Monkey's Fist
Also known as:Monkey Fist
Description
A decorative knot tied around a weight (such as a golf ball or marble) used as a weight at the end of a heaving line. The rope is wrapped in three directions to form a ball shape.
Common Uses
Creating a weighted end on a heaving line for throwing; decorative knotting.
When to Choose This Knot
Choose this knot when a standard loop, bend, hitch, or stopper does not fit the task. Specialty knots often solve narrow problems and should be practiced slowly before field use.
Safety Notes
- Confirm the knot purpose before using it in a loaded system.
- Treat decorative, improvised, or unusual knots as non-critical unless tested and approved for the use case.
- Inspect the final shape carefully because specialty knots can be easy to misread.
How to Tie
- 1Wrap the rope around three fingers 3-4 times, forming parallel coils.
- 2Turn the coils 90 degrees and wrap around the first set of coils the same number of times.
- 3Insert a weight (ball) into the center of the wraps.
- 4Turn 90 degrees again and wrap the final set of coils around the ball.
- 5Work slack out of the knot gradually until the ball is tightly covered.
Common Mistakes
- Using a specialty knot outside the job it was designed for.
- Confusing a decorative structure with a load-bearing structure.
- Skipping practice because the knot appears visually simple.