To avoid the slip, it is important to not pull on the double loop until the collar is fully cinched in place. Otherwise tugging on the double loop (especially RHS) causes the centre to collapse and the slip formed. This is best done by gently tugging down on the LHS of EACH loop which pulls the collar down into place. You see this being done momentarily at 1:26 although he could make it more obvious.
I get the slip knot every single time. This is BY FAR the most difficult knot I've ever encountered. I'm a beginner, but I have a good 20 knots in my inventory, and I've never encountered a knot that was so elusive. I've watched every tutorial, copied their every single motion _exactly,_ and I get the slip knot every time. I hate this knot.
I think a lot of people missed the point of this excellent instruction- Yes, the knot can be tied at the end of a rope to quickly form two strong loops at once BUT, its really handy to be able to tie it in the middle of a rope when the ends are not accessible! You can't do that with a single bowline. Personally the butterfly hitch is my favorite for most apps like this but there are times when two loops are better than one ha ha. Nice vid John!!!
@3:16 where your right thumb and index fingers are, if you were to pinch those two and pull that out as your loop, you'll end up with a slip knot and just reverse that by pull on the then two and you end up with a bowline on the bight. Took me a while to figure that out but once you do it's very easy to reverse the slip knot to get back to the bowline knot. Thanks Johnny for the great challenge to figure that error out.
@@KnottingKnots I checked it out but they seemed identical so I just kept working with it until I figured out my error. Funny, I like this video better just because I like the blue rope---go figure? Aesthetic I suppose. Thanks Jonny.
Thanks so much for this video !! After watching someone else's video and trying a dozen times I gave up on that one searched again, found you and I learned this knot on the first try and as I expected it's simple , it's just some people couldn't explain it to save a life !!!! Thanks for your tutorial it is excellent
Thanks GLP for letting me know this, always good to hear when a video helps someone out. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
Terrific videos. First time I've seen the bowline on a bight done so cleanly. Seems like the trick is to pull away on the bottom loops to tighten the top one. I'm a sailor, love tying knots, and this is the best series I've encountered. Keep up the good work! David
Pleasure. Really am impressed--your pacing is excellent. I teach sailing (and knots, sometimes) at the Cal Sailing Club in Berkeley CA, USA. Practical, but hoping to learn some decorative knots. Thanks again!
Hi there David I was taught this knot over 50 years ago while in the naval reserve- Why? A "bowline on a bight" can be used to lift an unconscious person out of the water and back into the boat. One loop around the back and under the arm pits and one around the back of the knees and up you go like a limp rag doll ! You can also secure the other end of the rope to the boom and use it as a lever to pull the person up or a winched halyard. Hope that is a worthwhile reason to learn the knot and hope you never have to use it a such. H
@@richardlilley6274 To be honest, I really started this channel just for me. When I first started out, I really struggled to remember how to tie knots, so I would video me tying them. Suddenly I noticed that others were watching them too, that is why my early stuff looks so awful! There is even one video, where I couldn't even be bothered to get dressed. You can see the sleeves of my dressing gown and was not really paying too much attention to detail. Funny how sometimes a little thing grows into a bit of a monster. 😉 😉 😉
@@KnottingKnots because you weren't bothered about your image And simply showed how to do the task... People watched To learn People don't want ego and flash when trying to learn It's a distraction. Keep it simple works Well done
Sir, I´ve spent the evening trying to remember how to tie this not. Been through around 10 different videos, still messing it up. Followed YOUR video- BOOM! sucess first time! =) Now I´m going to tie it 20 more times... Thank You!
I personally find that once a month I have to practise all my favourite go to knots, otherwise you loose it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Works perfectly worked in hot pink on a shoulder lanyard for Paul in Sgt Peppers costume! The bight is worn over the shoulder and secured by the epaulet.! Thanks! We get by on a little help for our friends.
