Bends
(and other ways of tying ropes together)
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If you have never visited this website before then I would recommend that you begin at the Home Page. It explains that the type of rope you use, the age of the rope, the wear and tear on the rope, the types of knots you tie, whether you tied the knots properly or not, whether you "dressed" the knots properly or not, whether you "set" the knots properly or not, and so on, all have an impact on the Safe Working Load of your rope and the security of the knots you tie. Whatever risks are associated with the rope or string that you use and the knots that you tie, remember that the risks are entirely your own.
Here is a list of the articles in this series. Every link will open up in a new window to give you more control as you browse around in this website:
When two ends of rope are tied together (whether they are from the same rope or from two different ropes) with a single knot, the knot is referred to as a "bend."
If you don't tie knots in rope very often then it might be difficult to remember which knot to use, and how to tie it properly, when you need to tie two ends of rope together securely. Therefore, it's a good idea to learn one or two strong bends which you can remember easily. My preferences are the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load) or the Alpine Butterfly Bend, for reasons which I'll describe throughout this article.
Be sure to practice tying your favorite knots periodically (from different angles) so that you'll know how to tie them when you need them.
According to Budworth, "This practical slide-and-grip knot can be grasped and shifted easily by hand in either direction but locks up firmly under load. After the load is removed, the knot may be slid along the rope again. The momentum of a fall will cause the knot to slide and so absorb energy. ... Later tests involving 5.5-mm (1/4-in) Kevlar indicated that, when used as adjustable bends, these knots grip (i.e., do not slip) and break at around 80% of the absolute rupture load of the material used. This figure may be an underestimate." (The Complete Book of Knots, p.95, emphasis added).
Since the Adjustable Grip Hitch is a strong hitch (as Ashley and Budworth described above), it can be a handy way to tie two ropes together, if necessary. One advantage is that it can be used with two ropes that have different thicknesses. This is not really a bend, but if you like the Adjustable Grip Hitch then this is an easy way to remember how to attach two ropes to each other fairly securely (the point here is that the "average" person might not desire to learn a variety of knots, and might not recall how to tie a secure bend when needed).
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
Method #1
To tie this knot, make a loop in the end of rope which is coming in from the left, making sure that the end curves upward and crosses over on top of the main part of the rope. In picture 1, the end of rope coming in from the right passes under and then through the loop from behind, then it curves upward to form a loop with the end crossing over on top of the main part of the rope. Notice that the two loops are essentially mirror-images of each other in picture 1. Bring both ends of rope through the center of the knot (where the two loops overlap each other) from behind (picture 2). Notice in picture 2 that the two ends of rope are passing through the center of the knot from the same direction (i.e. from behind). Dress and set the knot (picture 3).
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
One nice thing about this bend is that it doesn't matter whether the end of rope coming in from the right passes through the loop from the front or from behind, which makes it easier to remember how to tie this bend. The important thing is that the two interlocked loops are mirror-images of each other, and that both ends of rope pass through the center of the knot from behind.![]()
This knot is somewhat similar to the Ashley Bend, the Hunter's Bend, and the Zeppelin Bend, and it should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness. All four of these bends are variations on a theme of interlocked Overhand Knots, and all four are considered to be strong, secure bends. In the pictures of these four bends, notice that the end of rope which is coming in from the left side always loops around and crosses over on top of itself, then it comes through the knot from behind to form an Overhand Knot. So the difference in these four bends depends on what happens with the end of rope coming in from the right side. See the Summary section for some advantages that the Alpine Butterfly Bend has over the other three similar bends.
Method #2
Here is another method of tying the Alpine Butterfly Bend which is essentially the same as my preferred method of tying the
Alpine Butterfly.
This makes it easy to remember how to tie the loop or the bend whenever you need them. Start by wrapping one end of rope once around your hand (strand #1 in picture 1 below) so that the end of the rope comes up from the bottom (as part of strand #2 in picture 1). In reality you would hold the end of rope against your palm with your thumb, unlike in the pictures. Then overlap the other end of rope with the first end of rope (as part of strand #2 in picture 1), holding both ends with your thumb, and wrap the rope around your hand so that you essentially have three strands of rope laying on the palm of your hand (picture 1 below). Grab the left-most strand (#1 in picture 1) and bring it all the way to the right over the other two strands (pictures 1 and 2). Once again grab the left-most "strand" (i.e. the two overlapped ends) (#2 in picture 3) and bring the ends all the way to the right over the other two strands (pictures 3 and 4). After bringing the overlapped ends over the other two strands, push them back to the left
under
the other two strands (picture 5). The dressed knot should look like picture 3 above.
