Lashing and splicing

[Fiercely Loyal]

Anyone else a fan of the single handed bowline?

[Surgicalcric]

Originally Posted by Fiercely Loyal

Sirs,
Anyone else a fan of the single handed bowline?

Only when tying an around the body bowline as a safety...

Crip

[Snaquebite]

Here's a link I posted a while back...

http://www.animatedknots.com/

[x SF med]

Chapman's Piloting is excellent for knots, knotwork, and splicing. For splicing remember to have a good fid, marlinspike and palm handy. Thanks for the nudge, I need to get a new copy of Chapman's and practice splicing.

Also (do I get crossthread points?) Chapman's has a LOT on celestial navigation and plotting for you marops guys.

[CDRODA396]

Originally Posted by Snaquebite

Here's a link I posted a while back...

http://www.animatedknots.com/

Snaquebite,

excellent link. I learned knots and lashing in the Boy Scouts, earned the Pioneering Mert Badge, then got into climbing. The knowlege was invaluable in constructing "apparatuses" (spelling?) in Selection, nothing sucked more than things falling apart in the middle of a movement, we didnt have that problem.

The ability to secure things with rope, strips of sandbag, etc. will continually serve you and is worth investing the time into to learn the basics. Razor's first post is a good base list. I would add a couple lashings to round it out, the Square Lashing, Diagonal Lashing and the Tripod Lashing.

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/b-p/lashings.htm

Freedom of the Hills, oriented towards climbing, also has some excellent knots, and lists the relative strength of knots when joining two ropes. IIRC, the figure of 8 retained over 85% of the strength of the rope, follewed by two locking double fisherman's, then the square knot with two overhand knots.

[Snaquebite]

I learned knots and lashing in the Boy Scouts, earned the Pioneering Mert Badge,

+1 BS of A was a great start for a lot of things for me....

[Sionnach]

The book, Bushcraft: A Serious Guide to Survival and Camping by Richard Graves, referred to earlier in the thread, is ISBN# 0-8052-0333-8. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 74-185329.

PSM has more info about the book and author here: http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...ad.php?t=11266

Bushcraft has some useful knots and lashings. The drawings are rudimentary and the book does not walk your through them, so it's more useful as a reference than a how-to for those who are learning knots. That said, the drawings are clear enough that most folks can figure out how to properly create the knots and lashings described in the book. I have seen tying the knots and lashing explained more clearly in other books, and I would wager there's not a lot in there that you wouldn't find in the BSA Fieldbook or a dedicated knot book. However, If you're looking for a small book of basics to carry with you when you hunt or camp so you can work on your knots, lashings, and "primitive" skills, Bushcraft isn't bad.

[Pete]

The old FM 5-34 had a section on lifting devices, gin poles, shears, etc.

A few blocks, some ropes, knots, throw in some big pipes or logs and you could move the world.

Mix in a class on expedient vehicle recovery and you can really learn how to move, lift or drag big things without busting a gut.

Might come in handy sometime in the future when you're in the middle of nowhere.

[BoyScout]

My dad was in the Navy and our first patrol dad, we had to tie knots behind our backs or blind folded for the board of review. And I did a one handed bowlines back in the day but I can't anymore, I need to practice.

[Books]

When I started working on deck about 9 years ago, I knew a few knots, but really didn't know how to rig cargo for transit on a dynamic platform. I picked up The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing and Ropework and over then next couple years got pretty good. This book is an accessible, old school approach to line, block and tackle, splicing, whipping and, for those that care, sennit making.

Here's a link for the book:http://store.doverpublications.com/0486264408.html


It's not often that I have need anymore to bend hawsers, but a carrick bend is still strong and pretty (though a sheet becket bend usually does just fine for most purposes). At this point, I probably only have muscle memory for about 10 knots, bends and hitches, of which I really only need about 5. I too was the go-to-guy in team week; the more we pulled on our contraptions, the more secure they got!

The knots Razor offered up in the beginning of this thread are a great foundation and will enable one to rig just about anything.

Just thought of something. For those just tuning in, some definition of terms: a knot is when a line (rope) is tied to itself, ie. bowline, a bend is when two lines are "bent" together, and a hitch is when the line is tied to a stationary item, like a post or rail.

Great thread!

Books

[gagners]

Originally Posted by Razor

[*]Square knot/Surgeon's knot - joining or fastening two running ends

Only one I'd really disagree with. This is a fine knot if the two ropes will be under constant tension and happen to be of equal diameter (and then, only with an overhand safety around either standing end). To secure the running ends of rope up to 5mm in diameter difference and/or when they won't be under constant tension, use a "Figure 8 bend". With one running end, form an in-line fig 8 and leave it pretty loose. with the other running end, trace the figure 8 knot in reverse (like tying a double figure 8 but with the ropes going in opposite directions). Remove the twists and cinch down. Voila!

Originally Posted by Smokin Joe

I have heard of a knot called a Prusic (sp?) IIRC it was used before the invent of flex cuffs. I have been trying to google it but my google-fu is not working this morning.

The purpose of the prusik is to attach a moveable rope to a fixed rope.

Flex cuffs are cool. NDD's link is indeed the Prusik, but in a different form. For Prusik cuffs, simply tie a prusik knot, but not around another rope (like the green one in NDD's link). Take your two running ends of the prusik and pass them through the "tube" created by the round turns (the tube is where the green rope would be). By pulling on the running ends now, you will tighten (make smaller) the loops/cuffs. I didn't explain that well. I'll post a picture.

A great variation is the "Hot Knot" - so named by one of my SLs in Iraqistan. Evidently, he uses it with his wife... Tie prusik cuffs, restrain the wrists as normal, put the "detainee's" hands behind their head, and tie a squat knot under their chin. The effect is, if the detainee tries to move their hands, they can't breathe. I didn't explain that well, but I'll refrain from posting a picture...

A great resource for knots and rope systems is the student hand-out from the Military Mountaineer Course held at the Army Mountain Warfare School. You can get it by going to https://www.benning.army.mil/amws/mo...%20Handout.pdf pages 71-96 for knots.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by gagners

Only one I'd really disagree with. This is a fine knot if the two ropes will be under constant tension and happen to be of equal diameter (and then, only with an overhand safety around either standing end).

Figure 8 bend, water knot, double fisherman's knot..there are several that are more secure, but the downside is they are more complex, take much longer to tie, and are harder to untie later. The square knot is pretty simple, and while its not the best joining knot out there, it does a decent job, especially with natural fiber cordage.

Evidently, he uses it with his wife...

Wandering into TMI land, there.

[PSM]

Originally Posted by Razor

Wandering into TMI land, there.

No he's knot!

Pat

[gagners]

Originally Posted by Razor

Figure 8 bend, water knot, double fisherman's knot..there are several that are more secure, but the downside is they are more complex, take much longer to tie, and are harder to untie later. The square knot is pretty simple, and while its not the best joining knot out there, it does a decent job, especially with natural fiber cordage.




Wandering into TMI land, there.

To the first part, roger. It really depends on the application.

To the second part, roger. Poor excuse for humor - but it was funny when he told us. Back to read mode.

[Razor]

Bad PSM, bad! Naughty dog; go sit in the corner.

Gagners (pronounced gan-yea?), no worries. It is kind of funny, but opens too many doors, you know?