A Split Tail is when you use a separate section of line/cord for your Friction Hitch. A Blake's or a Tautline can use a Split Tail. This makes it easier to reset TIP and gives a disposable/wearable piece of line, that doesn't shorten lifeline when you need a fresh Friction Hitch section etc.
A Martin and most the other hitches are Split Tails plus, you use both ends of the Split Tail in a Basket type (in sling language) attachment as opposed to the more linear/choke/ single leg attachment of the Blake's and Tautline. Another way to look at it is the Blake's and Tautline are 'open' type designs with a free end that should always have a stopper knot in it. A Tautline is decidely rotational, and can walk off the job without a stopper. A Blakes's really shouldn't walk out; as it is like an advanced Anchor Hitch/Bend standing on it's own bootstrap, but with even more Turns than Anchor, to reduce pull on the Bitters/tail even more, to be even less likely of coming out; but good sense, and the rules dictate a stopper on any 'open' hitch configuration that your life is depending on. The other hitches use both ends and are more of a 'closed' configuration.
A Blake's tied wrong is a Sui-Slide (from MTL). When tying Blake's; Watch where you place the Bitter End/Tail at finish; in comparison to the Standing End /start of the Hitch. Observe the rotation that the Standing Part/ start pulls in; see if you place the Bitters/ end on the wrong side of the climbing line the rotation of the Standing Part/ start of Blake's can pull the Bitters/end tighter /closed or looser/open!! Under this observation, logic should tell you which way is SuiSlide and which is lifesaving Blake's!
A Distel and Schwab are virtually same; a Coil (4 uninterrupted Turns); that the top leg of the Coil serves under the Coil and makes a Half Hitch preceder (to the loading; of your bodyweight underneath). In Distel the Half Hitch continues in same direction as other Turns; like a Clove and Tautline; giving the same slanted Z type 'bar' as the over wrap and like these the ends feed out opposite sides. In Schwab, this final Hitch/ Turn is jsut reversed of the others; like a Cow/Prussik/Girth; and the same as these; gives a stragiht type 'bar' overwrap; and the ends feed out the same side (making it 'neater' for some applications). Both are not self tending.
An
Icicle most resembles a Sailor's Gripping Hitch by mechanichs; and both are self tending designs. But, an Icicle is vedddy close to a Schwab in how you make it. Notice how the Icicle has the same Coil, straight bar and the ends feed out the same side (as pictured in 1st page of this thread). Make a Coil (4 uninterrupted turns) around the host/mount/lifeline and bring the top leg down like to make Schwab to bottom of Coil, and roll that end up under that leg to make a loop, so that loop is on top of lifeline and both ends of the cord are together on top of lifeline under Coil, then bring both ends around behind lifleine and thru that loop. Kind of the same Half Hitch finish only not around lifeline, but around the ends (after you reeve them thru). But now, the hitch is self tending(fairly).
i prefer Icicle, Sailor's Gripping and my adaptation in flat Tenex as cord device, rather than a round cord device because it is less leveraged and has a broader gripping footprint on the host lifeline mount of the hitch.
A TK is jsut like a Knut; only where a Knut has a Half Hitch/loop finish, the TK has a Marl/Overhand finish. These are both of the selftending class; that buffer loading to both ends of the Coil and have a stiff 'ring' as tender at Coil base.
Some Animations
Orrrrrrrrrrrr something like that......
OOOooops hear come the post length police again!:taped:
