Sheet bend - wikipedia 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 No 1 in the Ashley Book of Knots. It is a more secure replacement for the reef knot ( square knot ), especially in its doubled variety. Contents 1 Definition 2 Method 3 Double sheet bend 4 Security 5 See also 6 References Definition The term `` sheet bend '' derives from its use bending ropes to sails ( sheets ). It is mentioned in David Steel 's 1794 book Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship but was used by Neolithic peoples for tying the meshes of fishing nets. The name `` weaver 's knot '' comes 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 Play media Weaver at Queen Street Mill demonstrating a weaver 's 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, 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 ( see below ). Under even moderate load, a left - hand sheet bend will quickly slip and release completely. Secure Insecure ( left - hand sheet bend ) 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 Security A study of 8 different bends using climbing rope of equal diameter said the sheet bend was weak. In one test, it pulled apart with less than half the pressure that other knots withstood. The authors recommend `` 2 half hitches on the bend back line and overhand knot on turn thru line. '' Even with these, it was always a bottom performer and the double sheet bend did little better. The butterfly bend did best, but the double fisherman 's knot was recommended for being easier to untie. After performing security testing, Ashley wrote with regard to the Sheet Bend : `` Some readers may be surprised to find the Sheet Bend with so low a rating, but these tests were made in exceptionally slippery material. The Sheet Bend is the most practical of bends and quite secure enough for ordinary purposes. '' See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sheet bends. List of bend knots List of knots References Jump up ^ Ashley, Clifford W. ( 1944 ). The Ashley Book of Knots. Doubleday. p. 9. Jump up ^ Cassidy 1985, The Klutz Book of Knots Jump up ^ Shaw, John ( 2004 ). The Directory of Knots. Rochester : Grange Books. p. 35. Jump up ^ `` Knots and Splicing ''. ropeinc.com. Single Sheet Bend. Jump up ^ Clifford W. Ashley, The Ashley Book of Knots ( New York : Doubleday, 1944 ), # 67 and # 1432 Jump up ^ Knot Break Strength vs Rope Break Strength Knots Bight Loop Turn List of knots List of knot terminology By type Bends Adjustable Albright special Ashley 's Alpine butterfly Basket weave Beer Blood Carrick Double fisherman 's Fisherman 's Flemish Grief Halyard Harness Heaving line Hunter 's Nail One - sided overhand Racking Sheet Shoelace Shroud Simple Simon under Single carrick Surgeon 's Surgeon 's loop Triple fisherman 's True lover 's Water Zeppelin Binding Boa Bottle sling Constrictor Corned beef Granny Ground - line hitch Jamming Miller 's Packer 's Reef Strangle Thief Transom Climbing Autoblock Bachmann Beer Bowline on a bight Alpine butterfly Directional figure eight Double bowline Farmer 's loop Figure - eight Figure - eight loop Figure - of - nine loop Friction hitch Klemheist Munter hitch Overhand loop Prusik Trident loop Yosemite bowline Coils & shanks Chain sinnet Sheepshank Decorative Carrick mat Chinese button Celtic button Diamond Fiador Friendship Ghiordes & Senneh Matthew Walker Turk 's head Wall and crown Fishing ( angling ) Angler 's loop Arbor Bimini twist Blood Fisherman 's Improved clinch Knotless Nail Palomar Snell Trilene Triple fisherman 's Turle Uni Hitches Adjustable grip Anchor bend Axle Bachmann Bale sling Barrel Becket Blackwall Blake 's Boom Buntline Cat 's paw Clove Cow Distel Double overhand noose Falconer 's Farrimond friction Friction hitch Garda Ground - line Half Halter Highpoint Highwayman 's Hitching tie Icicle Improved clinch Killick Knute Lobster buoy Marlinespike Munter Ossel Pile Pipe Sailor 's Snuggle Swing Taut - line Timber Loop Angler 's Artillery loop Bale sling hitch Bowline Bumper Carrick bend loop Cossack Cowboy bowline Diamond Double bowline Dropper loop Eskimo bowline Fiador Fireman 's chair Friendship knot Halter hitch Handcuff Honda Jury mast Overhand Portuguese bowline Rigid double splayed loop in the bight Slippery eight Span Spanish bowline Tom fool 's Trident Triple bowline Triple crown Water bowline Yosemite bowline Zeppelin Running ( slip ) Hangman 's Running bowline Running highwayman 's hitch Tarbuck Splices & splicing Eye Fid Marlinspike Rat - tail Western Union Stopper Ashley 's stopper Button Double overhand Monkey 's fist Overhand Stevedore Whipping Common Overhand knot with draw - loop Portuguese Sailmaker 's West Country Lists of knots Related topics Lists of knots Bends Bindings Decorative knots Hitches ( friction ) Mathematical Related topics Chinese knotting Density History International Guild of Knot Tyers Macramé Mizuhiki Norigae Ropework Lashing Splicing Seizing Sennit Category WikiProject Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheet_bend&oldid=840525533 '' Categories : Bend knots Hidden categories : Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto Français Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Türkçe Tiếng Việt 中文 11 more Edit links This page was last edited on 10 May 2018, at 13 : 11. 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Question: when do you use a sheet bend knot
Answer: joining two ropes of different diameters