Page 26 - Mario Bigon "The Morrow Guide to Knots"

stopper knots

As their name suggests, stoppers are knots made in the end of
a rope to prevent its slipping through an eye or other aperture
when the rope is being used. They are also used to bind the
strands of a rope.
Stopper knots are used at sea at the ends of the running
rigging and to weight heaving lines, as well as in climbing,
camping, and fishing. These knots can also be used
decoratively, though in this case they may be made in the
central part of the rope as well as at the end.
The most important knots of this type are the overhand knot,
which is as old as man himself and is used as the basis for
countless other knots; the figure-eight knot, which is the
stopper most used by sailors and also the lovers' knot in
heraldry; and the heaving line and multiple overhand knots,
which are used to weight the ends of ropes and as decorative
knots.

~ 1. Overhand knot 2. Multiple overhand knot
3. Figure~eight knot 4. Heaving line knot.
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