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Forensic Knots

The Most Useful Rope Knots for the Average Person to Know

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Single-Loop Knots

A single-loop knot is useful when you need to throw a rope over something such as a post (to tie up a boat, for example), or when you need to attach something to a loop of rope (as in rock climbing), etc.If you don't tie knots in rope very often then it might be difficult to remember which knot to use, and how to tie it properly, when you need a loop. Therefore, it's a good idea to learn one or two good knots which you can remember easily. For a mid-line loop or an end-line loop, my current preference is the double-wrapped Flying Bowline, although sometimes I use the Alpine Butterfly. When I need to pass a rope around an object and tie off the end, I usually use the Adjustable Grip Hitch. I've never had problems with slipping or jamming using these knots, but this doesn't mean that they're the best knots for you...

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Real Time Knot Tying Simulation

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Abstract

While rope is arguably a simpler system to simulate than cloth, the real-time simulation of rope, and knot tying in particular, raise unique and difficult issues in contact detection and management. Some practical knots can only be achieved by complicated crossings of the rope, yielding multiple simultaneous contacts, especially when the rope is pulled tight. This paper describes a simulator allowing a user to grasp and smoothly manipulate a virtual rope and to tie arbitrary knots, including knots around other objects, in real-time. One component of the simulator precisely detects self collisions in the rope, as well as collisions with other objects. Another component manages collisions to prevent penetration, while making the rope slide with some friction along itself and other objects, so that knots can be pulled tight in believable manner. An additional module uses recent results from knot theory to identify which topological knots have been tied, also in real-time. This work was motivated by surgical suturing, but simulation

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Basic Principles Of Forensic Knot Analysis: A Qualitative Study Of Tying Behaviour

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Abstract

The knot-tying behaviour of thousands of subjects was observed over a period of 25 years. A number of key principles applicable to forensic knot analysis emerged, most of which have been confirmed by other studies. Most notably, tying behaviour is consistent and reproducible. Basic knots like Overhand Knots, Half Hitches and Half Knots are chiral, and individual knot tiers produce one mirror-image version more so than the other. This tendency can be influenced by a number of factors, such as the number of available working ends, tying position, interference, the creation of slip loops, and wend switching. These principles can guide investigators in the forensic analysis of knotted evidence and point to future avenues of research.

Overview

Crime scene investigators have been examining knots and ligatures for at least a century, and the process of properly preserving knotted evidence and correctly identifying knots is generally understood. However, the fundamental principles of analysis – which assist in deriving informed and...

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Instructions for Tying Knots

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WHEN SOMEONE COMMITS A CRIME, it’s safe to assume that person wants to get rid of the evidence; they may wear gloves, or conceal their identity. But criminals get caught, often on the most incidental oversights—some as small and seemingly innocent as a knot in a string.

And, it turns out, knots are exactly one of those common oversights-turned-evidence, thanks to the small but significant field of knot forensics, in which specialists examine knots to unveil forensic clues. This is what Glenn Dickey, knots expert, has done to help prosecute criminals; as one of few knot experts in the world who contributes to forensics work, Dickey uses his advanced knowledge of knot tying to establish tricky details: whether the knot-tier was left- or right handed, skilled or novice at knot tying, and in some cases, whether the crime was premeditated.

Dickey, based in Ohio, is part of the North American chapter of the International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT),...

Additional Resource: How Knot Analysis Can Reveal the Perpetrator of a Crime

Additional Resource: International Guild of Knot Tyers

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