Knots n Such | SouthernPaddler.com

Knots n Such

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Forgot to add this, sorry. For teaching someone to tie a knot, here's a simple trick to make it both easier to teach and to learn.

Get a couple lengths of rope - one about 18" and the other about 24". White cotton rope is perfect. Using a red permanent marker, color one half of each rope red. One half the length of each rope should be red, & one half white.

Now, when you tie a knot, the anatomy of it is very plain to see. Use the white end as the "standing" part (the part that stands still and gets a knot tied around it) and the red as the working end (the end used for tying the knot).

Actually, this technique will help some of you senile olde fartes too. Just don't admit it it public.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
hairymick said:
Does this also apply for the double, left hand, Granny Knot :lol:
Better known as "the Gordian Knot" of lower Slobovia, the double left-handed granny know was once used profitably.

Once, while with Cap'n Meriwether and the Corps of Discovery, I found a Ute youth dangling over the edge of a high cliff. He had been chasing down a mountain lion and when the cat zigged, the lad had zagged.

Quickly shaving off my beard, I wove a length of rescue rope sufficient to the task. Lowering myself from a pulley I had hurriedly whittled on the spot using only my Bowie knife and a pair of tweezers, I snatched the young brave under his arms, and climbed back up to safety.

His reward to me was to stab me with the Bowie, and I died on the spot.

Is that not the double left-handed granny knot you mean?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Knot [the whole truth]

Dast I do it ?, I do suppose someone must. Therefore allow me to sacrifice myself an the alter of truth.

If one were to read the previous post by the esteamed Kayak Jack, you would see that therein he clames to have cut of his beard, then been stabbed with a Bowie Knife.

The time frame for this event had to have been between 1804 & 1806 as that was the time of Cap Meriwethers' exploration.

History records that Jim Bowie [of knife fame] and after whoom the said implement of sacrifice and death was named for was born in 1796 AD. This would have put him at [8] eight years old at the start of the exploration trip.

Quite obvisouly to young at that time to have said knife named after him.

Additionally, there is evidence that the knife in question[ the knife of "Bowie " name and fame] was ordered by him from a fronter smith named James Black in the winter of 1830 -1831.

As any fool can see, the time frame does not, and can not support the claim by Kayak Jack that he used a "Bowie Knife" during the period of 1804 - 1806.

It is sad that such well renowned heros [such as Kayak Jack] must be, in time, shown to shall we say, streach the facts, just a bit to add spice to a rather mundane adventure.

It does not fill me with joy to have been the one to lay bare the facts as I have recounted them. I mearly try in my own way to insure the truth is brought to light when possible

Tis a sad day when we are forced to lay low those whoom are so admired by all the little people .

Another icon brought down by his desire to "add" a bit of untruth to what could and should have been an inspration to all.

History will show that "the truth shall set you free"
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Fear not - Baldy. I live on. When those 30 Ute braves came at me - standing there all alone - I surrounded'em.

And, BTW, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. I thought you learned that the same time I did when Pecos Pete taught it to us. We stood together with him n Davey, watching the Mexican army advancing. Don'tchya 'member?

Now, go tie knots in sumthin' and be useful as well as ornamental, ehh?
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
And here was I thinking that the double left hand granny knot was an Australian icon. It was shown to me in 1865 by none other than Dan Morgan, foundation member of the Kelly Gang while sitting at a camp fire near Bathurst.

I thought it was invented by him and handed to me to pass on for posterity. Is there no honour among thieves anymore?
 

BEARS BUDDY

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2003
1,492
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BAY CITY MI
Baldy, when you reach Jack's age it gets pretty dificult keeping dates and times in order without notes. Unfortunately most of his notes were carved in stone that has since eroded into sand. :roll:
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Thanks, Mouse. They also show with two different colors of making up a knot. Helps make it easier to see what's going on inside a knot.

