The Whip or Whipping Knot is one of the first knots you will learn in scouts because it is so versatile and so easy. It can be used to “whip rope” as shown in the illustrations below — a technique used to prevent further fraying of rope ends — or to lash items together and even to make a cordage grip on a handle, say for instance, on a bow, sword, or knife.
The neat thing about the whipping knot is that there is no visible knot in the traditional sense. There is no “knot ball” protruding giving it a clean appearance.
If you need to brush up on your knot terminology, see this post. To see an animated version check out net knots.
How to Tie a Whipping Knot
(Click on the images for the larger versions)
Step 1: Lay down a bight.
Start the whip knot by laying down a bight (bend) along a rope or items to be lashed.
Step 2: Wrap around the bight and rope, poles, handle, or whatever is being bound.
Wrap the running end around the rope, poles, or whatever is being bound, keeping the bight visible.
Step 3: Pass the running end through the bight and pull on the standing end.
Pass the running end through the bight and pull on the standing end. The loop will pull the running end under the wrapped cord.
Step 4: Tighten the wrap by pulling on the standing end. Trim off excess.
Pull the standing end tight, which will tighten the wrapped cord, and trim off excess if you desire.
And there you go. What are you going to whip up now?