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"Sheep-Shank -- Formed by making a long bight in a topgallant back stay, or any rope which it is desirable to shorten, and taking a half-hitch near each bend, as at a, a. Rope-yarn stops at b, b are desirable to keep it in place till the strain is brought up on it. Wire rope cannot be so treated, and it is injurious to hemp rope that is large and stiff." -Britannica, 1910

Sheep-Shank

"Sheep-Shank -- Formed by making a long bight in a topgallant back stay, or any rope which it is desirable…

The sheepshank is "a kind of knot, hitch, or bend made on a rope to shorten it temporarily." -Whitney, 1911

Sheepshank

The sheepshank is "a kind of knot, hitch, or bend made on a rope to shorten it temporarily." -Whitney,…