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According to Budworth, the Alpine Butterfly can be pulled in two or three directions at once without distorting or capsizing, and he says that if your rope is damaged then you can isolate the damaged area by tying an Alpine Butterfly around it (The Complete Book of Knots, p.86-87). This indicates that the Alpine Butterfly is a strong and secure bend, because the two ends of rope can be viewed as a "damaged" section of the rope.
In The Complete Rigger's Apprentice (p.72), Brion Toss refers to this as the Strait Bend, and he says, "This knot, structurally analogous to the Butterfly Knot (Figure 3-34), is the strongest of this series and neither slips nor jams." On p.70, Toss says that in his experience, the Strait Bend (the Alpine Butterfly Bend) is on a par with the Ashley Bend, which survived 100 pulls in Ashley's testing.
Method #3
An alternate way to tie two ropes together is simply to make interlocking
Alpine Butterfly loops,
similar to the
Bowline Bend.
Since the Alpine Butterfly is one of the strongest and most secure loop knots, it can be a handy way to tie two ropes together, if necessary. One advantage of this method is that it can be used with two ropes that have different thicknesses. This is not really a bend, but if you like the Alpine Butterfly then this is an easy way to remember how to attach two ropes to each other fairly securely (the point here is that the "average" person might not desire to learn a variety of knots, and might not recall how to tie a secure bend when needed).
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
To tie this knot, make a loop in the end of rope which is coming in from the left, making sure that the end curves upward and crosses over on top of the main part of the rope. The end of rope coming in from the right should pass over and then through the loop from the front, then it should curve downward and form a loop with the end crossing over on top of the main part of the rope (picture 1). Notice that the two loops are not mirror-images of each other in picture 1. Bring both ends of rope through the center of the knot (where the two loops overlap each other) from behind (pictures 2 and 3). Notice in picture 3 that the two ends of rope are passing through the center of the knot from the same direction (i.e. from behind). Dress and set the knot (picture 4), which results in a mirror-image of the knot shown in The Ashley Book of Knots.
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
It's important that the end of rope coming in from the right passes through the loop from the front, and that it loops downward and crosses over on top of itself. Also, both ends of rope must pass through the center of the knot from behind. Otherwise you won't end up with the Ashley Bend.![]()
This knot is somewhat similar to the Alpine Butterfly Bend, the Hunter's Bend, and the Zeppelin Bend, and it should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness. All four of these bends are variations on a theme of interlocked Overhand Knots, and all four are considered to be strong, secure bends. In the pictures of these four bends, notice that the end of rope which is coming in from the left side always loops around and crosses over on top of itself, then it comes through the knot from behind to form an Overhand Knot. So the difference in these four bends depends on what happens with the end of rope coming in from the right side. See the Summary section for some advantages that the Alpine Butterfly Bend has over the other three similar bends.
In The Complete Rigger's Apprentice (p.70), Brion Toss says that the Ashley Bend has all of the advantages of the Zeppelin Bend, but it is easier to tie. Toss also points out that the Ashley Bend survived 100 pulls in Ashley's testing (p.70).
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
Ashley says that this "is about the most common of all Hawser Bends." (The Ashley Book of Knots, p.264, #1455)
For a discussion of some ways to "lock" a Bowline to make it more secure, see the forum topic called Simple lock for the bowline at the International Guild of Knot Tyers.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
Ashley says that this is "perhaps the nearest thing we have to a perfect bend. It is symmetrical, it is easy to tie, it does not slip easily in wet material, it is among the strongest of knots, it cannot jam and is readily untied." (The Ashley Book of Knots, p.262, #1439).![]()
According to Budworth, "Although often assumed to be strong, it is in fact only about 65% efficient. ... The symmetrical layout of the carrick bend, with eight crossing points, yields several different knots, depending on what goes over and under where. For this reason, some very unreliable knots have been misleadingly labelled carrick bends." (The Complete Book of Knots, p.43).
One big drawback of the Carrick Bend is that if you don't follow the under-over arrangement exactly right then the bend will be unsafe, and in fact various books, manuals, websites, etc., contain incorrect pictures of the Carrick Bend. However, this is a good bend for string (when tied correctly) because it is easier to untie than most of the other bends.
