Miller's knot

Miller's knot
ABoK #1241 around the neck of a paper bag
Names	Miller's knot, sack knot, bag knot
Category	Binding
Related	Ground-line hitch, constrictor knot, strangle knot, clove hitch, Bottle sling
ABoK	#388, #389, #390, #1241, #1242, #1243, #1244, #1674, #260, #1142, #2007, #2186, #2300, #2554

A miller's knot (also sack knot or bag knot) is a binding knot used to secure the opening of a sack or bag. Historically, large sacks often contained grains; thus the association of these knots with the miller's trade. Several knots are known interchangeably by these three names.

As noted above, several other distinct knots have historically been known as miller's, sack, or bag knots; namely ABOK-1241, ABOK-1242, ABOK-1243 (Ground line hitch), ABOK-1674, ABOK-11 and their slipped versions. These fit the short description "two crossing turns – ends tucked under".

The following 3 knots do not fit the simple "two crossing turns – ends tucked under" definition but are very secure:

The common aspects of the most common bag knots are two crossing turns, and both ends tucked under some turns near the crossing point. Two ends, and two turns one can tuck under, gives a limited number of alternatives. All of these knots can also be made in a slipped form by starting with a bight and/or by completing the final tuck with a bight instead of the end.

To avoid ambiguity, versions of these knots that are not slipped are pictured below with the reference numbers found in The Ashley Book of Knots.

4 - ABOK #1241

2 - ABOK #1242

3 - ABOK #1243 or Spar hitch or Ground-line hitch

5 - ABOK #1674 (slipped: ABOK #1244)

6 - ABOK #11 or Clove hitch

1 - ABOK #176 or Constrictor knot

7 - ABOK #1239 or Strangle knot

8 - ABOK #260 or Bottle sling

This is to tie a Constrictor knot version of the miller's knot:

To tie the other variants:

Tying other knots that also may function very well as a bag knot but are slightly different from above descriptions:

8-1- For ABOK #260 Bottle sling start with an Overhand knot pulled to a Slip knot

8-2-The end side of the slip is folded into a loop with end side up