After doing it about a thousand times. 99% making a slip knot. Having created a method to ‘repair’ the slip to the proper knot. I realize that I was putting the bight around the initial loop and not the loop created by passing the bight. Diminishing the first loop and embellishing the second loop seems to keep it straight for me
Your the first to spell out that a bowline on a bight can often fail, and slip. I've seen this over and over and tried to understand what makes it fail. The critical part is - do not pull so hard on the left hand end that you inadvertantly straighten out the 'overhand loop' BEFORE cinching down the bight. The bight has to secure the initial 'overhand loop' in place, before pulling firmly on the left hand end.
p.s. the failure of this knot is more likely with thinner ropes, or string, because it is easier to NOT notice the original overhand loop be pulled straight.
I remember when I researched this one, there were lots of cautions about make sure you tie it correctly. I learnt to tie it and then wanted to tie it incorrectly and at the time could not do it. I think that is why I mentioned the warning but did not demonstrate it?? Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated. Are you more of a practical or decorative knotter?
Spent 8 years working on and beside the water. Now live in the country, and have to tie down loads on pick ups regularly, or put up tents and awnings. First time I had to do a bowline on a bite was as a hand on a tug boat, using a ship's line about 10 inches in diameter....had to get it done in a hurry too. I also got proficient at precoiling a clove hitch so I could throw it from the boat over a mooring bollard. Did some alpine mountain climbing decades ago too. So figure of 8s, butterflys, etc were essential. My most valued knots: clove hitch, fig8, bowline, butterfly, truckers hitch, rolling hitch, round turn two half hitches, fisherman's knot. Rarely needed a sheet bend or sheep shank.
thanks. Finally got it after watching a dozen videos and reading diagrams. It's all in the dressing and if you do not hold on the top part when tightening, it pulls through the middle and forms a slip knot. Hard to explain. maybe I'll do a video showing the mistake I've been making. I just couldn't get my head around what the heck I was doing wrong.
a beauty! I have a single strand version of this bowline animitation alpine knot I've used with a truckers hitch for years I learned as a boatswain way back in the before. Once you are not on the bow its a hitch!
Best knot for pulling a very heavy load and then being able to untie it. Never had one jam, even with a load of, literally, tons. Tree business. Rope in a top of a tree to be felled. Or a stripped-out pole. Bowline on a bight to attach to a truck hitch or a piece of equipment. Always works flawlessly. Well, there is that _one_ time. But not the fault of the bowline on a bight: a very large pine tree had fallen over a creek. A log, 36 inches in diameter, maybe 20 feet long remained over said creek. Downhill, about 200 feet from some pavement. Chainsawed a 45° hole at the end so that one hole was in the face of the log andvthe other at the top. Wrapped a logging chain around and out the front hole. 45°cut bottom front to keep log from digging in. 200 ft ⅝ bull rope, 16,000 lb test strength. I attached a bowline on a bight to a loop in the chain. Other end, dude with a very large track loader tied a regular bowline to his end. I looked at that and thought, "I'll never be able to untie that knot." I was wrong. Dude starts to pull at low throttle. Everything goes smoothly. Then, unknown to us, the log connected with a low stump, covered in debris, and quit moving. Dude in track loader gives it some throttle. Rope breaks. At the loader, at the regular bowline. Sounded like a howitzer. You may have heard it -- this was in South Carolina. The rope was fed through a flimsy metal arbor and it collapsed that structure. I was about 10 feet from the rope and glad that I was not closer - might have lost a leg. Thankfully the log was now clear of the creek and could now be cut up and hauled off. Bowline on a bight still untied easily. Over 100 years ago, this knot would be the basis of a "saddle" for climbing trees. With about 8 feet of ½ manilla 3-strand at the end, a bowline on a bight was tied with the loops big enough for your legs at your hips and a tail of rope, maybe 3 feet for a taut line hitch attached to the standing part if the rope was over a limb. Not terribly comfortable, but that's what they started with. Climbers would modify this with leather pads and eventually this morphed into today's much safer and comfortable saddles and harnesses. Used this technique once when working on an embankment and didn’t take a saddle or harness. Worked great, but OSHA would have had a cow. Sorry for the novel, but you have mentioned that you wanted to hear of our uses and experiences with these knots. I hope that you're still involved with these excellent videos and will see this. I've learned a few other knots from this series (constrictor, turk's head) and find the tutorials to be very thoughtful and enlightening. Thanks
go to time 3:04. Just to the right of his left hand you will see a loop. Just below his fingers on his right hand you will see two lines that are going to be part of the "loop on the bight." Pull to the right with these two lines and tighten the loop near his left hand has much as possible. If this is done, it should not slip but test it anyway like he says.
