Reef knot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Reef knot |
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| Names | Reef knot, Square knot, Hercules knot, Double knot,brother hood knot |
| Category | Binding |
| Origin | Ancient |
| Related | Thief knot, Granny knot, Grief knot, Surgeon's knot, Shoelace knot |
| Releasing | Jamming |
| Typical use | Joining two ends of a single line to bind around an object. |
| Caveat | Not secure as a bend. Spills easily if one of the free ends is pulled outward. Does not hold well if the two lines are not the same thickness. |
| ABoK | #74, #75, #460, #1204, #1402, #2096, #2573, #2574, #2577, #2580 |
| Instructions | [1] |
The reef knot, or square knot, is an ancient and simple binding knot used to secure a rope or line around an object. It is sometimes also referred to as a Hercules knot. The knot is formed by tying a left-handed overhand knot and then a right-handed overhand knot, or vice versa. A common mnemonic for this procedure is "right over left; left over right", which is often appended with the rhyming suffix "... makes a knot both tidy and tight". Two consecutive overhands of the same handedness will make a granny knot. The working ends of the reef knot must emerge both at the top or both at the bottom, otherwise a thief knot results.
The reef knot is not recommended for tying two ropes together, because of the potential instability of the knot; something that has resulted in many deaths (see Misuse as a bend).
Contents
Uses
The reef knot is used to tie the two ends of a single rope pieces together such that they will secure something, for example a bundle of objects, that is unlikely to move much. In addition to being used by sailors for reefing and furling sails, it is also one of the key knots of macrame textiles.
The knot lies flat when made with cloth and has been used for tying bandages for millennia. As a binding knot it was known to the ancient Greeks as the Hercules knot (Herakleotikon hamma) and is still used extensively in medicine. In his Natural History, Pliny relates the belief that wounds heal more quickly when bound with a Hercules knot.
It has also been used since ancient times to tie belts and sashes. A modern use in this manner includes tying the obi (or belt) of a martial arts keikogi.
With both ends tucked (slipped) it becomes a good way to tie shoelaces, whilst the non-slipped version is useful for shoelaces that are excessively short. It is appropriate for tying plastic garbage or trash bags, as the knot forms a handle when tied in two twisted edges of the bag.
The reef knot figures prominently in Scouting worldwide. It is included in the international membership badge and many scouting awards. In the Boy Scouts of America demonstrating the proper tying of the square knot is a requirement for all boys joining the program. In Pioneering (Scouting), it is commonly used as a binding knot to finish off specialized lashing (ropework) and whipping knots. However, it is an insecure knot, unstable when jiggled, and is not suitable for supporting weight.
A surgeon's variation, used where a third hand is unavailable, is made with two or three twists of the ropes on bottom, and sometimes on top, instead of just one.
Related pages
Images for kids
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The reef knot can capsize (spill) when one of the free ends is pulled outward.
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Detail of Egyptian statue dating from 2350 BC depicting a reef knot securing a belt
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Ancient Greek jewelry from Pontika (now in Russia), 300 BC, in the form of a reef knot
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Singly slipped reef knot
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Weight for weighing gold dust - Knot – MHNT
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See also
In Spanish: Nudo de rizo para niños
