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The hangman's knot or hangman's noose (also known as a collar during Elizabethan times) is a well-known knot most often associated with its use in hanging. For a hanging, the knot of the rope is typically placed under or just behind the ear. As the blow when the condemned drops to the end of the rope is supposed to break the neck (for modern "long-drop" hangings), this knot can add additional striking force against the head and neck. The knot is non-jamming but tends to resist attempts to loosen it.
This is also a very good knot for fishing.
History
The Hangman's Knot was used on ropes in Colonial America as well as England during the 17th and 18th centuries. If the loop is pulled completely closed, the knot becomes a weight on the end of the rope which may be used for throwing ropes. It is common to use such a knot, rather than an artificial weight, when people will be standing to receive the throw rope.
Number of coils
Each additional coil adds friction to the knot, which makes the noose harder to pull closed or open. The number of coils should therefore be adjusted depending on the intended use, the type and thickness of rope, and environmental conditions such as wet or greasy rope. Six to eight loops are normal when using natural ropes; more may be used on nylon ropes. One coil makes it equivalent to the simple slip knot.
According to tradition, the noose used in executions had six to eight coils. It is an unfounded urban legend that the hangman's noose is supposed to have 13 coils.
Use in language
The phrase "tightening the noose" refers to knots of this sort; it is used metaphorically to describe encircling military manoeuvres, by law enforcement to describe either a physical attempt at surrounding a criminal or the ongoing success of an investigation generally, etc.
Tying it
You don't have to be an executioner to appreciate this noose. Nor do you have to have the traditional eight coils. This is actually a very practical, strong, and secure noose, but may become difficult to untie if pulled hard.
To make it, start with a "N"-shape of rope, with plenty of extra rope off the bottom of the "N" (nevermind the direction of the "N"). Keep wrapping tight coils spiraling up the outside until you're satisfied and tuck the end of the rope through the top eye. Pull down the bottom eye to form the loop and trap the tucked end of rope.
This knot bears some resemblance to the Uni-Knot commonly used in monofilament line by anglers. It is also similar to the 'common whipping' or 'wolf whipping' style of rope whipping knot. Rope 'whipping' is where a small caliber twine is used to wrap the end of a large caliber twine/rope in order to prevent the larger one from unravelling. There are several different styles of rope whipping knot used, but the wolf style is most common and is easy to master. Ideally the number of turns used is far higher than in the hangman's knot, and there is no noose left at the bottom end once you have finished whipping/wrapping the coils, but the principles are the same. The key to permanence of the whipping is to pull down the tucked end of twine so that it is under and completely concealed beneath the coils.
If you ever came upon desperate times in the woods and needed to snare some game but only had rope and no snare wire, you might consider using the sturdy Hangman's Noose. Don't use the noose itself, but rather run the standing part of the rope through the noose to form a running loop. You can adjust the size of the noose perfectly to make sure your running loop isn't too stiff or too sloppy. Use light grasses to tie the loop to bushes or twigs to keep the snare in place.
The Hangman's Noose can also be used as a means to put extra mass at the end of a rope to aid in throwing a line. Of course, the loop can be made very small for such a purpose. When you want to untie it, just pull the loop all the way through and the knot will disappear.
"Hangman's knot"