Carpet beater

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A carpet beater or mattenklopper (from Dutch) is a tool used to clean carpets and rugs by hanging them up and beating them. It is usually made of willow switches woven together in a knot similar to a flattened Turk's head. The number of strands determines the rigidity of the mattenklopper. A two-strand mattenklopper like the one shown here would be more flexible than a three- or four-strand mattenklopper. Modern mass-production version can also be in plastic or wire.

Its use in cleaning has been largely replaced by the carpet sweeper and then the vacuum cleaner, but it is still sold in household stores.

It is used in the James Bond novel Casino Royale as a torture device. In the 2006 film of the same name, a knotted rope is used. In either case, Bond's enemy, Le Chiffre, uses the instrument in an attempt to force information out of Bond by striking him repeatedly in the testicles.