Now, maybe Jimmie (Old Yaker) can learn to tie his own shoes so his wife won't have to do it every morning for him. sigh
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Fellas,

A few days back I wuz down at Lance's Automotive chewin' the transfat with Lance's son Greg who iz the big daddy dip dog funky monkey of the local unpaid firemen. He sez they kin only use their rescue ropes one time. It may be too big fer canoes 'n campin', but ya gotta tie yer boat down rite? If ya need some top notch rope, ask yer local fire 'er rescue folks if they have ta chunk theirs after they use it once. If so, ask 'em ta chunk some yer way.

regards
bearridge
bodine school of frugal design

The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease. unknown high school student
 

oldyaker

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
1,949
31
Kayak Jack said:
Now, maybe Jimmie (Old Yaker) can learn to tie his own shoes so his wife won't have to do it every morning for him. sigh

HaHa! I use the Geezer Icon of shoes.......no knots. VELCRO SNEAKERS! :wink: Learned it from Chuck with his Red Neck boat shoes. :?
Bowline, truckers hitch, midshipmen(tauntline hitch), figure eight, learn about 4 useful knots really well, and you'll be fine. Too many knots can spoil the soup, and if you don't use them, you forget them anyway.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
oldyaker said:
... Bowline, truckers hitch, midshipmen(tautline hitch), figure eight, learn about 4 useful knots really well, and you'll be fine. Too many knots can spoil the soup, and if you don't use them, you forget them anyway.
I concur, Jimmie. I use a square knot, clove hitch, truckers hitch, and the taut line hitch. In almost all cases, I tie these slipped so they untie much easier.

To slip a knot, double the last end back under where it just came through so all you have to do is yank that end and the knot begins to fall apart. This makes breaking camp quicker & easier.

I took each one of my lines, laid them out, and measured them. (Marks at convenient spots along boat-building bench helped a lot.) Using permanent markers, I added a red band for each 10', and a black band of each 2' beyond that. A 6' line then has one red mark. 15' line had a red mark and two black ones.

Devise your own system, but selecting the right length rope when you need it is a lot easier with a method similar to this.

If you can carry your ropes & such in a mesh bag, they can dry out. They'll get wet out camping.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
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Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Kayak Jack said:
If you can carry your ropes & such in a mesh bag, they can dry out. They'll get wet out camping.

Jack

If the only thing that gets wet wet you go camping is your rope then I sure want to camp with you , that would be a new experience for me. Darn it would be a new experience for the rest of the guy's I have camped with.

Most trips we go thru (use up) two or three of good tarps which are tied off to the trees above us on each trip. So we have a dry spot to cook and eat or build fires under.

This is why we only do three or so trips a year , the rest of the time is spent saving money for new tarps to use on the next trip.

Which reminds me , Oldyaker is darn good at building a stove top fire by using a double burner Coleman stove. It did not matter , the tarp leaked (dripped) more water then it ran off. It was a nice tarp , you could see the stars thru the holes in it , or was that the moonlight shinning thru it ? Anyway the knots in the lines held really good , the ones oldyaker and Swampy tied in them.

I think they tied those lines off with a double truckers hitch , overhand , underhand , granny , grandpa , cousin , square , Nurse Ratchet round triple hitching post knot....................... I kid you knot.
Where is a knife when you need it?

Chuck.
 

oldyaker

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
1,949
31
oldsparkey said:
Which reminds me , Oldyaker is darn good at building a stove top fire by using a double burner Coleman stove. Chuck.

Fo da las time Chuckles.........IT WAS ON FIRE WHEN I PICKED IT UP! :roll: It wasn't my fault! :?
 

Gator

Well-Known Member
Dec 15, 2006
68
0
48
East Lansing/Okemos Michigan
There are plenty of knots out there, even more websites to learn them. I've found you can by with 3 simple knots, Taughtline, Bowline, and square. You can learn, use, and find more uses than you need to for more then that. I also learned from an author named Cliff Jacobson that any knot you use in canoeing loop the last of it though and make a quick realese. Spend your time canoeing not breaking camp.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
oldyaker said:
oldsparkey said:
Which reminds me , Oldyaker is darn good at building a stove top fire by using a double burner Coleman stove. Chuck.

Fo da las time Chuckles.........IT WAS ON FIRE WHEN I PICKED IT UP! :roll: It wasn't my fault! :?

Personally I thought it improved the tarp , made a nice kitchen area for it and any improvement was better then the way it was.

"O" ... Sorry which was on fire the stove or the tarp?

