Thief knot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Thief knot | |
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| Names | Thief knot, Bag knot, Bread bag knot |
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| Category | binding |
| Origin | Ancient |
| Related | Reef knot, Granny knot, Grief knot |
| Releasing | jamming, but not always |
| Caveat | spills |
| ABoK | #1207 |
The Thief knot resembles the reef knot except that the free, or working, ends are on opposite sides. It is said that sailors would secure their belongings in a ditty bag using the thief knot, often with the ends hidden. If another sailor went through the bag, the odds were high the thief would tie the bag back using the morecommon square knot, revealing the tampering, hence the name. The thief knot is much less secure than the (not very secure) square knot. It unties itself if the lines are pulled when the same action would seize a square knot. It is difficult to tie by mistake, unlike the granny knot.
