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Jun 13Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

I'd never heard of a sword knot (not surprising). I've found images of them on swords, and apart from swords, and officers wearing them with swords, but I still can't figure out how they work. Somehow, they keep the sword from slipping out of your hand. Are there any diagrams or videos that show this?

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It was literally the equivalent of tying down your equipment with 550 cord. Specifically, mounted soldiers would have them tied to their wrists

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Okay, so down the rabbit hole. Because I can.

Thanks for the link! I actually found a youtube video showing how to tie the "acorn" from 550 cord. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjKQ0eTE1fg

As someone who knits, I was fascinated how he used a wooden rod and a sort of "threader" to tie parts of the knot. I didn't realize how closely related knot tying and other textile arts were.

The cover of some of the sword knots you link to are clearly stockinette stitch from knitting.

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Interesting to note here the similarities and differences between the German army and the ones they opposed in the World Wars.

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