This bend should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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This bend should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness. However, there has been some discussion on the forum of the International Guild of Knot Tyers concerning the use of the Double Dragon as a mid-line loop or a bend because this might cause the knot to jam and be difficult to untie (for example, see the forum topic called Double Dragon vs. Double-tucked Angler).
Alternate Method
Here's an alternate way to make a Double Dragon Bend. Start with a
Double Sheet Bend
(picture 1). Bring the end of rope which has a red square on it down over the knot, and pass it through the "loop" at the bottom (picture 2). Dress and set the knot (picture 3). If you like this form of the Double Dragon Bend, you can also tie it by using Method #2 for tying the
Double Dragon
(start wih picture 3, and imagine that the rope has been cut where the wooden rod is).
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Method #2
Another way to tie two ropes together is simply to make interlocking
Double Dragons,
similar to the
Bowline Bend.
Since the Double Dragon seems to rival the Alpine Butterfly as a strong and secure loop knot, it can be a handy way to tie two ropes together, if necessary. One advantage of this method is that it can be used with two ropes that have different thicknesses. This is not really a bend, but if you like the Double Dragon then this is an easy way to remember how to attach two ropes to each other fairly securely (the point here is that the "average" person might not desire to learn a variety of knots, and might not recall how to tie a secure bend when needed).
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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This bend should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
This is more secure than the basic Sheet Bend, but it still is not usually considered to be a very strong knot. In Ashley's testing, the Double Sheet Bend came apart after only 36 pulls, compared with the Ashley Bend which stayed intact through 100 pulls (see p.273 of The Ashley Book of Knots or p.70 of The Complete Rigger's Apprentice by Brion Toss).![]()
You can make this bend more secure by turning it into a Double Dragon Bend.
This bend can be used with two ends of rope that are different thicknesses, as long as the thinner rope is the one which wraps around the thicker rope:
This bend is also good for tying ends of cloth together.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
This is generally considered to be a secure bend, but Ashley says that "It is bulky and bothersome to tie, and not to be preferred to [the Ring Knot], which is made in a similar manner." (The Ashley Book of Knots, p.258, #1411, brackets added).![]()
On the other hand, Budworth says, "Writing in The Ashley Book of Knots (1944), Clifford W. Ashley deemed this knot '... bulky and bothersome to tie'. (He preferred the tape knot (p.100)). This is another instance where the needs of sailors and climbers differ" (The Complete Book of Knots, p.96).
So Ashley preferred the Ring Knot (the Tape Knot) over the Figure-Eight Bend, but Budworth feels that the Figure-Eight Bend is better for climbers. For extra security, many climbers add some type of "stopper knots" to the ends of the rope, such as Double Overhand Knots:
However, people have had serious accidents by not properly rethreading the Figure-Eight Knot (for example, see SILT HAPPENS #99-2 and do a Find on "Figure 8's vs. Bowlines").
Method #2
An alternate form of a Figure-Eight Bend is the Abnormal Figure-Eight Bend. To tie this knot, simply hold the two ends of rope together and tie a
Figure-Eight Knot:
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The general consensus among climbers seems to be that this version is not a very reliable bend. For example, when the ropes are pulled in opposite directions then it can cause this knot to distort and become unsafe (unlike the normal Figure-Eight Bend, above).
Both forms of this bend should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
The Fisherman's Knot is similar to the Double Fisherman's Knot, except that it uses regular Overhand Knots instead of Double Overhand Knots. Using one end of rope, tie an Overhand Knot around the other end of rope (picture 1). Now flip the rope over and once again tie an Overhand Knot around the other end of rope (picture 2). Notice in picture 1 that the end of rope with a blue circle on it is on the right side, and when you flip the rope over (picture 2) then the end of rope with a blue circle is now on the left side. I find that it works best if you tighten the knot in picture 1 before flipping the rope over to tie the second knot, but I left the first knot untightened in picture 2 just for the sake of clarity. After you tighten the two knots, pull them together and they should stack nicely next to each other (picture 3).
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
According to Budworth, "This is - strictly speaking - a strong and secure bend to join two similar ropes." (The Complete Book of Knots, p.39). However, climbers seem to prefer the Double Fisherman's Knot for its greater strength and security.![]()
The Fisherman's Knot is easy to remember, easy to tie, it results in a small, clean, nice-looking knot which is less bulky than most of the other bends, and it is now one of my preferred bends for a variety of applications. However, it can be difficult to untie if it has been under a strain.
