outdoor living » the 10 bushcraft books » ropes & cords (pt. 2)

.plaiting

One man may require a considerable length of rope, and if he has no assistance to help him spin up his material he can often find reasonably long material (say, from 1' to 3' [30 cm to 90 cm], or more) and using this material he can plait (or braid) and so make suitable rope. The usual three plait makes a flat rope, and while quite good, has not the finish nor shape, nor is it as 'tight' as the four or lariat plait. On other occasions it, may be necessary to plait broad bands for belts or for shoulder straps. There are many fancy braids and plaits which you can develop from these, but these three are basic, and essential for practical woodcraft work.

A general rule for all plaits is to work from the outside into the centre.

Three Plait

Take the right-hand strand and pass it over the strand to the left.	Take the left-hand strand and pass it over the strand to the right and repeat alternately front left to right.

Flat Four Plait

Lay the four strands side by side. Take the right-hand strand as in Fig. 1 and lay it over the strand to the left.	Now take the outside left-hand strand as in Fig. 2 and lay it under the next strand to itself and over what was the first strand.	Take what is now the outside right-hand strand and lay it over the first strand to its left.	Take the outside left strand and put it under and over the next two strands respectively moving towards the right. Thereafter your right-hand strand goes over one strand to the left, and your left-hand strand under and over to the right, as shown in Fig. 4.

Broad Plait

To commence take six, seven or more strands, and hold them flat and together. Take a strand in the centre and pass it over the next strand to the left, as in Fig. 1.	Take the second strand in the centre to the left and pass it towards the right over the strand you first took so that it points towards the right as in Fig. 2.	Now take the next strand to the first one and weave it under and over as in Fig. 3.	Weave the next strands from left and right alternately towards the centre as in Fig. 4, 5, 6.
		The finished plait should be tight and close as in Fig. 7.