Sheet bend

Sheet bend

Names	Sheet bend, becket bend, weaver's knot, weaver's hitch
Category	Bend
Efficiency	48%–58%
Related	Bowline
Typical use	joining two ropes of different diameters
ABoK	(simple) #1, #66, #1431; (double) #488, #1434; (weaver's) #2, #485;

The sheet bend (also known as becket bend, weaver's knot and weaver's hitch) is a bend, that is, a knot that joins two ropes together. Doubled, it is effective in binding lines of different diameter or rigidity securely together, although it has a tendency to work loose when not under load.

The sheet bend is related in structure to the bowline. It is very fast to tie, and along with the bowline and clove hitch is considered so essential it is knot №1 in the Ashley Book of Knots.^[1] It is a more secure replacement for the reef knot (square knot), especially in its doubled variety.^[2]

The "weaver's knot" takes its common name from its historic use in textile mills. Even in modern operations, weavers are taught to use this particular knot when correcting broken threads in the warp. In practice, weavers are taught to be able to tie the knot in as little time possible, with the mean average being no more than three to five seconds.

Method

Weaver at Queen Street Mill demonstrating a weavers knot

Steps in tying a weaver's knot

The sheet bend may be tied by various methods: the basic "rabbit through the hole" method of forming a half hitch in the bight of the larger rope, by a more expedient method shown in Ashley as №1431 (similar to the method used by an experienced sailor or mountaineer to tie a bowline) or by a trick method, Ashley №2562, involving upsetting a noose knot over a short end of the "larger" rope. (Lines of equal size may be joined with a sheet bend, of course, but when one is larger, it plays the simpler role of the red line shown in the infobox, rather than forming the nipped hitch as the green line does.)

One type of weaver's knot is topologically equivalent to a sheet bend, but is tied (usually in smaller stuff) with a different approach. Sheet bends are also used for netting.

A fish net made from sheet bends

Notice that, to have any strength, the two free ends should end up on the same side of the knot^[3] (see below). Under even moderate load, a left-hand sheet bend will quickly slip and release completely.

Secure
Insecure (Left-hand sheet bend^[1])

^ Clifford W. Ashley, The Ashley Book of Knots (New York: Doubleday, 1944), #67 and #1432

Double sheet bend

When lines are of unequal diameter or rigidity it is necessary for security to "double" the sheet bend by making an additional round turn below the first and again bringing the working end back under itself. The free ends should end up on the same side of the knot for maximum strength.

The double sheet bend

References

↑ Ashley, Clifford W. (1944). The Ashley Book of Knots. Doubleday. p. 9.
↑ Cassidy 1985, The Klutz Book of Knots
↑ "Knots and Splicing". ropeinc.com. Single Sheet Bend.

Knots

By type

Bends	Adjustable bend Albright special Alpine butterfly bend Ashley's bend Basket weave knot Beer knot Blood knot Carrick bend Double fisherman's knot Fisherman's knot Flemish bend Grief knot Halyard bend Harness bend Heaving line bend Hunter's bend Nail knot One-sided overhand bend Racking bend Sheet bend Shoelace knot Shroud knot Simple Simon under Single carrick bend Surgeon's knot Surgeon's loop Triple fisherman's knot True lover's knot Water knot Zeppelin bend Zeppelin loop

Binding	Boa knot Bottle sling Constrictor knot Corned beef knot Granny knot Ground-line hitch Jamming knot Miller's knot Packer's knot Reef knot Strangle knot Thief knot Transom knot

Climbing	Alpine butterfly knot Autoblock Bachmann knot Beer knot Bowline on a bight Directional figure eight Double anchorman knot Double bowline Farmer's loop Figure-eight knot Figure-eight loop Figure-of-nine loop Friction hitch Klemheist knot Munter hitch Overhand loop Prusik Trident loop Yosemite bowline

Coils	Alpine coil Butterfly coil

Decorative	Carrick mat Chinese button knot Celtic button knot Diamond knot Fiador knot Friendship knot Matthew Walker knot Turk's head knot Wall and crown knot

Fishing (angling)	Angler's loop Arbor knot Bimini twist Blood knot Fisherman's knot Half blood knot Improved clinch knot Knotless knot Nail knot Palomar knot Snell knot Trilene knot Triple fisherman's knot Turle knot Uni knot

Hitches	Adjustable grip hitch Anchor bend Axle hitch Bachmann knot Bale sling hitch Barrel hitch Becket hitch Blackwall hitch Blake's hitch Boom hitch Buntline hitch Cat's paw Clove hitch Cow hitch Double overhand noose Falconer's knot Farrimond friction hitch Friction hitch Garda hitch Gripping Sailor's hitch Ground-line hitch Half hitch Halter hitch Highpoint hitch Highwayman's hitch Hitching tie Icicle hitch Improved clinch knot Killick hitch Knute hitch Lobster buoy hitch Marlinespike hitch Munter hitch Ossel hitch Pile hitch Snuggle hitch Timber hitch

Loop	Angler's loop Artillery loop Bale sling hitch Bowline Bumper knot Carrick bend loop Cowboy bowline Diamond knot Double bowline Dropper loop Eskimo bowline Fiador knot Fireman's chair knot Friendship knot loop Halter hitch Handcuff knot Honda knot Jury mast knot Overhand loop Portuguese bowline Rigid double splayed loop in the bight Slippery eight loop Span loop Spanish bowline Tom fool's knot Trident loop Triple bowline Triple crown knot Water bowline Yosemite bowline Zeppelin loop

Running (slip)	Hangman's knot Running bowline Running highwayman's hitch Slip knot Tarbuck knot

Shanks	Catshank Dogshank Sheepshank

Stopper	Ashley's stopper knot Button knot Double overhand knot Monkey's fist Stevedore knot

Whipping	Common whipping Overhand knot with draw-loop Portuguese whipping Sailmaker's whipping West Country whipping

Lists of knots
Related topics

Lists of knots	Bends Bindings Decorative knots Hitches (friction) Mathematical

Related topics	Chinese knotting International Guild of Knot Tyers Lashing Rope splicing Seizing

Category
WikiProject
Commons

Sheet bend

Method

Double sheet bend

See also

References