In the meantime, I've had a bit of fun fiddling with these knots.
1) I can redress the Granny so that it holds better, maybe to decent break strength in some materials.
2) I redress the Thief so that it looks to give breaks in the Fig.8 range (which is, yes, high) --tricky to do, but done. (I've loaded such a knot in 1/2" arbor rope to around 700#!?)
2.b) One can extend the Thief to be a Fig.8 Joint w/simple wrap & tuck of the Tails.
3) I can extend the Grief w/simple shoe-lace tying of Tails to maybe top-of-the-heap in strength, and it's easily untied! (--similar check w/pulley & arbor rope.) (And, dang, this tangle yields a decent-looking Eye Knot, now for me to record (time-stamp ID : #20250325t15:59).)
4) Hmmm, haven't done much w/Reef, beyond some simple Tail wrap-&-tucks
(I admit : I pretty much can't look at a knot w/o thinking "What if ...?" !)
So, how do their observations of estimating strength play out here? One might think that the general aspect of the "stronger" two of the four's ranking as they load them --i.e., loaded ends being directly (vs. diagonally) opposed-- is just the key to why the diagonally loaded bases with extensions are stronger! (IMO, they're testing security, not strength.)
OK, now I need a pen & paper . . .
*kN*
