E.g., I just pulley loaded (hmmm, 100# force?)
[ in roughly 1/4" (6mm) laid + braided cords ]
a round sling joined with this knot & the zeppelin; now, I've
tied 25# barbell wgt. to the tail of the upper cord --which I
took to be the more vulnerable one--, and even with a small
drop of this load, the crusty old knotted rope holds; a few
more, bigger drops, and now the half-hitch form is pulled
out of position. Going to the other tail seems more resistant,
but I don't want to attribute that to orientation vs. the ropes.
Note that in these tests only the tied-above SPart is under
tension, the lower SPart is free, and its tail is loaded, or
only the other rope's tail (& SPart) is.
So what size is this rope that endured a 100 lb initial loading
(if I'm deciphering you correctly)? Do you really think that is
representative of common human strength setting of a bend
in either medium or larger-size rope?
Touche' . Trying the knot in 3/4" laid ropes (PP + Poly-Dac),
the exercise shows Roo's point --manual setting doesn't make
much difference to these particular not-so-flexible ropes. Now,
it might be that some setting assistance is available in a device.
Or, maybe some knot-holding device is used (tape, seizing).
Again, I'm reaching for some use in which the knot's appeal
is (a) efficiency of material, (b) simplicity of tying (yes, with
some learning of setting/dressing), (c) relative strength (this
remains to be seen; I think there are issues that affect ...),
and (d) ease of untying (by hauling on ends, to capsize-loosen).
And against the better-known
carrick bend, I think there's
an uphill battle.
Re (c), two issues --perhaps at times connected-- are the
*ambidextrous* nature (both-handed; which the
Fig.8 has, too)
of the knot, and the potential for *race conditions* to lead
to imbalance in loaded geometry --i.e., one SPart stays
more straight than the other, sharply bent (which might
result from differences in surface condition --slickness).
Whereas the
carrick bend has the SParts staying more
each-to-its-own-side business & formation; capsizing from
the lattice form can be problematic in mixed cordage, but
once dressed, loading shouldn't introduce biases.
- - - - - - -
But to the issue of
practical knots, I defend this knot's
presence under that title in that it presents a possible
joint, with the brevity of the
sheet bend, square knot,
& grass bend , which can be used for small tasks of little
consequence (albeit perhaps w/no more to recommend
it than *variety* --but maybe the
forcible loosening ).
One could see all this captured under a
theoretical remark
put under the
...Explorations... heading, too.
--dl*
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