Say, you have a small cord, a few mm thick, an want to attach a stone to it to make a throw line. I know that other things can be used, but I like the stone idea - small-potato size and shaped like it or like a sharper tetrahedron of sorts. How would you do it? The best I can think of is the Constrictor on the stone, hoping for the best, but there must be some better method…
I would put the stone in a sock or cloth, then use a knot around the “bag”. If that is unavailable (?), then I would wrap the cord around a few times and use a constrictor or similar knot.
I concur in this.
To which one could additionally tie off
line to the bag (of course : securing/closing bag
and hitching to it),
then run the long tail --anticipating further knotting–
around to Constrictor the bag,
and return to bag closure and make final tie off
(giving Constrictor equal-side loading),
NB: the purpose of the constrictor is to grip,
so one might put in 2 vs. 1 wrap (a constrictor’d
rolling hitch even (2 & 1).
If purely w/cord, one might guard the constrictor
–which is used for sure tight grip/nip-- with a simple
half-hitch/turn, this to take the load and leave the C.
not taking so much 1-sided, shape-challenging loading.
Much more cordage-consuming approach I guess could
be the tying a monkey’s fist with the stone as the center
weight --not sure that this doesn’t require some matching
of object & rope sizes to effect.
… all of which considerations make the use-a-bag method
so much more appealing! (–with the thought : what might
happen if I throw this stone and it comes free?!)
;D
[5/15 edit : ‘ugh’=>‘w’ for “throw”]
If the rock is smooth, the other posts (especially gathering a cloth around the weight) are better than what I’m about to suggest, but if it’s angular enough to “grab” then I keep just such a small rock with cordage tied around it in my cord drawer to remind me of Ashley’s ABOK#272, which he identifies as The Slingstone Hitch, but which could also be described as a collapsed catspaw.
Of course a catspaw is made with a sling, but you can tie a bowline at the end of your line to get a loop. On an irregular object such as a stone it’s easier to form the hitch by bringing the loop behind from below, letting it hang down the front, then “fold” the standing part into it from the front, passing it through the two strands hanging down at the back, then working it all up around the stone taking into account the best parts to snag it and draw it up for best holding. As well as being less unwieldy than tying a normal catspaw, with this method there’s no twisting so it doesn’t want to wriggle off the stone.
If you arrange it carefully, it’s actually pretty nice. I tried a few different stones and different cord types and was pleased with the results. But I wouldn’t trust my life to it or throw it toward a person (not one I liked anyway).
Ashley also offers a killock hitch, and I’m sure that’s a valid option but I was working with small stones - small enough to hold in a closed fist - so a killock was too fiddly for me to try.
