The packer's knot is a
binding knot which is easily pulled taut and quickly locked in position. It is most often made in small line or string, such as that used for hand
baling
The Baling District is an administrative district in southeastern Kedah, Malaysia. Located about 110 km from Alor Setar, it borders Perak and Betong, the southernmost town of Thailand.
Name
The name Baling can be traced to a series of e ...
, parcel tying, and binding
roasts. This latter use, and its general form, make it a member of a class of similar knots known as butcher's knots.
[Clifford W. Ashley, ''The Ashley Book of Knots'' (New York: Doubleday, 1944), 36-38.][Clifford W. Ashley, ''The Ashley Book of Knots'' (New York: Doubleday, 1944), p. 65 (# 408).]
Tying and variations
A lightly tightened
figure-eight knot
The figure-eight knot or figure-of-eight knot is a type of stopper knot. It is very important in sailing, rock climbing and caving as a method of stopping ropes from running out of retaining devices. Like the overhand knot, which will jam under ...
is formed around the
standing part of the line such that both ends emerge from the same point. Pulling on the standing part tightens the binding. After the desired degree of tension is reached, a locking
half-hitch is added over the working end and pulled taut.
Even without the locking half-hitch the knot will generally maintain tension while additional tying is accomplished, such as putting a second,
perpendicular
In geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at right angles, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees or π/2 radians. The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', ⟠...
, wrap on a package.
[Ashley(1944), p. 337 (# 2083)][Gordon Perry, ''Knots'' (North Vancouver, Canada: Quantum Publishing, 2006), 130-131.]
A similar knot made with an
overhand knot
The overhand knot is one of the most fundamental knots, and it forms the basis of many others, including the simple noose, overhand loop, angler's loop, reef knot, fisherman's knot, half hitch, and water knot. The overhand knot is a stoppe ...
instead of a figure-eight works almost as well.
[Des Pawson, ''Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices'' (Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books, Inc., 2002), 108-109.] Many other variations also exist finishing with this style of locking half-hitch. In fact,
Clifford Ashley claimed that there were more knots of this type to be found than any other used for a single purpose.
See also
*
Corned beef knot
*
List of binding knots
*
List of knots
This list of knots includes many alternative names for common knots and lashings. Knot names have evolved over time, and there are many conflicting or confusing naming issues. The overhand knot, for example, is also known as the thumb knot. The ...
References
External links
Diagram of a packer's knot
{{Knots