bowline-knot &laquo; WordPress.com Tag Feed http://wordpress.com/tag/bowline-knot/ Feed of posts on WordPress.com tagged "bowline-knot" Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:35:29 +0000 http://wordpress.com/tags/ en <![CDATA[Basic Climbing knots]]> http://itrekz.wordpress.com/?p=118 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:42:08 +0000 itrekz http://itrekz.wordpress.com/?p=118 Climbing Knots
Without hyperbole employed, there are more than 100 knots (even more) one can use for climbing purposes; however, few most essential knots are mentioned here.

Few basics of knots are:

  • Easy to remember
  • Easy to tie
  • Enough strength to be stable under stress and load
  • Easy to untie

Figure of Eight knot:
If there is any one knot that must be absolutely learned, it is the figure of eight knot.
There are two methods, the figure of eight rethreaded and figure of eight on the bight or loop. The first one is used usually to secure the rope to the harness while second one is used to use for clipping into the karabiner or any equipment.

Clove hitch knot:
There are two methods:
Open clove hitch: When the anchor is open and the knot can be just ‘put in’ from the top, for example a truncated tree trunk.

Closed clove hitch: This knot is used when it is to be ‘tied around’ a closed anchor, like a huge tree, where one cannot just ‘put in’ the knot.

Bowline knot:
This knot is used when the rope is directly tied around the waist of the climber without any harness. Also in some cases this can be used for anchoring. Not used often.

Italian hitch:
In conditions when the belay device is damaged or dropped of a cliff, there is still a way to belay using plain Karabiner using the Italian hitch knot. One can even rappel down and descend using the Italian hitch knot around a karabiner.

Reef knot and Fisher man knot are used to join two ropes together. Reef knot is used for joining two ropes of equal diameter where as Fisherman knot is versatile and can be used in any case, specifically for two ropes of different diameters.

]]> <![CDATA[The King of Knots as Metaphor for Economics]]> http://kennethfach.wordpress.com/?p=193 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:53:52 +0000 Kenneth Fach http://kennethfach.wordpress.com/?p=193 A knot is a useful tool for many purpose, and is one of the oldest tools used by people. The king of knots, called the Bowline Knot, functions as a very useful rescue tool, a tool to anchor ships to posts, a tool for lifting object or people, a tool for hanging things, and so  many other purposes. I like to think of this knot as a metaphor to describe economic cycles, real estate, mortgage, market cycles.

Having been a boy scout as  youth, I studied knots, and had opportunities to practice, demonstate,  and use knots in my boy scout training, and outdoor activities.  I am so grateful for that opportunity. I have had occasions to demonstrate my scout knotting skills through the years especially in camping situations as I am an avid camper.  Now that I have a son, I get to help him learn the knots too, and their uses: square knot, two half hitches, taut line, clove hitch, sheet bend, and of course, the king of knots, the bowline, which is also, my favorite knot.

To create the bowline knot, you form a loop and hold it with your left hand. Then, you take the bottom end of the rope with your right hand, and take it around towards the back of the loop, and into the loop leaving through the front, and going around the standing top end of the rope, called the tree (for fun), and then, back into the loop from the front, or the cave (for fun). Next, we take the non standing rope end, the bottom end, and tighten it away from the standing end of the rope and pull it snugly. We now have a tightened loop, that stays in place, and does not slide. If it slides, it is not a bowline. If there is no loop, it is not a bowline.  The loop needs to be larger than a simple hole. If the ends of the rope are coming apart, then there is no proper knot, since the whole operation gets messed up. The ends may need to be whipped with string to keep the strands united, or the ends can be fused to keep the ends united. With knot tying, practice is the key to success.  With economic planning, practice, trial, error and more practice is the key to success.

Just like making a bowline knot, you must follow the correct instructions when managing economics, and finances. Use loops when appropriate, make sure the ends are secure, make sure the right end is going into the loop in the right direction, and make sure the length of the rope is adequate and the loop is of adequate size for the purpose of making the bowling knot in the first place. Good economics requires planning, and direction. When there is some trouble in the financial world, I think of someone incorrectly tying a knot, such as a bowline knot. There is a process of making a knot, such as what I described above for the bowline knot. It would be a good idea if politicians, so called experts, business leaders, and individuals, spend time practing making knots, and practice the correct process with regards to economics and finances, whether mortgage finances, or real estate finances.

Just like knot tying, financial planning needs to be:
1. Simple and not difficult.
2. Must not unravel, or come loose.
3. Must be useful, and practical for many specific purposes.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B103
Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com
Cell 850-339-5753

Each office is independently owned and operated.

 

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