Ever seen this "knot"?

Actually (props to your Good Wife), I made some effort to avoid the use of the phrase "Double Cross", although that was the "400 pound gorilla in the room".

If you’re going to make Yet Another BWL, I do like the “Crepe” bit, as it was found on a Crepe Myrtle. “Looky h’year, Mizz Myrtle! Jimbo done tied a Crepe Bowline in that there tomato cord!!”

But “Double Crossed Splayed Loop” (there, I’ve said it) sure fits, as do most of the others. For me, it’s going to be “That neat loopknot I just tied, you wanna learn how to tie it? Watch this…”


If this is a useful knot for certain applications then it’s nice to have a new one in our repertoire, but the name of the knot is really only useful as a way of referring to the knot. “A rose is a rose by any other name…”. Eventually some name will stick.

“Crepe Bowline” sounds yummy (thinking of those French pancake-things), although inevitably someone will say it as “Creepy Bowline”! ;D

Maybe we could call it “Myrtle’s Bowline” and let everyone else wonder who Myrtle is… :wink:

Dave

the one shown by Willeke Encyclopedia of Knots, Graumont and Hensel page 31, #161
These are not the same: note that in both of the like knots shown on this plate, each has one rope whose SPart does NOT run THROUGH the other SPart's loop --whereas in the knot in the OP (here, i.e. ("orig. post")) both SParts do.

“Dbl.Cross Bwl”: well, yes, that might be best, just leaving the inferior versions
to be neglected as not deserving a name (which they’d otherwise have the same
claim to).
A “Dbl.Cross Anti-Bwl” of like form however would be the inferior version to that
knot presented as the “Bollard Loop”–the superior form having the end coiling/spiraling
back towards the eye, away from the SPart.

Btw, there seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for this DXBwl w/o acknowledgement
or comparison with the so-called Bollard Loop.

One can realily see some “Double” versions of these knots (though less readily
see “Dbl.DXB” as a name!), doubling either the SPart’s or end’s turn.

–dl*

Hi KnotHead!

I think the Clinch Bowline is close! All the parts are in the right places, except that last turn by the working end - it goes over the right leg of the loop in the tree photograph from Dave Root, not under it as shown in G & H #201, p. 37, 4th ed. One suggestion - the Single Carrick Bend Loop from Dave in the OP, seems closest by the conventions we have now - but, if we are looking for a rational name - let’s not, on account of the lack of rational definition and naming convention so far in the history of knotting.

SquareRigger

I think with both knots, the clinch bowline and the one in the forum post, both have to be under pressure to be of any practicle use, or otherwise the loop drops. It is however, a very clever knot and I enjoyed tying it and studying it.

Eventually some name will stick.

“Crepe Bowline” sounds yummy (thinking of those French pancake-things)


“stick” … “Crepes” … That was a sweet thing to say, honey. You are punny, aren’t you? Let that jell for a minute.

let everyone else wonder who Myrtle is... ;)
Isn't that Matthew Walker's mom?

(Anyone who is not laughing, please raise your hand.)

if we are looking for a rational name - let's not
AMEN brother SquareRigger!!

I thought we were looking for a knot. I’m having a hard time finding it in ABoOK. Gee, if it only had a name for the index…

A name is (as DaveRoot mentioned) pretty much “only” a clever, quick way of referring to (e.g.): “That thrifty fixed splayed end loop knot DaveRoot found tied to that Crepe Myrtle tree that time which he photographically documented and posted on the Internet…” As a Pirate of the Carribean might say: “Arrr! Reason’s got aught to do wit’ it!”

A name is not only a useful way of refering to a knot, but more importantly, it a valuable way of remembering the knot and its attributes. IGKT#1234 does not have the same value as ‘Myrtle Hitch’ which is momorable, distinct and, if the user knows the history behind the name, it triggers valid uses for the knot.

Binding a knots name to some other knot to which it shares some characteristic is perhaps important when that characteristic is important. But when that characteristic is only aesthetic, then such associations can be negative and risk damaging the true value of a name. Lets face it, this knot is closer to the Granny knot than any other, so is that an arguement to call it Granny Myrtly? Although it looks a lot like the Granny, it certainly does not share many of the unsavoury atributes of the Granny, so any such association would not add value to the name.

A rose by any other name is still a rose, but ‘Just Joey’ conjours a mental picture and a fragrance remembered, not so Catalogue No 1234. We should choose names with care and not by archaic association.

I think with both knots, the clinch bowline and the one in the forum post, both have to be under pressure to be of any practicle use, or otherwise the loop drops.
In what material are you tying it? I just gave it and the Bollard loop some exercise in 5mm shock/bungee cord (used, not terribly slick), and they did okay, with the latter showing end slippage (drew a stopper snug) on imbalanced loading, but not the Dbl.Cross/Dbl.Clinch. If the material is somewhat inflexible or slick, this knot will loosen; but otherwise it has the chance to be more slack-secure than the Bowline.
'Myrtle Hitch' which is momorable, distinct and, if the user knows the history behind the name, it triggers valid uses for the knot.
It might be "momorable" if your mom goes by that name, but it otherwise has no attachment to the knot, unlike "Dble.X" or "Clinch"--though in the case of the latter, the so-called seized structure didn't work as does this knot's similar ones: it didn't tighten around its object (and seems a rather poorly designed structure!).
a name is a valuable way of remembering the knot and its attributes.
For which "Clinch Bwl", "Dble.Clinch Bwl" (after all, there are TWO clinch parts), "Dble.Clinch", "Dbl.Cross Bwl" do offer some mnemonic aid (and I can see "Kruez" being in the German name, as it is in "Kruezklem" for the Hedden H.). Such things become less helpful the more full & cluttered one's knotting space becomes--e.g., here we can see four like knots, even without the double-turn variants.

Interesting that Hansel & Gretel have the, er, Inside Clinch version. In manila rope,
this gives a geometry to the SPart akin to an Overhand, and its bend seems nicely
gradual, and the knot doesn’t roll the way it can in a synthetic rope. With the
OP’s form in manila, it readily jams–hardly a threat to loosen! However, the H&G
version has a tendency/vulnerability to have the end drawn by the loaded SPart
around to come up between the coil of the SPart, and the integrity of the knot
is potentially lost much after that. An elastic material will enable this deformation
more readily. Ring-loaded, the H&G version is a Granny; the Dbl.X is one of
those Single Carricks, I suppose (not worth checking), and fares better.
(Note that Ashley does give a “Carrick Loop”–#1033.)

–dl*

Myrtle Just got a Big Sister – The Double Myrtle

I was fiddling with cord tying the Constrictor knot (the quick method around my index finger) seeing how the knot performed when I applied the knot to ribs of decreasing rigidity. Then I tried poking one of the ends into the constrictor loop to see how it liked being tied on a cord with a matching flexibility. As I drew up the Constrictor there was a little pop and almost like magic I was holding a Myrtle !! {OI-7:9}

Intrigued as to what the Constrictor would make of both ends being passed into the grip, I passed one end in from one side and the second end in from the other. Pull - pop - Double Myrtle !!! {OI-13:12-1} Just as sweet a little knot as Myrtle and just as easy to tie but now with two opposing non slipping loops. Of course Dbl M has some twins, the most interesting is to pop both ends in from the same side - pull - pop - a slightly lopsided Dbl M appears {OI-13:12-2} with a natty little plus. Bend the loop anchoring the ends away from the knot and the knot relaxes open easily.

I will get it photographed and put up on the Wiki for comments.

Trying to track down what this knot is called. Sorry for the poor quality but I cut the image from a knot board I found online.

http://master468.no-ip.com/knot.jpg

Hi Master468,

If you look in the Ashley Book of Knots (ABOK) you will find what looks like this hammock clew as #3819 or #3820. #3819 is called the Sword Mat Ring Clew and #3820 is the Sailor’s Hammock, strictly not a separate hammock clew, but a way of putting the canvas together for the hammock, according to ABOK. The ring in your photo does not appear to have been hitched over. Does that help?

SquareRigger

Thanks SquareRigger. That helps a lot. I want to tie my own hammock but can’t find any plans online. I came across this knot while looking at knot boards (my son is making one for Scouts). This should get me going if I can find out how to tie one online.

Here you go - try this:

http://www.superhammockguide.com/out.html?t=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hmsrichmond.org%2Fclew.htm

Hope it helps!

http://www.hammocksetc.com/backseatpetautohammock

That link just goes to a page with different hammocks for sale, if you are interested. Enjoy!

SR

one site that shows how to net a hammock is:
http://www.hammocks.com/articles/howto.cfm
Tony

Here you will find a series of photographs by Andre and myself on two methods of matting hammock clews. If you want instructions on how to tie the Royal Navy clews (mine) let me know and I will send them to you.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/avds_1/album?.dir=8187&.src=ph

Gordon