Thief knot
| Thief knot | |
|---|---|
|
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| Type | Noise knot |
| application | Joke knot, dissolving knot |
| Ashley No. | 1207 |
| Synonyms | wrong square knot |
| English | Thief knot, Bag knot, Bread bag knot |
| List of nodes | |
The thief's knot is a knot that looks like a square knot on the surface and is therefore also called a false square knot . But there is one crucial difference: While the two loose ends of the square knot are on one side, they are diagonally opposite with the thief's knot. This means that the thief's knot is not as easy to tie as the square knot.
The thief knot belongs to the so-called intoxication knot ; these are joke knots that give way under stress (quickly or slowly), that is, "rush out" and loosen themselves. It was therefore used as a gross joke to hang young sailors' hammocks.
Origin of the term
The thief's knot is said to have been used to determine whether someone tampered with a knotted item. Since the knot looks like a square knot at first glance, a careless thief will tie the goods again with the simpler square knot.
Thief's knot with the loose ends on opposite sides
Square knot with the loose ends on one side
