The knotting world just wouldn’t be the same without the Sheepshank to argue over. How’s that for something nice? I like the knot. Not for actual use, just for toying around with a bit of line while doing something else. I think the loop locks (or whatever that bit of rope mechanics is called) is just this side of magical. I have the same feeling for the Wagoneer’s Hitch (Trucker’s Hitch with the half SS instead of the fixed-loop-of-your-choice.) There is (as far as I know) only one knot we are not allowed to teach Scouts, and that is the Hangman’s Noose. To that I add the Sheepshank for safety reasons. If I need a shorter rope, I cut it. If I can’t cut it I’ll use an Alpine Butterfly (by far the best choice for strength!)
So I say hurray for the Sheepshank. But, no, I can’t see actually using the thing.
Hmmm, that depends on whether one thinks that changing the
knotting world would be a Good Thing or not!
If I need a shorter rope, I cut it. If I can't cut it I'll use an Alpine Butterfly (by far the best choice for strength!)
I’m still trying to understand the “need a shorter rope” problem;
it’s as though there is some Rule requiring that principal knotting must be done at the ends(!), and so the only hope to sizing
a length comes rather sheepishly in the midst via this shanked shot
at knotting.
As for the (“Alpine”-- a species?) Butterfly being “by far the best
choice for strength,” is that so?! One tester –[u]CMC Rope Rescue Manual (3rd)–
found it to be about 69% strong vs. an offset Fig.8 eye knot at 65%;
that is rather close, not far. But today we see in another thread mention
of the Reever, and that can be adopted in a tied-in-bight variation for
shortening rope, and I think it will show good strength. Beyond that,
though, I’m pretty sure a twin-eye variation of Ashley’s #1408 will
be strong. But there is a lot of testing to do in order to put more
analysis into such conjectures. The Butterfly is a good safe choice,
and needing something stronger than any-ol’-knot suggests that
you need stronger material. (And, unlike this Reever variation,
the Butterfly will likely be able to be untied!)
I’m with you on the need issue Dan. I can honestly say I have never needed to shorten a line. However if I were clinging to a cliff with a damaged rope (cliffs being the favorite nesting place for alpinus lepidoptora) I’d tie an Alpine Butterfly. You’re right about the nearness of the strength, but it is consistently at the top and it’s just so easy to tie.
Gotta’ go with Erickson on this one. The way you tie it is to take out your short rope, use a climbers hitch above the frayed part so you can remove the load by lifting yourself up. Then you quickly use the hand wrap method of tying it. If your climbers hitch slips, you have the risk of getting your hand caught in loops under a load…bad situation. This is why I prefer the thumb knot on a slip placing a half hitch over the bight with the frayed part being the bight. This removes the danger quickly without any risk to having your hand caught in several loops under a load. Same principle applies when wiring fish over 500 pounds…I have a healthy aversion to putting loops around my hand when a possible load is eminent. Almost anything is better than the SS when a person’s life or limb is involved…
Three times around the palm (first near the thumb, second near the finger tips, third near the thumb) tuck the finger tip loop under the other two and pull. If I need a long loop I have to ask a friend for a hand (just kidding). For a long loop pull out a long bight, twist twice, make a turn with the loop around the middle and down (or up depending on your turn) between the two twists. It’s easier than it sounds, but not as easy as using your hand.
This hasn’t been brought up yet, so I’ll mention that the Ashley Book of Knots lists the Sheepshank as a double loop knot with communicating loops (ABOK #202 & #1088). This is made as you might expect: Just expand the two loops until everything is set firmly.
I didn’t read the thread. I trust the Sheepshank with double turns at each end. It doesn’t fall apart when tension is released. I don’t know why I don’t see that in diagrams.
Bizarre is right. Even if you had no regard for your life, there’s no reason to cut the rope (causing it to shorten for every imaginary terrace descent). Such a suicidal person could just use an uncompleted bowline or a Bell Ringer’s Knot as an analogous structure around the anchor point for the unstable knot.
While the pics are disturbing, I don’t know of another knot than the Sheepshank to solve the problem described in the article. The requirements were to put a load on the rope and then, later, untie the knot without having access to the knot. (The article describes the problem better.) If it were me, I would remain stranded on the mountain.
Yes, and I don’t understand how the knots you posted would solve the problem described in the article. Maybe you can explain (either here or on your site) how the knots you posted would solve the problem described in the article.
For example, an uncompleted bowline tied around anchor point could hold weight, but as it is very unstable, it could be shaken free easily. There would be no rope left left behind, either.
The Bell Ringer’s Knot is almost the same as an uncompleted bowline. The rabbit never goes back into the hole.
OK, I get it. Your link to the Span Loop was confusing because there’s a pic there of a knot that doesn’t come loose if you shake it.
Note that none of these knots should be used for descending a mountain, unless the person is super desperate.
The person would probably have a better chance of survival if they just remained stranded. These knots are that unstable. I just simulated the problem with the Sheepshank, the unfinished Bowline and the Bell Ringer. If there is a pause in tension or if there is moderate shaking, then the whole thing tends to become untied rather easily.
