Breast Plate Designs

to make and wear .. .. .. .. ..

Brian E.Fields made a booklet : "Breast Plate designs." Because I liked it and because there

was a great demand for fancy knots I aksed and got permission to publish a part of this work

on the WEB.

If you like it and want the complete booklet you can find detailed information on how to buy

it on

The IGKT store

In the booklet you will find about 20 breast plates and about 5 mats. On this page you find a

sample of 5 breastplates from his booklet.

These breastplates are small enough to be tied in the hand, but if you have ten thumbs, by all

means use a board and pins.

A nine feet, three meter, fathom and a half lenght of two mm line is sufficient to make and

double all these designs and form the neck loop. When tieng a knot start in the middle of the

line and work with one end and then the other.

The Bell

Start with a twist .. and lock it in position aby using the ends (see diagram right). Extend the
bottom loop in the directions shown by the arrows.

The extended bottom loop is twisted to produce a locked bight on either side and these bights
are held in position by passing the right side end as shown and then using the left end to lock
and finish the knot.

Double Headed Carrick

Start with two in
terlinked half hitches

and pass one end as shown.

The second end may now be passed in a regular over

and under weave to
complete the first
part of the knot. Next
work slack around
the to extend bight x
which is then twisted
to lock.

The working ends are then used to lock the twisted bight in position and the knot is ready for
doubling.

Handcuff Hitch Breasplate

Start with a half knot and lengthen the two bights. Twist the bights to lock them (this will
produce a regular over and under weave).
Lay one bight over the other (check that the sequence is correct by examining the rectangle r)
Take one end and lock the bights as shown. Arrange the doubling so that both ends finish at x
~ this is the top loop of the knot.

The finished design is small but does form a basis for other patterns such as the design on the
right. How to develop one from the other is your problem! (Solved on the next page in the
booklet.)

Mors du Cheval (second Method)

Start with two bights (unlocked half knot) and lock by passing the ends as shown. Extend
bight x.
Twist the extended bight so as to lock it, (check the rectangle a. just to make sure the twist
was correct), and pass the end as shown to complete the knot. Double (or preferably treble).

I believe this must have been the method used by the Viking who made the Bornhol pendant
(dated 800ac-100 ac). He worked with three strands of wire rather than face the problems of
trebling, and the work hardening that would inevitably affect the wire when bent as often as
required by the tripling technique.

D-N

Start with Mors du Cheval (see previous knot)
and extend the two center bottom bights.
Twist these extended bights to lock them and

place one over the other, as shown.

The working ends are then pased as shown n a regular over and under weave to lock and
complete the knot.
Its not quite a ´Tribulation´,but it was still a d--- n--- work out ~ hence the title.