The Turk’s Head is
perhaps the most recognizable
of
traditional
marlinespike
knots. There are numerous
books and videos that will
explain how to tie this knot,
but the two key ingredients to
having it come out right are
getting it started correctly, and
understanding how much the
diameter of the knot will shrink as it is tied.
Starting the knot correctly can be really frustrat-
ing if you have not already mastered it. Even if you
have mastered it, if you go a year or so without tying
one, it is like learning to tie the knot all over again, at
least it is for me. This is particularly true if you want to
tie one of the more
complex versions with
three or more strands.
A Turk’s Head
jig won’t make the knot
easy to tie, but it can
eliminate some of the
frustration
and
make
tying the knot more
efficient. I have several
of these in different
sizes. They are easy to
make and can take much
of the frustration out of
tying a beautiful and
useful knot.
The principle is simple; you need to make a
cylindrical cone with a gradual taper. Mine are made of
wood, but you could use cardboard in a pinch. The trick
is to diagram out the actual pattern of the first complete
pass of the knot and drill or poke holes where each
outside bight is located in the pattern. Then put short,
1/8” pegs in the holes (I just cut up a 1/8” dowel), which
gives you a three-dimensional pattern to tie the first pass
of the knot around. Once you have completed the first
circuit, pull out the pegs and continue the knot by
following the pattern
you have set up with
the
remaining
line,
until
you have
the
number of strands that
you want.
As the knot constricts with each additional
strand, slide the Turk’s Head further up the narrow end
of the jig to accommodate the constricting of the knot.
One really nice thing about these jigs is that
once you have set one up you are likely to be able to tie
the knot the first time and have it come out well.
Another is that if your objective is to tie the knot around
something like a tiller, you can set up a jig, tie a knot
fairly quickly and figure out how much the diameter
shrinks. Once you
know that, you can
easily start a second
knot and adjust it to
come out a little
larger
or
smaller
when you start, by
leaving a little more
slack,
or
adding
tension. Once you have completed your first pass around
the jig, and when you remove your pegs, slide the first
pattern of the new knot off the jig and onto the object
around which the Turk’s Head will be finished. Now
complete the knot
with some confi-
dence that it will
come
out
the
correct size.
Marlinespike Seamanship
By Ted Walsh
Turk’s Head Jig
