Page 79 - The Knot Bible

Overhand bend

It’s the mother of all bends; a knot so simple that even Bronze Age man KNOT SCORE
used it 5,300 years ago. Yet it’s still ranked as more secure than many Strength
later, more fancy inventions. That said, it’s only recommended for use Security
with the small stuff, such as whipping twine and similar. There are better Diffi culty Tying
knots for ‘bending’ two mooring lines together or for extending the painter Diffi culty Untying
Usefulness
on that pesky dinghy later in this chapter.

Sheet bends, carrick bends, alpine mooring line which held good for certain instances, such as tying
butterfl ies, Spanish hawser bends, three winters and, when the time cheap lengths of twine together, but
zeppelin bends, simple simons – came to untie it, came apart as if it might be a consideration if you’re
there are more ways of tying two bits had been tied the day before. Others working with Dyneema or Spectra.
of rope together than you can shake consider the knot unsafe, and swear And more turns don’t necessarily
a blunt marlinspike at. The skill is in by the zeppelin bend. mean a better knot. Add an extra
choosing the right one. The overhand bend might look a bit turn to the overhand bend and you
Context is everything. If one line basic compared to some of the more get the fi gure-eight bend, which
is larger than the other, then a double elaborate knots included in this might look a little more reassuringly
sheet bend is the obvious solution. chapter, but Ashley rates it above the complicated but is in fact less secure
On the other hand, if two lengths of sheet bend for security – though not than its more elementary sister.
similarly-sized, slippery modern rope for strength. This means that it’s great Arguably the ‘mother of all bends’,
are being joined, then a carrick bend for tying thin, slippery rope together the overhand bend has been around
might be a better option. (eg twine), but not to be trusted with for millennia. A sample was found
Despite this, people tend to have the big stuff, such as mooring lines. with the body of Europe’s oldest
their favourites and stick with them High security usually (though not man: the 5,300-year-old Ötzi the
come what may. This author used always) means a knot is also diffi cult Iceman, a natural mummy found in
a double sheet bend to lengthen a to untie. This doesn’t matter in the Italian Alps.

1 Place the two lines to be 2 Tuck the ends in the loop to make 3 Tighten the knot by pulling the
joined side by side and make the bend. two parts in opposite directions.
an underhand loop.

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