Hunter's bend
Encyclopedia
The Hunter's bend is a knot
used to join two lines. It consists of interlocking overhand knot
s, and can jam under moderate strain. It is topologically similar to the Zeppelin bend
.
In 1978 a front page story in the The Times
presented it as a newly invented knot credited to Dr. Edward Hunter. He had used it for years to tie broken shoelaces before discovering its originality through a friend in the 1970s. When it appeared on the front page, it led to much publicity for the knot and also to the formation of the International Guild of Knot Tyers
. However, the knot had already been presented in Knots for Mountaineering by Phil D. Smith in the 1950s. Smith had devised the knot in 1943 while working on the San Francisco waterfront
and had called it simply a "Rigger's bend".
When the International Guild of Knot Tyers assisted with revisions and corrections to The Ashley Book of Knots
in 1979, the Hunter's bend (ABOK #1425A) was one of the additions.
Knot
A knot is a method of fastening or securing linear material such as rope by tying or interweaving. It may consist of a length of one or several segments of rope, string, webbing, twine, strap, or even chain interwoven such that the line can bind to itself or to some other object—the "load"...
used to join two lines. It consists of interlocking overhand knot
Overhand knot
The overhand knot is one of the most fundamental knots and forms the basis of many others including the simple noose, overhand loop, angler's loop, reef knot, fisherman's knot and water knot. The overhand knot is very secure, to the point of jamming badly. It should be used if the knot is...
s, and can jam under moderate strain. It is topologically similar to the Zeppelin bend
Zeppelin bend
A Zeppelin bend is a general purpose bend knot. It is a secure, easily tied, and jam-resistant way to connect two ropes...
.
History
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
presented it as a newly invented knot credited to Dr. Edward Hunter. He had used it for years to tie broken shoelaces before discovering its originality through a friend in the 1970s. When it appeared on the front page, it led to much publicity for the knot and also to the formation of the International Guild of Knot Tyers
International Guild of Knot Tyers
The International Guild of Knot Tyers is a world-wide association for people with an interest in knots and knot tying. Officially established in 1982, the founding members were initially drawn together by the 1978 publication in The Times of an allegedly new knot, the Hunter's bend.The goals of...
. However, the knot had already been presented in Knots for Mountaineering by Phil D. Smith in the 1950s. Smith had devised the knot in 1943 while working on the San Francisco waterfront
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
and had called it simply a "Rigger's bend".
When the International Guild of Knot Tyers assisted with revisions and corrections to The Ashley Book of Knots
The Ashley Book of Knots
The Ashley Book of Knots is an encyclopedia of knots first published in 1944 by Clifford Warren Ashley. The culmination of over 11 years of work, it contains some 7000 illustrations and more than 3854 entries covering over 2000 different knots. The entries include instructions, uses, and for some...
in 1979, the Hunter's bend (ABOK #1425A) was one of the additions.