Chapter 9

PACKING KNOTS

During the holiday season, it’s possible you’ve found yourself struggling to tie recalcitrant bits of ribbon or string, all the while muttering things under your breath that run quite contrary to the season’s festive mood. That’s quite unnecessary, because there are plenty of knots that can be used to secure packages, whether for shipping them through the mail or handing them to someone yourself.

The most important thing about packing knots is that they be secure and not slip, no matter how much handling they receive. Some of these knots will be familiar to you (the Granny Knot is among the most commonly used of all knots), while others will not. With a little practice, you can learn to tie packages in a strong, secure, and even decorative way that will be the envy of all your friends.

BUTCHER’S KNOT

Back when most people got their meat from a neighborhood butcher, the Butcher’s Knot was commonly used to secure joints of meat. Nowadays, when meat usually comes in sterilized plastic packages on the supermarket shelf, it has become a bit less common, but you can still find it in use at butcher shops.

STEP 1 Tie a Figure Eight Knot (see Chapter 1) near the running end. Then, pass the standing part over and around the object, so that it comes back out through the bottom of the Figure Eight.

STEP 2 Make a Half Hitch (see Chapter 4) with the standing part around the running end of the Figure Eight.

STEP 3 Finish the knot by tightening.

As you tighten the knot, hold tension on the running end of the Figure Eight Knot. This will aid in holding the wrap tight while making the final Half Hitch. The Butcher’s Knot should not be considered a permanent binding, but you can make it more secure by adding an Overhand Knot to the running end of the Figure Eight Knot.

CHAINSTITCH LASHING

Chainstitch Lashing holds well on bundles that are awkwardly shaped or that flex. You can also use it for decorative purposes.

STEP 1 Make a Timber Hitch (see Chapter 10) at one end of the bundle. Fold a bight in the running end close to the Timber Hitch and then pull another bight through it after first passing it around the bundle.

STEP 2 Continue passing new bights around and through the previous bight. To finish, pull the entire running end through the last bight (instead of another bight) and secure with two Half Hitches (see Chapter 4).

Though it may look complicated, Chainstitch Lashing ties quickly once you get the knack.

GRANNY KNOT

The Granny Knot is a variation on the Reef Knot (see Chapter 6), except that the two Half Knots are the same.

Also called the Garden Knot, the Granny Knot is tied often just because it is what you get when you make both crossings for the Half Knots with either hand. You will likely see it tied by store clerks in the handles of plastic shopping bags. This knot will either slip or jam, and can be difficult to untie. People often tie the double slipped version of this knot when attempting to tie a Double Slipped Reef in their shoelaces, which is evident when the knot’s bows run up and down the length of the shoe instead of across.

MARLING

This type of lashing relies on Marling Hitches to hold the contents of a bundle firmly in place.

STEP 1 Start by securing the rope around the end of the bundle with a Timber Hitch (see Chapter 10). Lead the running end partway down the bundle, make another wrap, and tuck the running end over and under, as shown.

STEP 2 Continue with a few additional wraps along the length of the bundle. To secure the last Marling Hitch, tie one or two Half Hitches (see Chapter 4).

PARCEL TIE

The Parcel Tie is a good method of tying a package or a stack of books or newspapers.

STEP 1 Tie a Bowline Loop (see Chapter 3) at the end of a length of rope.

STEP 2 Pass the rope around the package and through the loop, then lead it around the package again, but at a right angle to the first crossing.

STEP 3 As you cross the length of rope with the running end underneath the package, maneuver it to tie a Crossing Knot (the illustration here is the view of the underside).

STEP 4 Next, bring the running end around to the front and pass it through the loop again.

STEP 5 Finish by securing the end with two Half Hitches (see Chapter 4).

Thanks to the properties of the Crossing Knot (a knot made by one rope around another at the point where it crosses it, then continuing past it), you should have no problem lifting up the bundle by pulling on the knotted rope.

SLIPPED AND DOUBLE SLIPPED REEF KNOTS

Here are two other variations on tying a Reef Knot.

STEP 1 To make a Slipped Reef Knot, start by tying the Reef Knot (see Chapter 6), but tuck one of the ends with a bight.

STEP 2 To make a Double Slipped Reef Knot, tie the second Half Knot with bights at both ends.

The Reef Knot is commonly slipped for ease of untying or for decoration. The Double Slipped Reef is commonly used to tie shoes and is tied with ribbon around packages to accentuate the decorative bows.

STEVEDORE KNOT

This knot begins like the Overhand, but here the running end makes two complete round turns around the standing part before passing through its loop.

Make a crossing turn with the running end by passing it down, over the standing part, down behind it, up over it, down behind it again, and through the loop. Pull on the standing part and running end to tighten.

The name of this knot refers to the profession of dockworkers, who were said to use this as a stopper knot. Although it is not wider than the Figure Eight, it is bulkier and has a distinctive look when pulled down as a stopper knot. This knot is difficult to pull down to stopper knot form when tied by twisting the crossing turn.