The Sailor's Hitch
ABOK 1688
A fast tying method of tying, suitable for blind tying.
David M. Delaney
October 29, 2006
From The Ashley Book of Knots (ABOK) [1], article 1688:
"The knots on this page [293] resulted
from a search for a hitch that will draw snug without any working. ...
The present hitch appears to be the simplest and most secure of the
lot. It draws up inevitably and has an excellent nip under all
circumstances. Moreover it is exceptionally easy to untie."
The web site of roo_two, http://notableknotindex.webs.com/sailorhitches.html, seems to be the cause of recent general appreciation of the unusual merits of this hitch.
Ashley does not give a name for the hitch described in article
1688,
but the hitch is now often referred to as the "sailor's
hitch" (a name bestowed by roo_two?). This name seems a bit
unfortunate, since it seems to deprecate the other hitches that
sailor's find useful, but it seems to have gained currency.
The following fast tying method for the sailor's hitch, and the photos, are by David M. Delaney.
See ABOK or http://notableknotindex.webs.com/sailorhitches.html
for a tying method that is guided more naturally by the structure of the knot.
References
[1] The Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford W. Ashley, 1944, Doubleday, New York, ISBN 0-385-04025-3.
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