Certainly people are wrong if they think the spike gets its name from the bill of a marlin fish. You can spell marlinspike correctly without the e, especially since the fish is named after the marlinspike:
marlin (n.) Look up marlin at Dictionary.com
large marine game-fish, 1917, shortening of marlinspike fish (1907), from marlinspike, name of a pointed iron tool used by sailors (see marlinspike). The fish was so called from the shape of its elongated upper jaw.
The Rigger’s Apprentice was a great book, and where I developed a fondness for the butterfly bend based on the alpine butterfly loop, which Toss tried to Christen as the Strait bend. He was also the first source I read that mentioned that all loops can be bends.
I see that the Rigger’s Apprentice has been updated and is, finally, available as an e-book
I’ve got one of the early editions, too. Kind of worn out looking, too. Might be time for an e-book. But, on the other hand, I’m not actually a rigger, and I don’t need to know how to splice double braid, or wire rope… Doesn’t keep me from watching wire rope splicing on YouTube, though, including the big long splices for chair lifts…
So far as I know its just sort of a running joke. Its required to get your merit badge in scouts. And most boater safety and sailing classes include it for various reasons. But I was repeatedly warned by those same instructors not to use it. It can’t be tied in an untensioned rope, and it fails with too much tension. And its known for failing unpredictably with modern synthetic rope, since how much tension it can hold is a function of rope texture.
“The sheepshank was developed before the use of modern “slippery” synthetic ropes. Constructed from such ropes, under load, it can fail. It is strongly advised that an alternative knot be used.”
Though I haven’t sailed frequently enough this decade to remember what the safe alternative is.
Was gonna say that.
NOPE
It comes from Marling-Spike. Spike for Marling. The thing you do with Marline. And Marlinspike is so far as I know older than marlinespike and the proper usage. The fish is named after the tool.
I didnt feel the need to whip the ends because the knots didnt need to serve specific nautical purpose in this project. Additionally, because I used primarily braid and not twist, unraveling was not an issue.
[You’ve made the case that ‘sheepshank’ is the proper name, but to clarify: on a sailboat, the lines that control the thwartships movement (i.e., ‘trim’ )of the sails are called “sheets.” Whilst underway, they would always be under tension, thus lending some credence to the folk etymology I’d understood…The lines that control the raising and lowering of the sails are referred to as “halyards.” These are part of the “running rigging” aboard ship, as opposed to the “standing rigging (‘stays’ fore and aft, and ‘shrouds’ side to side),” which keeps the mast[s] upright. Here endeth the lesson.]
You have to keep in mind that there are spelling variations of marline.
