the knot which is used in tying reef pointss.
Reef line, a small rope formerly used to reef the courses by being passed spirally round the yard and through the holes of the reef.
Reef tackle, a tackle by which the reef cringles, or rings, of a sail are hauled up to the yard for reefing.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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