Fireman's Hitch
The Fireman's hitch is used for attaching a line to a rail, post or spar, especially if the rope may need releasing quickly. The Fireman's hitch is prone to collapse under heavier loads and therefore is generally not an ideal hitch for load bearing other than with lighter loads.
The name is derived from the good old horse and carriage days. It is reputed that the highway robbers preferred the knot to tie up their horses as its quick release allowed them a quick getaway. Frankly, I suspect most of them would have opted for the Halter hitch. As for firemen using this knot, that too is very unlikely. It was reported that they would leave a very long working end that could be pulled to release the knot after they had descended well below its position. The Fireman's hitch tendency to collapse would not make this a good choice for suspending people scaling down a wall of a high building.
About Rope Knots
Regardless of your situation at some point in your life you’ll encounter a thread, cord or rope knot. Research records of archaeologist J Wymer shows records of knots as far back as 380,000 years ago! Some of these knots are as described, as used then, on this site.
Your life will be made easier and safer with some knowledge of how to tie a knot.
This site holds over 250 different animated knots. That is more than most could be expected to reasonably use. However, the question still remains; for the situation you currently find yourself, which knot should you use?
It is my hope that the animated illustrations provided on this site will assist and encourage you to extend your knot tying skills.
Rope knots can basically be divided into the following groups:
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Bends - Joining two lines by intertwining them, without splicing, or sewing.
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Hitches - A knot that secures a rope or line to another object.
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Stopper – Used to bind strands at the end of a rope to stop fraying or unraveling.
Also formed to stop a rope slipping through a hole or to provide a weight or handhold.
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Bindings – Much like hitches. They are used to bind either lines or objects together. Their aim is
to keep objects in place.
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Splices – Describes the act of joining the ends, or the end and a standing part, of rope by
interweaving strands. They are not knots in themselves.
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Loops – Loops create structures used to tie, or secure, another object or line to another line.
They can be formed at the end or midway a length of rope.
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Plaits - Weaving several lines together to form a pattern and a cohesive structure.
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Miscellaneous & Decorative – Knots that have decorative, dress or multiple category
characteristics.
The rope knot section of this site is set out with these groups firmly in mind.
Good luck
Andy
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