Nothing degrades a rope or frustrates its use like a frayed end. While thin polypropylene rope ends can be fused with a “butane backsplice”—melting fibres with a lighter—this isn’t practical on larger ropes and leaves a hard nub. West Country whipping is a simple, better-looking way to tame wild ends of any rope; since it relies on basic overhand knots, it’s even kid-friendly.
You’ll need cord thin enough to wind easily around the rope end. Start by tying the loose fibres together temporarily with a short length of cord, at least half a centimetre from the end. You can get by with a couple of overhand knots, but the better option is a useful variation on a clove hitch—the constrictor knot. Wrap the cord end around the rope and over the standing end (the part lying atop the rope) and continue around the rope again. Tuck the end under itself and then under the first turn. Pull tight.
7 knots that every cottager should know how to tie
For the whipping, cut a length of cord about 20–30 cm long, or more for thick ropes. Starting next to the constrictor, tie a basic overhand knot, and tighten. Tie another overhand on the other side of the rope, right next to the first loop. Repeat these alternating knots, front and back, until the length of whipping is at least one-and-a-half times the rope diameter. Finish the whipping with a reef knot: tie a left-handed overhand knot, followed by a right-handed one. Tighten the knot and trim the ends, leaving the constrictor in place.
This article was originally published in the Sept/Oct issue of Cottage Life.
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