Favourite Knot

[steve a]

Misunderstood terminology:

My fifth grade teacher taught us the "sheet shank." That was about 40 years ago. Up until about a year ago, I always referred to it as the "sheep shank." I always wondered what it could possibly have to do with sheep.

PG

To add to the confusion or maybe explain it.

Sheep shank, knot used to shorten a length of rope, didn't know about the knot being used for restraining sheep :confused if the ends of the rope are not under tension the knot comes undone quite easily, only about 47% efficient

Sheet Bend, used for joining two lengths of rope together

 

[falcon]

also like a Bowline with Yosemite tie-off

Go on then......what's a Yosemite tie-off ?

 

[lou1661]

The knots i most use for work are:-
Bowline normal and running
the good old round turn and two half hitches
clove hitch and rolling hitch both tied and thrown
Figure of eight loop
and hunters bend.
cheers

 

[pierre girard]

Pierre - it IS a sheep shank. The name I believe comes from it having the two loops present, which used to be used to tie the legs of a sheep for various purposes, but which can then be shaken out once the animal is released.

.

Ah, then I didn't have it wrong. Never could figure what it was good for, as it came undone so easily. Now if you put a sheep's legs in the loops - it would make sense (I think). Too bad I have no sheep.

PG

 

[lou1661]

Ah, then I didn't have it wrong. Never could figure what it was good for, as it came undone so easily. Now if you put a sheep's legs in the loops - it would make sense (I think). Too bad I have no sheep.

PG

I think its probarbly best we dont ask why anyone would want to restrain a sheep!!!!!

 

[Laurence Dell]

Go on then......what's a Yosemite tie-off ?

It does sound like a comedy name doesn't it one of the reasons that I like it

But it is a actually quite a neat knot for bowline fans, it is a way of tidying the tail on a bowline that not only makes the knot more secure but tucks the tail up out of the way making the bowline less messy.

I often use a bowline as a termination knot on my tree climbing rope and to make this secure it should have some kind of stopper for safety such as a figure of eight these I find can come undone and get in the way. So the Yosemite tie-off solves this problem.
The diagram below explains it better

Taken from the Tree Climbers Companion by Jeff Jepson

 

[bambodoggy]

Misunderstood terminology:

My fifth grade teacher taught us the "sheet shank." That was about 40 years ago. Up until about a year ago, I always referred to it as the "sheep shank." I always wondered what it could possibly have to do with sheep.

PG

Lol..... Do you know all through my scouting days I always thought it was a "sheep" shank too and never knew why.....and it was only a few years back I realised it was in fact a "sheet" shank

 

[Goose]

Have always known it as a sheep shank, spoken and read.
It may have been sheet shank originally, a sheet is a rope attached to a sail, so it would make more sense!
I don't think it would work on tying sheep, better to use a tomfool knot for that, or the handcuff knot as my scouts call it!

Not very scientific but, googled "sheetshank" got about 6 results, googled "sheepshank" got 18,100 results!

 

[Don Redondo]

My old dad, who was a rigger and boatbuilder always said that the purpose of a sheep shank was to either shorten a roape that had two standing ends or to isolate a weak spot in the middle of a rope that could'nt be replaced in a hurry.....

 

[filcon]

Chair knot, clove hitch and the old Bowline.fil

 

[Keith_Beef]

Ah, then I didn't have it wrong. Never could figure what it was good for, as it came undone so easily. Now if you put a sheep's legs in the loops - it would make sense (I think). Too bad I have no sheep.

PG

I learnt it as a "sheep shank", too.

I can't think how you'd be able to use it as a hobble.

I only ever used a sheep shank to prove I could tie it (to pass knot and ropework tests) I don't think I ever needed to use one to shorten a rope.

On the other hand, I learnt the "clothes hitch" from my grandmother; this was the knot she used to fasten up the clothes line.

Years later, I found it was really a clove hitch.

K.

 

[Grooveski]

Originally Posted by filcon
only three

No, you get a favourite and 3 recommendeds so you've still got another one .

 

[Brixton]

I love stopper knots.
Why?
Because it is such fun to use the wrong one to confuse the unwary
(I am a vindictive chap on occasion - well try to be)
Do I mean a climbing stopper knot ?
or a gib sheet sailing stopper knot ?

If that game gets dull I can swiftly move onto coiling up ropes.
The SPA method
The RYA method
The Rock-n-Roll rigger's method
The hand crochetting type style method.

Then I can get really really boring and go on for hours about pulleys, shieves, angles of fleet. I can be a real anorack now.


I suppose I'll be "getting knotted" then

Brixton

 

[fast but dim]

klets shoelace knot: it will revolutionise how you tie your shoes:
google it

 

[Muckypaws]

My Favs is:
Alpine Butterfly
Lighterman Hitch
Visa Versa

Most used is probably figure eight loop (excluding the double one I use for tieing boot laces)

 

[Salix]

Favourite working knots.............

1) Blakes hitch.............Far better than a prussik.
2) Alpine butterfly.........First knot i learned to tie as a young ranger.
3) Marlin spike.............Great for pulling up gear.

other also rans;

Fig 8
Bowline
Clove hitch
Waggoners hitch
an the itl do knot

Mark