Thank you Derek. It is always a pleasure for me to discuss with you about simple, fundamental knotting mechanisms.
This is the 'Practical Knots' board, and this is never going to be a 'Practical Knot' and I believe we have a duty not to promote it as such.
I agree. Let us move it to our brand new Knotting Concepts and Explorations, where it clearly belongs. I see it as
an exercise, I could even dare to say
a theorem of knotting mechanism. If it would ever be considered a "practical" knot, it would only be in the sense that it can solve a practical knotting problem of an experienced knot tyer, who knows what he is doing and why is he doing this. As I have stressed, it is a difficult knot, suitable for knot tyers only, and it does not take hostages..
.
it is one of the few knots which 'dresses itself' to the extent that it won't eat any of the tails as it is loaded
Oh ! I forgot to mention that advantage !
I thank you for reminding it to me. It might be interesting to mention that the other three bends that work in a similar way - using the pair of tails as a rope-made pivot of a rope-made hinge - also do not "eat" much of their tails during further loading. The shear forces are very effective of inducing a large amount of friction, and block the slippage of the tails.
it is none the less only safe as a 'cerebral exercise'.
May be, but you know how useful have "cerebral exercises" have been , in the course of human history !
A cerebral exercise of half a dozen scientists, back at 1964 where most of the knot tyers - indeed, most of the people - in the world were not born, proved to be a hard, material reality a few days ago at CERN...In fact, it was proven to be the reality that gives to all matter its material substance, its mass
!
I have said that this bend is
a difficult bend , and should only be tied by people that know what they are doing, and why they are doing it. In fact, it is a very safe knot, in that
it can not be even tied by other people, so no week-end knot tyer would ever dare to tie it... (Just kidding...) I have also said that it should be accompanied by
the scull and crossed bones sign Ashley uses for ABoK#1406. In fact, it is not more "safe" or more "dangerous" than ABoK#1406, and I have not read anything in this thread that points to even one subtle difference between those two bends. People are alarmed with the security of this bend more than with the security of ABoK#1406, for one simple reason ; They knew the one, but they have not seen the other ! And the one is there, in their holy book, while the other is not. In short, nothing more than the well known knot tyers conservatism.
The great advantage of this bend is the lessons it offers to us, the widening of our view about bends in particular, and knots in general. I would try to incorporate the mechanism of this bend in more complex, and more easy to tie knots. For me, knots are more a mental game than a practical necessity, so a cerebral exercise is a welcomed thing - and a cerebral theorem, like this bend, is a Knotworld-heavens blessing !
It is amusing that the knots I present is this forum are criticized as
too complex or
too simple ! I do not know what is the truth, but I
only hope that they are not
too boring...
Derek, I know you could explain this knot using your elaborated system of fundamental knotting elements, and I would be glad if you will compare it to its evil impostor, and to the ABoK#1406.