Page 16 - Geoffrey Budworth, Jason Dalton "The Little Book of Incredibly Useful Knots"

Thief knot

This binding knot is superficially identical to the reef or square knot; but, since its short ends

emerge on opposite sides, it slips and jams when loaded and so is unreliable. It is a maverick,
often used to demonstrate how closely related knots can have distinctly different characters.
Tying it, too, is done differently.

Make a bight in one end of the cord (1). Insert the other end up through it, then wrap it around to

enclose both legs of the initial bight (2). Tuck it back beside its own standing part (3). To tighten
the knot grasp both parts of one cord, both parts of the other cord, and pull in opposite directions.