Uses: The West Country Whipping (ABOK # 3458, p 548) must be the easiest whipping to teach and learn – merely a series of Half Knots completed with a Square (Reef) Knot! No equipment is required except the whipping twine and it secures the end of a rope fairly well. The final Square Knot can shake loose followed by each Half Knot. However, it does fail slowly – the Half Knots work their way loose in succession and, as each one loosens, an opportunity is presented to procrastinate: tie another Square Knot and put off having to whip the end properly with a better whipping.

Techniques: There are several variations of this whipping:

• Where to Start: When whipping a rope’s end it seems natural to wind the twine outwards towards the end. There is, however, an advantage in starting at the end and winding the twine inwards: when the whipping is completed, the ends can be pulled through the body of the rope to prevent them unraveling.
• Square (Reef Knot): The classic description of the West Country Whipping is completed with a Square Knot with the ends trimmed. A heavily used rope will shake this Square Knot loose. If a needle is available it is worth burying the ends by pulling them through the rope.
• Multiple Square (Reef) Knots The West Country Whipping can be completed with a stack of Square Knots but this leaves an unsightly tail. If a needle is available, this string of Square Knots can be pulled through the rope to bury it.
• Start with a Constrictor: A quick way to start the West Country Whipping is to drop a Constrictor Knot on the end before tying Half Knots. This has the advantage of quickly gaining very secure control of the rope’s end. It also leaves a fairly reliable last defense if the whipping comes undone.