This clever false knot invented by Joe Berg, which is formed and tightened, only to dissolve, was first published by Berg as “An Odd Handkerchief Knot” in his book Here's New Magic (ghostwritten by Martin Gardner), 1937, p. 15.

The two descriptions of the knot in The Berg Book by Berg, Avadon and Lewis (1983, p. 249) are of interest, as the description written by Avadon claims to be Berg's actual handling, and that the earlier descriptions by Martin Gardner contained touches by Dai Vernon and Jacob Daley.