Brian Hopper, age 12, of Shreveport, La., for his question:
WHEN WERE KNOTS FIRST USED?
Knots, as well as hitches and splices, are methods used to tie ropes or to fasten them together. Most people call any method of tying a rope a knot. But experts generally recognize a difference between knots, hitches and splices.
A knot is one of man's oldest inventions. He used knots to tie arrowheads to their shafts and to tie bowstrings to bows. Other early uses of knots includb7d making clothes and fishing nets and binding wood together to make a but or other shelter.
One of the most famous knots is the Gordian knot, mentioned in Greek mythology. This knot was so intricate that legend said that the man who could untie it would rule Asia.
A knot is used to tie up a bundle, to join the ends of small cords and to make a loop, a noose or a knob in a rope.
A hitch is used to tie a rope to a ring, spar, post or other object.
A splice permanently joins the ends of two ropes, or forms a single rope into a permanent loop.
A fourth type of knot, the bend, is used to tie the ends of two ropes together.
A rope with a knot in it is weaker than an unknotted rope. For example, a square knot weakens a rope by 50 percent, and a bowline by 40 percent. In general, hitches weaken a rope less than knots and bends, and splices weaken a rope less than hitches.
In spite of the development of wire rope and mechanical fastenings, knots are still important to people in many fields.
The ability to tie knots has always been one of the chief skills for sailors. Even today, the ability to tie knots remains important for anyone involved with ships and boats.
Sailors use knots to fasten ropes on objects to be lifted on or off vessels. Sailboat owners must master the skill of tying knots in order to adjust the rigging, or lines attached to the sails, booms and masts.
Sportsmen use knots today to set up tents, to prepare fishing tackle, to build traps and to do hundreds of other jobs.
Surgeons must quickly and skillfully tie the tiny knots in sutures or threads used to close incisions.
Knots are also widely used on farms. Farmers must have the ability to tie knots in the rope used to make halters for animals. Knots are also used to hitch horses, cows and other animals. Knots are used to rig blocks and tackles which lift hay or other products into barns.
Other people who make use of knots and rope include explorers, mountain climbers, builders, weavers and fishermen. And don't forget to add Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
The language of knots was developed to name the various parts of a rope and the simple shapes into which they can be formed. The "end" of a rope is the part with which knots are tied. The rest of the rope is called the "standing part."