Splicing (rope)

Splicing involves using the strands of a rope to make an alteration, be it to join two lengths of rope together more cleanly than tying a knot or doubling a rope back onto itself to form an eye (a bight or loop) or an end that will not fray. To splice a rope the strands at the end of the rope in question are prised apart and then woven into the strands at another point, or into the strands of a different rope altogether. Splicing remains an essential seamanship skill as it results in a stronger and more aesthetic result than a knot. Learning to splice is relatively simple, anyone who has plaited long hair will quickly see how, the original and best reference remains the Royal Navy's Manual of Seamanship.

Stranded Rope

Three- or four-stranded rope

External links

• Animated Knots by Grog: Eye Splice