Sheepshank Knot Used to Recover Rope
Only a Small Portion of the Rope will be Left on the Projection
The knot shown has a peculiar characteristic which enables a person to recover the rope after letting himself down from some elevated position. After the rope has been tied firmly to some support, as a limb of a tree, tie this knot, or “sheepshank,” as high up as possible. Close inspection will show that one of the three sections of the knot holds no part of the weight below. This section is identified as the portion which projects through the loops A and B at both ends. The other sections project through at one end only. When the knot has been arranged, slide down carefully to a position just below it and cut the rope at C; then descend to the ground. By shaking the rope the knot may be loosened, and only a short piece will be left attached to the support.—Contributed by F. R. Gorton, Ypsilanti, Michigan.