PUBLICATION MAGAZINE VOLUME ONE final magazine siap | Page 20

KNOW
YOUR
KNOTS!
The fisherman’s knot is a bend a knot for joining two
lines with a symmetrical structure consisting of two over-
hand knots, each tied around the standing part of the
other. Other names for the fisherman’s knot include: an-
gler’s knot, English knot, halibut knot, waterman’s knot.
Though the fisherman’s knot is associated with fishing,
it can slip when tied in nylon monofilament and other
slippery lines;[1] however, if more holding strength is re-
quired, the overhand knots can be made with more turns,
as in the double fisherman’s knot, and so on. It is com-
pact, jamming when tightened and the working ends can
be cropped very close to the knot. It can also be easily
tied with cold, wet hands. Though these properties are
well suited to fishing, there are other knots which may
provide superior performance, such as the blood knot. The
surgeon’s knot is a surgical knot and is a simple modifi-
cation to the reef knot. It adds an extra twist when tying
the first throw, forming a double overhand knot. The ad-
ditional turn provides more friction and can reduce loos-
ening while the second half of the knot is tied.[1] This
knot is commonly used by surgeons in situations where
it is important to maintain tension on a suture, giving it
its name. Surgeon’s knots are also used in fly fishing, in
tying quilts, and for tying knots with twine; it is partic-
ularly useful in tying raw meat with butcher’s twine, as
the wet meat creates similar risks of loosening as sur-
gery. Some sources categorize the surgeon’s knot as a
bend, since it can be effective as such. A knot is a method
of fastening or securing linear material such as rope by
tying or interweaving. It may consist of a length of one or
several segments of rope, string, webbing, twine, strap, or
even chain interwoven such that the line can bind to itself
or to some other object (the “load”). Knots have been the
subject of interest for their ancient origins, their common
uses, and the area of mathematics known as knot theory.
Truckers in need of securing a load may use a trucker’s
hitch, gaining mechanical advantage. Knots can save spe-
lunkers 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 haz-
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ardous 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 peo-
ple, 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. Macrame, one kind of textile,
is generated exclusively through the use of knotting, in-
stead of knits, crochets, weaves or felting. Macramé can
produce self-supporting three-dimensional textile struc-
tures, as well as flat work, and is often used ornamentally
or decoratively. Knots weaken the rope in which they are
made.[1] When knotted rope is strained to its breaking
point, it almost always fails at the knot or close to it, un-
less 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 re-
duction in strength. The exact mechanisms that cause the
weakening and failure are complex and are the subject of
continued study. 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 efficien-
cy 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 re-
peatedly loaded, and so on. The efficiency of common knots
ranges between 40—80% of the rope’s original strength.