the.com/turk head
A decorative knot pretending to be art while quietly doing the hardest job in rigging.
means A round, woven knot made of interlaced strands that forms a tight band or ring, used both as a decorative covering and as a functional grip or stopper on ropes, rails, and tool handles.
from Named for its resemblance to a turban — the wound, coiled headgear long associated with the Ottoman Turks. English sailors, who saw such headwear in Mediterranean ports, gave the knot the name 'Turk's head' because the over-and-under weave looks like cloth wrapped around a head. The form is much older than the name, woven by knot-tyers across many cultures; the English label simply borrowed a familiar visual shorthand from the wider world of seafaring.
- endless loop
- Has no beginning or end, like a woven Möbius brag
- sailor origin
- Tied by mariners onto ship wheels and rails
- the name
- Resembles a turban, hence the borrowed headwear
- climbing arts
- Tree climbers use them as grippy footholds
- leads matter
- More leads and bights mean a fatter, fancier knot
turk's head knot — a decorative nautical knot with multiple interwoven loops, used in sailing and rope work
turk head mountain — peak in the san juan mountains, colorado, elevation 13,694 feet