This bend should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
It's important that the end of rope coming in from the right passes through the loop from the front, and that it loops upward and crosses behind itself. Also, the two ends of rope must pass through the center of the knot from different directions. Otherwise you won't end up with the Hunter's Bend.![]()
This knot is somewhat similar to the Alpine Butterfly Bend, the Ashley Bend, and the Zeppelin Bend, and it should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness. All four of these bends are variations on a theme of interlocked Overhand Knots, and all four are considered to be strong, secure bends. In the pictures of these four bends, notice that the end of rope which is coming in from the left side always loops around and crosses over on top of itself, then it comes through the knot from behind to form an Overhand Knot. So the difference in these four bends depends on what happens with the end of rope coming in from the right side. See the Summary section for some advantages that the Alpine Butterfly Bend has over the other three similar bends.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
Ashley says that the Overhand Bend "ranks higher than the Sheet Bend in security, but is among the weakest of the bends." (The Ashley Book of Knots, p.258, #1410).![]()
This bend should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness.
For climbers, it is possible that the Overhand Bend (with long tails) has some advantages over other bends, according to Rope and Gear Testing. Since long tails are needed with an Overhand Bend when used for climbing, this demonstrates that an Overhand Bend can distort and become unsafe if the tails are not long enough. Otherwise, long tails wouldn't be needed! This also raises the question of how long the tails really need to be.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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For more on the Reef Knot, see the Miscellaneous Knots section.
Ashley says that the Reef Knot is admirable as a binder knot, "but under no circumstances should it be used as a bend." (The Ashley Book of Knots, p.258, #1402).
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
This is a fairly secure, nice-looking knot for tying two ropes of the same thickness, although it can be somewhat difficult to untie after holding a load. It is also considered to be good for tying grasses, wet rope, and rubber together (e.g. for repairing swimming goggles), which makes it a versatile bend. Ashley says that "The Ring Knot is an excellent bend for wet gut." (The Ashley Book of Knots, p.258, #1412), and he says that it is to be preferred over the Figure-Eight Bend (The Ashley Book of Knots, p.258, #1411).![]()
According to Budworth, "This is the bend recommended for climbers' tape or webbing. It also works in rope, cord, string and the finest monofilaments. ... Isaac Walton called this knot the water knot. Hutton referred to it as the ring knot" (The Complete Book of Knots, p.100).
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
According to Budworth, "Security tests have shown it to spill after an average 22 tugs out of 100, and it is not a very strong knot, with a breaking strength of 55%." (The Complete Book of Knots, p.40).![]()
To make the Sheet Bend more secure, see the Double Sheet Bend.
This bend can be used with two ends of rope that are different thicknesses, as long as the thinner rope is the one which wraps around the thicker rope:
This bend is also good for tying ends of cloth together.
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
To tie this knot, make a loop in the end of rope which is coming in from the left, making sure that the end curves upward and crosses over on top of the main part of the rope. The end of rope coming in from the right should form a loop with the end curving down and crossing behind the main part of the rope (picture 1). Notice that the two loops are not mirror-images of each other in picture 1, and notice that the end of rope coming in from the right does not pass through the loop on the left. Place the loop on the left on top of the loop on the right (picture 2), then bring the end of rope on the left through the center of the knot from behind (picture 3), then bring the end of rope on the right through the center of the knot from the front (picture 4). Notice in picture 4 that the two ends of rope are passing through the center of the knot from different directions (one from behind and one from the front). Dress and set the knot (picture 5).
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KnotMaker drawing (Download the KnotMaker drawing):
It is important that the end of rope on the left curves upward and crosses over itself, and that the end of rope on the right curves downward and crosses behind itself. Also, the two ends of rope must pass through the center of the knot from different directions. Otherwise you won't end up with the Zeppelin bend. It is also important that the loop on the left is placed on top of the loop on the right, otherwise you will end up with a false Fisherman's Knot which has no security at all!![]()
This knot is somewhat similar to the Alpine Butterfly Bend, the Ashley Bend, and the Hunter's Bend, and it should only be used with two ends of rope which are roughly the same thickness. All four of these bends are variations on a theme of interlocked Overhand Knots, and all four are considered to be strong, secure bends. In the pictures of these four bends, notice that the end of rope which is coming in from the left side always loops around and crosses over on top of itself, then it comes through the knot from behind to form an Overhand Knot. So the difference in these four bends depends on what happens with the end of rope coming in from the right side. See the Summary section for some advantages that the Alpine Butterfly Bend has over the other three similar bends.
