WHIPPINGS, SERVINGS, KNOTS, ETC 67 



harness- makers, or simply a piece of beeswax. The first is 

 the most sticky ; the last is the cleanest to use ; the harness- 

 maker's standing midway between the two. I generally use 

 beeswax myself. If cobbler's wax is used it should be kept in a 

 piece of leather so that it need not be touched with the fingers. 



HOW TO WHIP ON A HOOK 



The strongest silk, easily 

 obtainable, is the ' twist ' 

 sold for edging buttonholes 

 in cloth. If it is too coarse 

 for any particular purpose, 

 untwist it and use a strand 

 of it. The sewing silks on 

 reels are usually weak, un- 

 less intended for sewing- 

 machine work, and probably 

 are seldom pure silk. For 



the coarser servings there is nothing better than a piece 

 of fine Nottingham silk line, either twisted or plaited. But 

 the regular thing is soft hemp twine dressed with Stockholm 

 tar It is useful for a variety of purposes, particularly for 

 whipping the ends of ropes and the stouter fishing lines to 



