The NKCAC was formed in order to focus the attention of dedicated
and interested expertise on submittals of "new knots" --be they claims
by a supposed "inventer" or queries from the merely curious. Part of
the hope was to be a filter on Knotting Matters to spare it consuming
pages for what could be more efficiently & effectively dealt with directly.
Given the capabilities of the Net, this forum provides even better access
to information, though I might still receive some hard mail from time to
time (10/15, in fact -- a (re-)invented traced Strangle bend, aka "Surgeon's
Knot" by anglers. Something like that is better not a KM article!
In the present case, the IGKT had some experience ca. 2003 with Mr.
McNicholas : his "Irish Bowline" presentation was forwarded to me by
Brion Toss, and the "Fig.8 Bowline" (since, finding Italian heritage)
via IGKT offices. But queries --hard- & e-mail-- in response to these
items were not answered, and w/o a missing-persons search or something,
there was little more to do.
Re the OP, it is something to be proud of to have discovered a clever
securing of a sling such as this. However, it is a pride that others might
share, and --as Barry/Sweeney points out-- I'm sure that Harry Asher was
tickled (as was his wont) with his "Equalizer" discovery --i.e., THIS same
bight-locking structure. One can find "Asher's Equalizer" published in
Knotting Matters, A Fresh Approach to Knotting, and at least a couple
Budworth books --viz., The Complete Book of Knots (of course, it's
"complete"!) & The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework--;
their respective copyrights are ca.1985, 1992, 1997, & 1999.
The question above about What did Budworth say? is a good one to ask,
for one can find in his own books Asher's Equalizer --published before Joe
discovered it, even, let alone presented it to him (or patented it!). And no
doubt Geoffrey learned of Asher's discovery fairly quickly from Harry, as they
shared correspondence, and I think that GB was editing KM at the time when
HA's article on it appeared --circa 1985. (So, this shows some of the weakness
of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.)
As for the strength claims --"200%" / "strongest knot"-- , these are prima facie
false, and seem to be based on a simplistic comparison of this doubling of
sling material on a span which could be done for other knots (such as Cow
or Girth hitches). The knot part of this structure is akin to the not-so-strong
Reef / Square knot, though it is likely better for having all ends loaded.
But this attachment in nylon & Dyneema (rockclimbing) slings has been
tested and the strength was nowhere near 100% of sling strength --one
is urged to connect slings with carabiners, thus. (I think that there might
be better knotted ways.) (And, so, Rrok007, I cannot see this structure's
use for climbers : what do you conceive that they might do with it?)
--dl*
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