I was sound asleep when I heard the call for ........ HELP ME........HEP ME......HEP ME.......with you doing a balarina dance trying to put it out ........ Not three feet from where I was enjoying a good night or in that case a good morning sleeping. Sure beats a cup "O" Black , Camping , Coffee for a wake up call.:lol:

Darn I thought the sun was coming up in the WEST that morning. :lol:

OK.... I will tell everyone it was spontaneous ignition that happen when you walked by it ....... You do have that electricity when you are thinking about cooking something , ya know the glow of good food for everyone to enjoy , or was that just salivation ? It was raining then ... Right?

Please , tell me that was rain water running off the tarp and under my cot ..... PLEASE !!!!!

Chuckles
PS... Folks we never just have a normal camping trip , that is what makes it so much fun.
 

Deer Slayer

Active Member
Sep 4, 2006
37
0
Re: Knot [the whole truth]

Bald Cypress said:
Dast I do it ?, I do suppose someone must. Therefore allow me to sacrifice myself an the alter of truth.

If one were to read the previous post by the esteamed Kayak Jack, you would see that therein he clames to have cut of his beard, then been stabbed with a Bowie Knife.

The time frame for this event had to have been between 1804 & 1806 as that was the time of Cap Meriwethers' exploration.

History records that Jim Bowie [of knife fame] and after whoom the said implement of sacrifice and death was named for was born in 1796 AD. This would have put him at [8] eight years old at the start of the exploration trip.

Quite obvisouly to young at that time to have said knife named after him.

Additionally, there is evidence that the knife in question[ the knife of "Bowie " name and fame] was ordered by him from a fronter smith named James Black in the winter of 1830 -1831.

As any fool can see, the time frame does not, and can not support the claim by Kayak Jack that he used a "Bowie Knife" during the period of 1804 - 1806.

It is sad that such well renowned heros [such as Kayak Jack] must be, in time, shown to shall we say, streach the facts, just a bit to add spice to a rather mundane adventure.

It does not fill me with joy to have been the one to lay bare the facts as I have recounted them. I mearly try in my own way to insure the truth is brought to light when possible

Tis a sad day when we are forced to lay low those whoom are so admired by all the little people .

Another icon brought down by his desire to "add" a bit of untruth to what could and should have been an inspration to all.

History will show that "the truth shall set you free"

Oh the slander......!!!!!

In defence of Kayak Jack who, once stabbed and in shock of his upcoming demise, merely confused the knife as a Bowie, when in fact it was a short bladed Saxon Scramasax acquried by the lad in a trade. An easy mistake of mis identification by those lacking experience at being gutted out like a roe buck. However, said scramasax had been left behind by Eric the Red as a gift when he was palavering with the Skrilings of Newfoundland for Scuppernongs....As history tells us, Eric won said scramasax in a fair duel with the Saxon Atheling, Harold the Crosseyed. Changing hands many times, the blade ended up at the Watauga branch of the Dragging Canoe dealership in Kentucky where said lad traded the Oregon Territory, and a map of the Lolo Trail for the knife.....

mece16.jpg


The alleged Scramasax that did the Dirty Deed :wink:
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Re: Knot [the whole truth]

Deer Slayer said:
As history tells us, Eric won said scramasax in a fair duel with the Saxon Atheling, Harold the Crosseyed.
Friend Deer Slayer,

Truthful Jack wuz in the crowd that day. He tole us how Harold always went Crosseyed after 5 'er 6 fermented grain beverages. Bad thing wuz when he did, hiz mean side come out. He lost a heap a scramasaxes that way. Jack sez he wuz down ta hiz last goll damneron when he tole Eric the way he shaved hiz beard made hiz face look like the ass end of a goat. [I figgered he meant like Yessir Arafat.]

It iz too bad Jack didnt learn ta write sooner. One time he tried ta talk Ole Joe Guttenberg inta buildin' him a portable typewriter. Ole Joe didnt come in on a load a watermelons....he tole Jack it wuz gold he wanted, not talk. Jack wuz a day late 'n a dollar short, so we have ta rely on hiz memory bout hiz early years.

regards
bearridge
bodine college of ancient history

History is more or less bunk. Henry Ford