According to Budworth, "This is probably the best of a whole trustworthy family of symmetrical bends comprising two interlocked overhand knots. It works even in big stiff hawsers and cables and is suitable for everything from hobbies to heavy industrial use. ... The knot does not have to be completely tightened before loading; it is secure even with daylight showing through it (fig. 4)." (The Complete Book of Knots, p.44).
For the average person who only wants to learn one or two good bends, my choices would be the Fisherman's Knot (for rope or string which will not hold a heavy load), or the Alpine Butterfly Bend.
The Reef Knot (sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Square Knot) is unreliable and unsafe as a bend. It should never be used for that purpose. The Overhand Bend is quick and simple, and it is used sometimes when the rope or string will not need to hold a heavy load. It is not generally considered to be very safe or secure, and it can be difficult to untie after it has held a load. However, it's possible that the Overhand Bend (with long tails) has some advantages for climbers. The Sheet Bend and the Double Sheet Bend can be useful for tying ends of cloth together, but they are generally considered to be too weak and unreliable for rope or string.
The Carrick Bend and Double Fisherman's Knot are generally considered to be strong and secure, but they have certain disadvantages. For example, they can be difficult to remember how to tie properly if you don't use them very often, and the Double Fisherman's Knot can also be very difficult to untie. The Carrick Bend is usually very easy to untie, which makes it a good bend for string.
The Adjustable Grip Hitches (Interlocked), Alpine Butterfly Bend, Bowline Bend, Double Dragon Bend, and Figure-Eight Bend are all based on hitches or loop knots which are fairly strong and secure. These have an advantage over other bends because they work well when tying together two ropes of different thicknesses (when they are tied as interlocked loops).
The Ring Knot (Water Knot, Tape Knot) is easy to remember because it is simply a rethreaded Overhand Knot, and it results in a nice-looking knot. It is fairly easy to tie and dress, and it is a fairly strong and secure bend, but it can be difficult to untie after holding a load. It is also recommended when tying together webbing (or tape), wet materials, rubber materials, and so on.
The Figure-Eight Bend (Flemish Bend) is fairly easy to remember because it is simply a rethreaded Figure-Eight Knot, but it is less quick and easy to tie and dress than the Ring Knot. It is also bulkier than the Ring Knot. However, due to its twists and turns it has more internal friction than the Ring Knot, and therefore it is stronger and more secure. For this reason, climbers often prefer the Figure-Eight Bend (with some type of Stopper Knots) over other bends for situations when lives are at stake.
The Fisherman's Knot (Angler's Knot, Englishman's Knot, True Lover's Knot, etc.) is easy to remember, easy to tie, and it results in a small, clean, nice-looking knot which is less bulky than most of the other bends. However, it can be difficult to untie if it has held a heavy load.
The Alpine Butterfly Bend, Ashley Bend (ABOK #1452), Hunter's Bend (Rigger's Bend), and Zeppelin Bend (Rosendahl's Bend) are all based on interlocked Overhand Knots, and they are all considered to be strong and secure bends. However, the Alpine Butterfly Bend has some potential advantages over the other three bends. For one thing, if you stick with the Alpine Butterfly family of knots (as suggested in this series of articles), then it will be easy to know that you have tied this bend correctly because it will have the Alpine Butterfly "look" to it. Also, the other three bends are "unforgiving" in the sense that if you pass one end of rope through a loop in the other end of rope from the wrong direction, or if you curve the second end of rope upwards when you should have curved it downwards, or if you cross the second end of rope on top of itself when it should have crossed behind itself, then you will not end up with the bend that you were trying to tie. In contrast, the Alpine Butterfly Bend is very forgiving. It doesn't matter which way you pass the second end of rope through the loop in the first end of rope, and it doesn't matter if you curve the two ends of rope upwards or downwards, and it doesn't matter if you cross the two ends of rope on top of themselves or behind themselves. The only thing that matters is that the two ends of rope form interlocked loops which are mirror-images of each other (just like the wings of a butterfly are mirror-images of each other!), and that they both pass through the center of the knot together (i.e. in the same direction). This makes the Alpine Butterfly Bend very easy to remember how to tie properly, unlike the other three bends. The Alpine Butterfly Bend can also be tied using one of the methods for tying the Alpine Butterfly loop, which makes both of these forms of the Alpine Butterfly easy to remember. In addition, Budworth says that the Alpine Butterfly can be pulled in two or three directions at once without distorting or capsizing, and that you can isolate a damaged section of rope by tying an Alpine Butterfly around it, both of which indicate that the Alpine Butterfly Bend is strong and secure. Furthermore, Toss says that the Alpine Butterfly Bend is the strongest of the series of bends in his book, and that it neither slips nor jams, and that it is on a par with the Ashley Bend, which survived 100 pulls in Ashley's testing.
