Common whipping

Whippings stop a rope from unraveling. The common whipping is the simplest. The common whipping should not be used for rope ends that will be handled.

The benefit of a common whipping is that no tools are necessary and the rope does not need to be unlayed. The problem is that it will slide off the end of the rope with little provocation. Other whippings avoid this by interleaving the whipping with the strands of the rope and creating friction with the strands to avoid slipping.

Normally a natural fiber rope is whipped with twine. The size of the rope dictates the size of the twine. Any twine can be used, but tarred two strand hemp (marline) is preferred. It may take several attempts to produce a beautiful whipping. Good twine makes it easier. Unnatural ropes should be burned ... to prevent unraveling.

Process

The rope should be whipped a short distance (2 or more diameters) from its end.

Lay the head of the twine along the rope
Make a bight back along the rope
Begin wrapping the twine around the rope and bight of twine securely
Wrap until the whipping is one and a half times wider than the rope is thick
Slip the working end of the twine through the bight
Carefully pull on the standing end of the twine until the bight and working end are pulled under the whipping
Note: It is normally necessary to maintain tension on the working end to prevent the bight from being dragged completely through and so destroying the whipping
Cut the twine flush with the edges of the whipping and the rope end not less than half its width from the whipping
This will give the rope end a finished look

References

Hervey Garrett Smith; The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing and Ropework; Dover Publications; ISBN 0-48-626440-8 (paperback, October 1990)