The Overhand Knot

Generalities

The Overhand Knot is the knot that most everyone thinks of when you say "Tie a knot." Very simple and yet also decorative if done with the right materials or in the right combination.

Nomenclature

The single overhand knot is also known as the simple knot, the thumb knot, the half knot and much less commonly as the underhand knot.

The double overhand is sometimes called the blood knot, the barrel knot, or the grinner knot. The triple overhand is also called the Franciscan knot, after an order of Italian friars who would tie multiple overhand knots on the ends of their rope belts.

A multiple overhand knot is also often simply called a long knot. In addition to being decorative, the long knot serves as the unit knot in the ancient Incan khipu or quipu record keeping system.

Sources

• Wikipedia: 反手結 (MT: backhand results)
• Wikipedia: 止め結び (trans: stop knot)
• Korean National Rescue Service instructional video: 엄지 매듭 (MT: thumb knot)

Translation Notes

You may notice that my "official" translation, 止結, is not the same as my venerably sourced (Wikipedia) translation, 反手結 (fǎnshǒu jié). "反" means "turn over", "counter", or "reverse". "手" means "hand". And that, of course, means that someone translated "overhand" for "反手結". On the other hand, "止結" machine translates to "fixed knot". Checking some dictionaries, "止" mostly means "to stop". So, does that mean that it is "the stopper knot"? Is "止" also translated from English?? I don't know and there is only so far I can dig with my resources and language skills, so at this point I'm assuming that "止結" is the "real" Chinese name.

Note, also, that the sourced and "official" Japanese translation, 止め結び, is very similar to the Chinese. Of course, multiple names for the same thing is not a problem unique to English. Also, my current "official" translation set are all sourced from books vs the internet, so I have more faith in those. Someday I will redo my research to remember which books are the respective sources and link in the exact bibliographic information.

How To

Similar Knots or Variations

Many knots, decorative or otherwise, are based on the OH knot. Some are modifications of the multiple OH:

• 抛索結 (Heaving line knot, 抛 cast, 索結 hitch, 抛 throw 索 rope)
• Simple or Common Whipping

When two OH or half knots form a functional or cohesive unit they are often considered a single knot:

• Reef Knot/Square Knot
• Surgeon's Knot
• Fisherman's Bend
• Water Knot

Some sennits are composed of OH or half knots tied in series:

• solomon's bar
• west country whipping

There are a surprising number of ways that two OH knots can be interlocked. The "True Lovers' Knot" is said to be two interlocking OH knots, but there is no consensus as to which particular configuration can claim the title. I'm pulling for the Sauvastika Knot.

Of course, more than two knots can be interlocked...

• Stacked Overhand Nest
• 馬太華爾卡結 (Matthew walker knot)