Page 56 - Randy Penn Everything Knots Book

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Stopper Knots

THE BEST PLACE TO START LEARNING KNOTS is with stopper
knots, or knots that are tied at the end of a cord. Stopper knots
have many uses and provide an excellent learning base for prac-
ticing a wide variety of other knots.

Stopping and More

Stopper knots, also known as terminal knots or knob knots, are
tied at the end of a cord. In its strictest sense, the use of the word
knot refers to a stopper knot.
A rope with a knot tied in the end of it is a completely dif-
ferent object than a rope without one. It is easier to hang on to,
it cannot be pulled through the same size openings, the end will
be less inclined to come unraveled, and it will look different, too.
All these changes in the properties of the rope are accomplished
with a simple stopper knot.

Basic Usage
To stop a cord’s end from running through a small opening is
part of how a stopper knot earns its name. By “stopping” the rope,
the knot allows us to suspend something from it. If the cord runs
through a lead or pulley, a stopper knot can keep the line from
running all the way out, or unreeving. This is commonly done on

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