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Monkey Fist Balls & Cores

Shop wooden balls, steel balls, and pool balls for monkey fist knots. Choose a core for your next keychain, decorative knot, or paracord project.

13 products

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Tan rope and navy paracord monkey fist knots with wooden, steel, and 8-ball cores on a sunny dock.

Knot history & project ideas

The story behind the monkey fist

From sailing ships to paracord projects

A monkey's fist is a rounded knot made from groups of cord wraps running in three directions. Its compact shape gives it the appearance of a small clenched fist or paw.

The knot has a practical sailing history. Sailors used it at the end of a light heaving line to help send the line from ship to shore or to another vessel. The receiving crew could then pull a heavier mooring line across.

Clifford W. Ashley's The Ashley Book of Knots identifies it with square-rigged ships and notes an illustration in E. N. Little's Log Book Notes from 1889. That documents an early appearance; it does not establish who invented the knot.

Today, the same rounded pattern appears in paracord keychains, ornaments, decorative ropework, and handmade gifts. Colorful cord and different cores give makers plenty of ways to adapt the traditional shape.

Different names and what they mean
Monkey's fist / monkey fist Two common ways of writing the name of the same rounded knot.
Monkey's paw / monkey paw An alternative name for the knot, referring to its paw-like shape.
Paracord monkey fist The monkey fist knot made using paracord. Paracord describes the material, rather than a different knot.
Heaving-line knot A broader description for knots that add weight to a throwing line. The monkey fist is one example; other heaving-line knots have different shapes.
Monkey fist core / ball / bearing Shopping terms for the piece inside a craft knot. These refer to the core, which may be wood, steel, or a pool ball, rather than the finished knot.
What are monkey fists used for?
  • Traditional seamanship: adding bulk and weight to the end of a light line so sailors could pass it across a gap.
  • Keychains and small accessories: creating a rounded decorative end for a key ring, lanyard, or zipper pull. Consider the finished weight for anything carried in a pocket.
  • Decorative projects: making ornaments, nautical accents, and display pieces. Larger rope versions also appear as doorstops.
  • Knot practice and gifts: learning to keep wraps even, tighten the knot neatly, and combine cord colors in a handmade project.

The shipboard history is not a recommendation to throw metal-filled craft knots to another person. Heavy cores can cause injury.

Choosing a core for your project

Wooden balls: a useful starting point for decorative knots when you want less weight than a same-size steel ball.

Steel balls: choose these when weight is part of your craft or display design. Compare the product's diameter and weight before choosing.

Pool balls and the 8-ball: larger cores for larger decorative knots. Allow for the cord to make the finished knot wider than the ball itself.

Wood balls with a hole: useful when your craft design calls for cord to pass through the center, as well as for covered knot projects.

Open a product to see its current size, pack options, price, and availability. The number of wraps depends on both core size and cord thickness; check your chosen pattern and jig before starting.

A few common questions

Does every monkey fist need a ball inside?

No. It can also be formed around a small knot in the cord. A separate ball provides a consistent core for many craft projects.

Is the listed ball diameter the finished knot size?

No. The wraps add thickness around the ball, so the finished knot is larger.

Are these finished monkey fists?

The ball products in this collection are cores and craft supplies. Check each listing for exactly what is included.

Sources & further reading