@@KnottingKnots I'm an outward bound kesatria extracurricular activity. We've studied abt 23 knot altogether for 3semester already. Wish i rock my knotting test!
Great tutorial! Since bowlines are often used for tying around objects (creating natural anchors in rock climbing around boulders/trees) it’s not possible to pass the end of the bight around the load bearing loop as the object your tying to would be in the way. Is there another way of tying the knot that would avoid this?
Do you think you could do a flying bowline, perhaps in slow motion so I can see wherethecord goes, because muscle memory takes awhile for me and I want to know exactly how a cord moves before I attempt learning it.
Yes, you can tie that, and yes, it's something else. What you describe is called the triple bowline. Triple, because the doubled-over tag-end becomes a third loop. How much tag-end you're working with will determine the size of the third loop.
I think the reason it slips is that its easy to end up with a loop that comes from the input rope not the one that goes around. If its slipping carefully look at it and change which ropes form the loop. Hope that helps.
It’s driving me crazy. I sometimes end up with a slipknot, sometimes a bowline on a night. I’ve done it hundreds of times and still can’t tell why it’s different sometimes.
Not quite sure what you mean, but you may be interested in this post I did about the Anchor Bend: igkt-solent.co.uk/anchor-bend-nilsson-knot-tie/ Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
Ok I don’t know knots very well. But the double bowline and the bight version are important knots for my capstan rope winch. I have encountered the same problem with it turning into a slip knot. And after reviewing my moves it seems to come by not focusing on cinching the loop that goes around the whole construct an pulling at the lines from the original loop made. That being said you can actually reverse the slip knot to the proper knot by simply taking the two lines of the intended anchor loops and pulling them back the other way. So if say you tied the above the wrong way you will find that the two loops are oriented left of the loop cinching the line pull the two line so it lies right of the cinch you will recover the knots original intent.
OK, maybe all knots, but you do appear to know that one very well. Thanks for taking the time to share this information, I always love to hear about knots being used! I wonder if you would be able to show me a photo sometime of the knot in action? You can drag and drop a photo here: goo.gl/mQgf8E
@@kreigdernier9553 Depending on how this knot is dressed it turns into a slip knot. Loosen the knot, shift it a little, and the lines slide through even when re-tightened. Seems like a dangerous knot.
I discovered that this can also be tied by rethreading a regular bowline, much like a rethreaded figure-8. And it's also used by climbers in that way, they call it the re-threaded bowline.
Slip knot or not? The key is that the clever, last loop will be the locking mechanism. So tie the knot loosely and then look to see which of the double loops will drag in the locking loop and keep the half-hitch intact. If you choose the wrong one stop and try another. My advice, practice with all four starting loops, over/underhand, top and bottom. Its such a sexy knot that part is fun. With love to all the knot-nuts from the land of the perpetually free (aka Oz).
I think I figured out why it sometimes turns into a slipknot. After the bight goes up through the loop, it's tempting to grab the two lines that form part of the loop - which would lead to a mistake. If I think of the bight as the head of a snake, after it goes up through the loop it needs to bite its own body. The bight bites its own body. A blissfully bright beacon.
I had this error happen to me, so I thought I must remember how it goes wrong.............. Then I forgot and kept tying it correctly. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
@@KnottingKnots No worries. But I was wrong: I kept tying this and it was turning out wrong every once in a while even though I'm pretty sure that I was tying it correctly. I think I finally figured it out: it has to do with the core of the knot before the locking loop goes up to the top. .... if it inverts while you tie it, it won't lock properly and the knot will fail. I think this an inherently unstable knot. I'm looking around for alternatives, so far I can only see the double lineman's knot, but it's a little too complex to tie easily.
