How to Tie a Bag Knot

A bag knot also is known as a miller's knot or a sack knot. All of these names may refer to at least four similar knots which have historically been used to tie sacks of grain. The following steps will show how to tie four different bag knots.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Identify bag knots uniquely by their number in "Ashley's Book of Knots." The following knots will be described: No. 1241, No. 1242, No. 1243 and No. 1244. Assume all of the knots will used to tie a sack of grain closed.

2. Tie Ashley's Book of Knots No. 1241. Wrap the line around the sack from left to right so that the working end crosses over the standing end. Make another turn over the standing end and below the first turn. Bring the working end over the second turn and under the first turn.

3. Make Ashley's Book of Knots No. 1242. Wrap the line around the sack from left to right so that the working end crosses over the standing end. Pass the working end around from left to right again but this time bring it over the right part of the first turn and under the left part of the first turn.

4. Construct Ashley's Book of Knots No. 1243. Wrap the line around the sack from left to right so that the working end crosses over the standing end. Make a second turn below the first so that it does not touch the standing end. Bring the working end over the second turn and under the first turn.

5. Build Ashley's Book of Knots No. 1244. Wrap the line around the sack from left to right so that the working end crosses over the standing end. Make another turn that first crosses over the standing end then crosses over the right part of the first turn. Push the working end under the left part of the first turn.

Resources

• More about tying knots on the Real Knots website