Marl and a hitch

[John Paul Sanborn]

When do you use a marl on a rig.

Yesterday I had a lateral limb on a silvermaple barberchair and nearly come out of the hitch, a small branch is all that saved it for me.

I was in an unfamiliar lift, and was concerned about swing into the boom, and probably cut too slow on an angled hinge intended to swing it out away from a Norway maple.

This limb was an addon to a hazard cherry removal that needed the lift, otherwise I would have climbed for the maple limb and it would have been a work-a-day rig.

I'm glad for my habit of tieing past a stub, nub or branch, but a marl may have saved face too :-/

 

[2FatGuys]

Sounds ilke an interesting dilemma... Can you sketch it for us so we can understand better what happened?

 

[Nailsbeats]

Yeah John, sketch it. A picture is worth a thousand words, even if it's a bad one. lol

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

As long as you're drawing, show the difference between a marl and a half hitch. That always gets me confused.

 

[2FatGuys]

The difference between a Marl and a Half Hitch (in short) is that if you slide the half hitch off the end of an object, the rope can be straightened out. A Marl slid off the end forms an overhand knot. There are many GREAT knot resources, starting with the old trusty Boy Scout handbooks for basics and then on to the bible of knots, Ashley Book of Knots.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Never used a marl, always a half hitch. Will have to check that out.

 

[Slvrmple72]

Gotta watch those silvers they are trouble every time! I use a marl when I do not have the comfort of a nub or small branch to act as a stop. Sounds like you got "lucky" glad to hear nothing got "damaged". I always go with this guideline when rigging: When in doubt put another knot around the limb.

 

[masterarbor]

i'm not following what a marl is, how it is tied or how it is advantageous over a half hitch followed by a bowline. i did a quick search and didn't yeils satisfying results. teach me, teach me!

 

[lync]

on two occassions i've had barbercharing large limbs open my running bowline, nearly causing the load to drop. If its a big limb I go for the clove with 2 half hitches.

 

[tree MDS]

i'm not following what a marl is, how it is tied or how it is advantageous over a half hitch followed by a bowline. i did a quick search and didn't yeils satisfying results. teach me, teach me!

I allways thougt it was the same thing, half hitch was a marl. I allways use a marl and then running bowline, its just safer, also it takes some load off your bowline. If a limb is going to drop before it catches sometimes I'll use a clove with a marl or half hitch before it just to make sure nothing slips off before it catches. By marl I am refering to basically a half clove hitch.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

You tie a marl every time you tie your shoelaces, it is the first part before the bow.

As said above a marl is an overhand knot and , where a half-hitch will fall apart when unloaded. (yeah Mike, you don't know the two apart ;-) I believe you)

If you tie the marl (or half hitch in many applications) and continue around the tree in the direction it comes out of the turn, your rope will make a Z like pattern when you tie in the backup hitch. This will easily self tighten, if it ties "backwards" and forms a C, it does not tighten as well.

Draw? Don't know how, I screw up stick figures.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Tell me if I got it right, and which is more better to use?

 

[D Mc]

KB, you got it right. Pretty nice drawing too. I have used both the half hitch and the marl extensively and have found very little difference between the performance of their use as a backup to the Bowline.

For blocking down a stalk, your pictures are actually upside down. And if you look at it that way, some prefer the Marl because it ties tight to the stalk taking the weight off the bull line while you tie your Bowline. I have never felt this was a great advantage. The biggest thing you will notice with the Marl is that it can be a real PITA to untie. It can really slow the groundmen down.

D Mc

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The biggest thing you will notice with the Marl is that it can be a real PITA to untie. It can really slow the groundmen down.

This is the only thing I like about a Marl vs Halfhitch. It would have held onto the load I nearly lost. Just from the friction of the bend. I've used a double marl on occasions like this, when I was thinking about premature failure. Tried a triple, but it is too hard to set and dress after the backup is tied.

In this case the marl is the primary knot and the bo'lin, clove, whatknot is the bacup

Mike, the only nit I have to pick with your drawing is the label Marlin A marlin is a common slipknot with a spike, rod, stake, or in our case, usually a carrabiner.

As I said above a marl is a bit more secure then a halfhitch, on a rig of deadwood, I will usually run a series of marls down the load so that if it breaks, all pieces are likely to have a hitch around them.

 

[lawmart]

man i am really having a hard time to figure out the difference between the to i have always called a half hitch a marlin Whoops . my bad \It must be too early on Saturday or the kids yelling in the back ground .

lawmart

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I though Marl was slang for Marlin Hitch, but if you say it ain't so, I concede to your more accurate information.

 

[oldirty]

As I said above a marl is a bit more secure then a halfhitch, on a rig of deadwood, I will usually run a series of marls down the load so that if it breaks, all pieces are likely to have a hitch around them.

awesome idea. you would do this on a big ass piece of deadwood right?


now a question for ya. if you run that many marlins and then into the bowline wont this make the piece come off the cut in a funky weighted manner? like almost balanced out?

 

[D Mc]

In this case the marl is the primary knot and the bo'lin, clove, whatknot is the bacup

I would like to clarify this statement for those who have not used this type of hitch. In actual useage what John says is true, but don't for a minute think that a Marl or half hitch is sufficient as a primary knot. Your Bowline, clove, or whatever is what makes it all work. I, personally, have not noticed the Marl prevents barber chairing any better than the half hitch in actual use. Both require tension on both ends of the line to bind. If there is tension, they do bind. If there is no tension, the Marl is still just an overhand knot and will not hold.

D Mc

 

[woodchux]

Tell me if I got it right, and which is more better to use?

Are you guys sure about this? Because if so, i've had those two backwards for years...

 

[Jim1NZ]

I reckon a Marl spreads the load on the hitch better than a half hitch and seems to add a little extra rope contact friction with the wood.

But its not as quick to tie, we are only talking a little bit, also its a pain to set taught with the knot. Thats just what i reckon.

Woodchux, this is rigged up for a lift situation (tip tied).