Editing Timber hitch (section)

{{Short description|Type of knot}}
{{Infobox knot
| name=Timber hitch
| image=Timber Hitch (PSF).png 
| names= Fig.8 Timber Hitch, Bowyer's Knot, Lumberman's Knot, Countryman's Knot
| type= hitch
| strength= 
| origin= 
| related= [[Killick hitch]]
| releasing= non-jamming
| uses= 
| caveat= 
| abok_number= #1668,#195, #479, '''#1665''', #2161
| instructions= [http://www.animatedknots.com/timber/]
}}

The '''timber hitch''' is a [[knot]] used to attach a single length of [[rope]] to a cylindrical object.  Secure while tension is maintained, it is easily untied even after heavy loading.<ref name="ashley290">{{citation|last=Ashley |first=Clifford W. |title=The Ashley Book of Knots|year= 1944 |publisher=Doubleday |location=New York |page=290}}</ref><ref name="aksday94">{{citation|first=Cyrus Lawrence|last=Day|title=The Art of Knotting and Splicing|edition=4th|location=Annapolis|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1986|pages=94–95}}</ref><ref name="treeclimb">{{Citation|title=The Tree Climber's Companion|last=Jepson|first=Jeff|edition=2nd|year=2000|publisher=Beaver Tree Publishing|location=Minneapolis|page=78}}</ref>

The timber hitch is a very old knot.  It is first known to have been mentioned in a nautical source c. 1625<ref name="rigtreat">{{Citation|title=A Treatise on Rigging c. 1625|editor1=Anderson, R.C.|editor2=Salisbury, W.|publisher=The Society for Nautical Research|series=Occasional Publications No. 6|year=1958|location=London|page=51|quote=The Truss is fastened to the middle of the mayne yearde betwene the Parell with a tymber hitch and from thence goes through a blocke fastened to the mayne mast close to the middle decke and so to the Capstone when you will use him.}}</ref> and illustrated in 1762.<ref name="ashley290"/>