Hangman's knot

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Hangman's knot
Names	Hangman's knot, hangman's noose
Typical use	Hanging, Capital punishment
ABoK	#1119

For the 1952 film starring Randolph Scott see Hangman's Knot (film).

The hangman's knot or hangman's noose (also known as a collar during the Elizabethan era) is a well-known knot most often associated with its use in hanging. For a hanging, the knot of the rope is typically placed under or just behind the left ear. When the condemned drops to the end of the rope, the force is supposed to break the neck. The knot is non-jamming but tends to resist attempts to loosen it.

Tying

See illustration.

1. Bring the working end of the rope back up beside the rope to form a bight (a U-shape) that will eventually be the noose. Reverse direction making a second bight and bring the end part-way down beside the previous two strands to make an N-shape in the rope.
2. Take the working end around the lower bight to make the noose. It should go tightly all the way round and come back above itself.
3. Continue to take the working end tightly around the three central strands, working up away from the noose. Once you have created the desired number of coils, tuck the working end through the top bight.
4. Pull down on the side of the noose that leads up to the top bight; this will contract the part of the top bight above the coils and trap the working end.^[1]

Number of coils

Each additional coil adds friction to the knot, which makes the noose harder to pull closed or open. The number of coils should therefore be adjusted depending on the intended use, the type and thickness of rope, and environmental conditions such as wet or greasy rope. Six to eight loops are normal when using natural ropes. One coil makes it equivalent to the simple slip knot.

In many jurisdictions which used hanging as a form of execution, thirteen coils were often used (a traditionaly unlucky number).

Other uses

A variation of this knot is used in fishing and is called the Uni-knot. It is used to tie fishing line to terminal tackle, join two pieces of line, or for snelling hooks. It is especially useful when used with slick braided line as more coils can be added to increase the friction of the knot and will not let the knot pull out. It is also useful in that the knot can be pulled down tight to the lure or it can be left with a larger loop that gives the lure more freedom of movement. The hangman's noose can also be used in boating to secure an eyelet on a rope or sheet without splicing it.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hangman's noose

1. ^ "Hangman's Noose Instructions". http://notableknotindex.webs.com/hangmansnoose.html. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 

Further reading

• The Ashley Book of Knots discusses this knot in the entry for drawing #1119