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running knots

Runningknots,alsoknownasslipknotsornooses,areusedin

varioussituations,suchastyingparcelsormakingtrapsand

snares.Primitivemanusedrunningknotstomakeweapons

andtrapsforcapturinganimals;sowecandeducethatthey

areamongtheoldestknowntoman.Theseknotsaredivided

intotwogroups,thoseformedbypassinga bightthrougha

fixedloopmadeat theendoftheropeandthosemadewitha

closedbightknottedattheendoralongtherope.

Themain feature ofrunning knotsis that theytighten

aroundtheobjectsonwhichtheyaremade;in factthegreater

thestrainontheend,thetightertheknotbecomesaroundthe

object.Ontheotherhand,whenthestrainisreduced,theknot

slackens;sorunningknotsarenotusedalotin sailing.

Themain running knotsare the nooseand therunning

bowlineinthe firstgroup, and theTarbuck knotand the

hangman'sknotin thesecond.