It is mentioned in David Steel's 1794 book Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship but was used by Neolithic peoples for tying the meshes of fishing nets.

Even in modern operations, weavers are taught to use this particular knot when correcting broken threads in the warp.

Lines of equal size may be joined with a sheet bend, but when one is larger, it plays the simpler role of the "eye" (red line shown in the infobox), rather than the half-hitch (in green) One type of weaver's knot is topologically equivalent to a sheet bend, but is tied (usually in smaller stuff) with a different approach.

When lines are of unequal diameter or rigidity it is necessary for security to "double" the sheet bend by making an additional round turn below the first and again bringing the working end back under itself.

[5] After performing security testing, Ashley wrote with regard to the Sheet Bend: "Some readers may be surprised to find the Sheet Bend with so low a rating, but these tests were made in exceptionally slippery material.