Ah, the life of a sailor – full of dangers and excitements, battling the forces of nature and imbibing rum as if it were water.
In between fights for survival, though, long sea voyages were punctuated with phases of profound monotony. Having scrubbed the floors for the third time that day, resourceful seamen found creative ways to entertain themselves and make their lives easier.
One of the crafts born from this juxtaposition of necessity and boredom was marlinspike knot craft. Sailors knotted and shaped rope for the myriad duties they had to carry out aboard the ship, often competing with each other for style and versatility. These ingenious knot structures could be put to any number of uses, from balustrading to securing timbers and creating fenders, hooks or mats.
The legacy of these seafarers who created form and function from limp strands of hemp is far from forgotten. To this day, people like Mick Corker keep this art alive, bringing it into the twenty-first century through a judicious combination of traditionalist approaches and modern aesthetics.
Mick grew up in Fremantle WA, a port city renowned for its maritime history. Surrounded by vestiges of its naval past, Mick absorbed the nautical aesthetics and traditions of his home. They may have lain dormant until a decade-or-so ago, but there were always essential aspects of his relationship with the world around him.
His days as a tree lopper resulted in many a length of rope hanging around. One of these was to become his fateful first finished piece: an ocean plait mat. From that moment on, Mick was “taken in hook, line and sinker,” and regularly spent hours and days twisting and twining rope in a quest to perfect just one knot. Having figured it out, he would never forget it.
Teaching himself his craft through meticulous book research and chance meetings with mentor-figures, Mick developed his art, learning to create a broad range of products. In his own words, once you know the basic knotwork, you can make anything!
A decade down the line and Mick has based his business, Jack Tar’s Locker, in Palm Beach, where he specialises in handcrafted rope decor, accessories and homewares. In his capable hands, tradition and craftsmanship come together in bespoke, modern rope pieces reflecting a fascination with times gone by. He’s worked rope for clients from around the globe, helping home-makers or business owners everywhere to craft their ideal nautical atmosphere.
As you’ve probably guessed, there aren’t too many knot crafters around these days, and Mick’s specialism has led to some exciting projects! He was in charge of creating the rigging for the Pirates of the Caribbean film, even re-building the ships late into the night after the movie crew accidentally blew them up!
More recently, he was asked to create all the homeware and decor items for a new hotel in Cagliari, the Italian island of Sardinia’s stunningly picturesque capital city. Using only rope and knots, Mick designed everything from toilet paper holders to drawer handles and towel rails!
To find out more about Mick’s work, and maybe purchase some bespoke rope decor, check out his Instagram page and Etsy shop!
Instagram: jacktarslocker
Etsy: JackTarsLocker
If you’re keen to test your mariner skills and try your hand at some knotting, Mick’s running a workshop at the artisan gallery on the 12th of October. Engage with this unique craft as Mick demonstrates the highly versatile monkey fist key chain, before making your very own rope mat using the over-and-under technique. This technique is the base for creating myriads of rugs in all shapes and sizes!