Page 46 - Patty Hahne "The Pocket Guide to Prepper Knots"

to break, it may break where the knot was tied. Why is
this important, you might ask? For the sake of simplicity,
let’s assume you’re using some heavy-duty string that has
an advertised tensile strength of 100 lbs. If you tie a knot in
a piece of this particular cordage that is known to weaken
the tensile strength by 30 percent, theoretically that string
should now only be capable of holding 70 lbs. before it might
break. The bottom line is you should always remember that
the knot is usually the weakest link in rope.
Another thing that is very important to understand is
when knots are used incorrectly they may fail. Two common
ways knots are prone to failing are “capsizing” and “slipping.”
Capsizing may occur when a load is placed on a knot
that is only intended to have a load applied in a certain
direction. When a knot capsizes, the orientation of the rope
is altered which results in the individual parts of the knot
ending up in the incorrect position. This usually reduces the
overall effectiveness of the knot, which may result in it slip-
ping and becoming untied.
When you are tying a knot, think of each step as if you
are putting a puzzle together. The pieces need to be put in
the correct places to complete the puzzle. A knot is very
similar. If the parts of the knot aren’t in the correct position
or orientation, it isn’t tied properly and it could fail.
Slipping can result when a knot capsizes but it doesn’t
necessarily have to capsize in order for it to slip. Remember,

40 The Pocket Guide to Prepper Knots