Author Topic: The "Scared-Man's Bowline"  (Read 5812 times)

jcsampson

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The "Scared-Man's Bowline"
« on: July 11, 2010, 07:17:40 PM »
This Bowline was inspired by Derek Smith's comments. Refer to the following posts:

http://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=1914.msg13316#msg13316
http://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=1914.msg13309#msg13309

The name explained: Only someone who is scared that a Bowline will slip will go to the trouble of adding Two Half Hitches to it. Hence, the name "Scared-Man's Bowline." A touch of humor is intended. Since I'm the one who added the Two Half Hitches, then I'm the one who's scared that it might slip. I may certainly call myself scared, in the free world, without offending anyone, right? I certainly hope so.

Here's how to make the Scared-Man's Bowline:

(1) As if you were beginning to make a Butterfly Loop, take the rope (with an adequate working end on the right) and rotate your hand clockwise [sic] to make a loop.

(2) Take the working end, and coil another loop--just like the one that you made in step (1)--below [sic] the one that you made in step (1).

(3) Take the working end, and thread it through the stacked loops from above [sic].

(4) Take the working end and make Two Half Hitches on the standing part (in the usual p-loop way).

(5) Take the working end, and thread it through the stacked loops (which resulted from your actions in step [2]) from below [sic].

(6) Tighten, dress, and SET. Then, double-check EVERYTHING, because--who knows?--it might slip!

Dressing tips:

(1) If the standing neck is not nearly perfectly straight, then loosen the entire knot a little and reposition the working end such that the Two Half Hitches do not pull too much on the standing neck.

(2) If the coil ring, of the Bowline's coil, that connects to the loop leg (as opposed to the coil ring that connects to the standing part) is too much bigger than the coil ring that connects to the standing part, then pull on the loop leg to tighten it and reduce its size.

Remember: If you fail to dress and set, first, a knot properly, then the knot may fail to perform properly. Never load a knot in any way without first dressing and setting, properly, the knot.

I bet that some whiner is going to complain that it uses too much rope or say something like, "What's the point?"

JCS
« Last Edit: July 17, 2010, 01:38:54 AM by jcsampson »

SS369

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Re: The "Scared-Man's Bowline"
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2010, 07:22:42 PM »
I hate to point out something unnecessary, but this disturbed me. > "I bet that some whiner is going to complain that it uses too much rope or say something like, "What's the point?"

I'd much rather see a picture (worth thousands of words to some of us who just might not be so artful with communication, but love knot tying) of what the knot looks like all dressed and set.

SS

Dan_Lehman

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Re: The "Scared-Man's Bowline"
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2010, 06:55:56 PM »
Here's how to make the Scared-Man's Bowline:

(1) As if you were beginning to make a Butterfly Loop, take the rope (with an adequate working end on the right) and rotate your hand clockwise [sic] to make a loop.

People have two hands;
the rope needs to have some definite orientation in order to make
"clockwise" meaningful.

Quote
(3) Take the working end, and thread it through the stacked loops from above [sic].

An end passes through a loop by either going Under/Over or vice versa.

Quote
(4) Take the working end and make Two Half Hitches on the standing part (in the usual p-loop way).

Here again, orientation is unclear

Quote
(5) Take the working end, and thread it through the stacked loops (which resulted from your actions in step [2]) from below [sic].

As above.

I think that verbal illustrations of a knot should be just that,
at least at first -- illustrations , not tying instructions (rather, forming
guidance, likely more tedious than tying will be, but 2 B Clear).

By one could-this-be-it quick interpretation, I tied what is simply
described as a Dbl.Bowline with 2Half-Hitches as its collar.

As for the implied skepticism about bowlines slipping, they are
notorious for loosening in some materials, and have slipped
incredibly in e.g. HMPE cord; they otherwise are used extensively
in marine circles often w/o further precaution, sometimes with;
and I've seen many capsized bowlines in trawler dock lines.

--dl*
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Dan_Lehman

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Re: The "Scared-Man's Bowline"
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2010, 05:00:50 PM »
I'd much rather see a picture (worth thousands of words to some of us who just might not be so artful with communication, ...

This is a good example of how egregiously bad verbal guidance can be,
though there is nothing inherent in the medium for it to be so:

as I said (and my guess is now confirmed), "what is simply
described as a Dbl.Bowline with 2Half-Hitches as its collar"
;

now look at all those numbered steps and where they didn't get anyone!?
How can something so simple be so wildly missed?

Words CAN work.

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

On the knot, I've taken a similar tact to securing the bowline but vice
the Clove hitch collar I used a particularly oriented Overhand knot,
arranged such that it provided a fair grip/nip of the SPart, sufficient
to keep the knot from loosening via feed of SPart into it (which is easy
to get through the usual bight collar).  Thus, you have the central
turn, Half-hitch, nipping one eye leg part and gripping the tail and
other leg, and then this Overhand gripping the SPart.  It seems to
work pretty well, but it's not so easily formed, and I prefer to use
a 2nd collar around the eye legs and further tail-tuck of the so-called
"Janus" bowlines.

--dl*
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jamesfrost23

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Re: The "Scared-Man's Bowline"
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2012, 12:27:57 PM »
This is really nice. Knotting is one of my  favorite past time.

WebAdmin

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Re: The "Scared-Man's Bowline"
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2012, 04:36:18 PM »

Hi James

We're always glad to have new members contributing: what do you tie?  Do you have a project you can post some photos of?


Regards
Glenys Chew
« Last Edit: March 10, 2012, 12:02:50 AM by WebAdmin »
Lesley
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