We create traditional knots....
Monkey Fists are also used on board ships of all kinds. They are usually made out of a lightweight rope with a weighted center attached to a long line. These lighter weight rope would be tossed to another ship or dock. The end of the ropes would be tied to a larger line and then the larger line could be pulled over easily. At home they can be used simply as snazzy decor or more popularly to hold a door open, a door knocker, a book end, etc. I have created some smaller ones as coat hooks and some with tennis ball cores as dog toys.
Splicing is very common aboard all boats. This is a very old technique that can be quite difficult to master. It is the skill of unlaying one or two ropes and laying them back together again with a series of 'tucks' to connect them. I use this technique on curtain tie-backs and towel holders as well as dog leashes and collars.
The Rope Grommet is a fun one and one that makes everyone wonder. These were originally used to hold the sail onto the mast. They were used to hold canvas bags open. There is a definite skill in getting these to look perfect and that is what I strive to do. On a properly made Grommet there is no whipping required to hold them together because there is no beginning or end. Any whipping, or I like to do a pretty little Turks Head, is for aesthetics only. I use these to make Dog Toys and Towel Holders. As dog toys these can be tugged on with all your might and will not come apart. If you have one without whipping and it starts to fray just put a plop of glue on it - fraying will not affect the strength of the grommet, it is just aesthetics.
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Thump Mats are found on all types of ships, but mostly sailing ships that have lots of rigging and blocks. They come in all shapes and sizes and are used to protect the deck. Mainly they are placed around a shackle built onto the ship that a block would be attached to and protects the deck against the heavy block hitting it. They are also used to prevent chafing.
Thumps mats use a surprising amount of rope, your standard door mat can range from 100 - 200 feet of rope depending on the complexity of the weave. Bell Ropes can be amazingly ornate or very utilitarian. They are the most common form of Marlinspike which is the art of decorative knotting. Whaler's were the best known for their Marlinspike work. They worked very hard but also had many slow hours at sea to create ornate rope work like Bell ropes or Chest Beckets or scrimshaw. The more ornate the work the more you showed off your knotsmanship skills the more valuable you were to the ship.
Sailor's Whisk Brooms are a quick and easy way to use small pieces of old rope and show off your knotting skills. Yes they were used to 'swab the decks'. All sizes and variations abound from utilitarian to decorative.
Turk's Head knots have been around centuries, named so because of their resemblance to a Turban. They are used as decoration and to prevent chafing. Turk's head knots are described by the number of leads and bights. The more leads and bights the more technical the knot. I have made these with 1/2" Manila rope on pilings as architectural decoration to 1.4mm twine on the Master Knotter's Bracelet.
Need some work done on site...Some Turks Heads around some pilings or a nice rope to go across your driveway or down a walk way. Happy to Oblige.
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The Star Knot is a handsome knot. Classically defined as a button knot it is a delightful challenge for even the most talented knotter. Knotters are not known to back down from a challenge and will keep going back to it until it has been mastered. Once this knot is tied with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 + strands it is quite a feeling of accomplishment. Then comes the challenge of tying it with a single strand. |
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