Be sure to practice tying your favorite knots periodically (from different angles) so that you'll know how to tie them when you need them.
The purpose of this series of articles is to try to boil the thousands of knots down to just a few of the best rope and string knots that can safely be used for a wide variety of purposes. People such as climbers, sailors, search-and-rescue workers, etc., have their preferred bends, but for the average person it is probably "overkill" to try to learn and remember lots of different ways of tying two ends of rope or string together. Therefore, it's a good idea to learn one or two strong bends which you can remember easily, and my preferences are the Fisherman's Knot for rope or string of similar thickness which will not hold a heavy load, or the more secure Alpine Butterfly Bend for ropes of the same or different thicknesses. If you are an "average person" who doesn't need specialized knots (such as the kind that climbers, sailors, and so on, might need), then the Alpine Butterfly family of knots (single-loop, double-loop, triple-loop, and bends) should serve you well in a variety of situations.
For other people's preferred knots, see the topic called "Best of breed" knots? at the forum of the International Guild of Knot Tyers.
Here is a list of the articles in this series. Every link will open up in a new window to give you more control as you browse around in this website:
Consider visiting some of my other websites!
You'll find a Christian ministry with dozens and dozens of articles and answers to many questions that I have received over the years (please feel free to send me your questions and prayer requests!); plus a collection of some of the best self-working card tricks around (no sleight-of-hand required!); plus a bunch of amazing/funny/fascinating/interesting videos from around the Web which are all clean and family-friendly; plus lots of reviews of numerous fun and educational (and free!) computer games that you can download; plus a huge collection of cool science tricks and other fun stuff to try (using things around the house), and more!
For a complete list, go to http://www.Layhands.com/DavesWebsites.htm.
Hope you like 'em!
Modification History
07/18/2009: | Added some drawings which were made using the KnotMaker program. |
01/28/2008: | Added an alternate version of the Double Dragon Bend. Added pictures of using the Sheet Bend and the Double Sheet Bend with ropes of different thicknesses. Added descriptions of how to make the Sheet Bend and the Double Sheet Bend more secure. |
11/17/2006: | Added a link to my new page called "Dave's Websites." |
10/17/2005: | Added the ABOK # to the list of names for each knot (based on Clifford Ashley's The Ashley Book Of Knots). Added the ability to download this entire website (all 9 articles) in a single .ZIP file. |
09/30/2005: | Added some clarifications to point out that interlocked loops are not really bends. |
01/26/2005: | Added another way to tie an Alpine Butterfly Bend. Special thanks to my 10-year-old son Michael for lending a hand! |
01/13/2005: | Enhanced the descriptions of the Alpine Butterfly Bend, the Carrick Bend, the Double Sheet Bend, the Figure-Eight Bend, the Hunter's Bend, and the Zeppelin Bend. Added the Ashley Bend. Added a link to the forum of the International Guild of Knot Tyers concerning ways of "locking" a Bowline to make it more secure. Added some cautions concerning the Double Dragon Bend and the Fisherman's Knot because they can jam and become difficult to untie. Changed my preferred bends to the Fisherman's Knot and the Alpine Butterfly Bend, and added a link to the forum of the International Guild of Knot Tyers in which other people have described their preferred knots. |
07/14/2004: | Added new pictures of the Double Fisherman's Knot, the Figure-Eight Bend, the Fisherman's Knot, and the Ring Knot. |
07/09/2004: | Added a comment that the Overhand Bend might have some benefits over other bends for climbers. |
05/04/2004: | Added the Hunter's Bend and a variation of an Alpine Butterfly Bend. |
04/15/2004: | Added two variations of the Double Dragon knot. |
12/10/2002: | New article. |
Dave Root
Send e-mail to: dave@Layhands.com