@@stephanddd Use the triple bowline instead. Know how to tie a regular bowline? Great, simply tie a regular bowline in your doubled-over rope, using the bight as your tag end. You'll end up with three loops- two equal, and the tag end becomes the third loop, so how much tag end you pull through the knot will determine the size of the third loop. All three loops are reliable. Also, you can do what you want with the two free-ends of your rope afterward, including a trucker's cinch that uses one of the triple bowline loops for cinching, leaving the two unused loops you can strain in opposite directions, if you wish. You can pull either or both free-ends in any direction, and the same for the loops. I won't suggest the knot will remain neatly dressed after such abuses, but it will remain reliable, and _usually_ remains relatively easy to untie. If you'd rather just have _one_ reliable loop that's easily untied, try the alpine loop. If you want to strain the free-ends of the rope in opposite directions, the alpine loop is better suited for that anyhow, and it's EASY, although I keep forgetting how to tie it, lol.
@@fattymcbastard6536 Thanks, good points. The triple bowline would be quite a fatty indeed :) Yes I think that in the end, multiple separate alpine loops is the most predictable approach for me.
just left this message for David Fraser below but as I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else, I thought it might be worth attaching to your excellent Video- Hi there David I was taught this knot over 50 years ago while in the naval reserve- Why? A "bowline on a bight" can be used to lift an unconscious person out of the water and back into the boat. One loop around the back and under the arm pits and one around the back of the knees and up you go like a limp rag doll ! You can also secure the other end of the rope to the boom and use it as a lever to pull the person up or a winched halyard. Hope that is a worthwhile reason to learn the knot and hope you never have to use it a such. H
Bowline on a bight is a merchant navy rescue knot, when tied correctly both loops can be individually altered to fit casualties legs and body, not really used due to modern equipment but as explained this is the knots sole purpose.
Meh... sole purpose? I think you're stretching. It's useful whenever you need a bowline in the middle of a long rope. Try tying a regular bowline in the middle of a 100 foot rope. If you want two adjustable loops for the purpose you describe, I think the Portuguese bowline is preferred to this one. A load in either loop will hold, but even after such strain on the knot, the loops remain adjustable after the strain is removed. With the bowline on a bight, the loops must be sized as you form the knot. To adjust it, you'd have to loosen it all up, select a loop, and chase the entire path of the knot, bit by bit. Hardly practical in the adjustable sense. I think you might be confusing the two.
@@fattymcbastard6536 fair points mate, I should have been clearer as I was talking about British Merchant Navy uses for Bowline on Bight. We don't use Portuguese Bowlines as we have a Dept of Trade list of approved knots and splices which we use and Bowline on Bight is still the go to rescue knot but with modern rescue gear it's not used anymore. I've been in merchant navy for 30 years now and just talking about UK merchant seamans experience of this knot. Bowline ON a bight is often confused with a Double Bowline tied IN a bight which is more commonly used to tie into the middle of a rope for normal deck work
Wait, you said we didn't have access to the ends. In that case, all you do is undo it the way you did it by bringing that bight back around those two loops. 😉
Dress the knot up snug, it could also be the type of rope you're using. I have had a normal bowline slip under heavy loads with Am-steel blue. That's when I started putting a Yosemite finish on them, problem solved. Good luck and stay out of the bite!
@@KnottingKnots I am training to become a fire fighter and part of our training is to be able to tie 8 or so knots, so you channel has made my life a lot easier. thank you :)
@@KnottingKnots so far its just the basics. Overhand knot, Reef knot, Sheet bend, Double sheet bend, Bowline, Bowline on the bight, Clove hitch, Rolling hitch, Figure 8, Figure 8 rethread, Round turn & two half hitches and Timber hitch
Many thanks for that, I see that my list is missing the Rolling Hitch. I have to wonder why the Reef Knot is included, did you know that it is the only knot that has three Skulls ☠ ☠ ☠ in Ashley's Book of Knots? It should only be used for light duties. Thanks for letting me know PP.
Yes, I have found that there are so many ways of tying some knots. I think everybody has their own favourite set of knots and how to tie them. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Unless you reef down hard on the two loops you form you wind up with a slip knot. For this reason I use a double alpine butterfly knot. I just don't have faith in this knot for hoisting a body. There are other rescue knots that are used by professionals that are less likely to slip.
I do agree with you, but I do have to show more than just the best knots on my channel............. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
I’m sitting here watching this, (found myself here after a comment on a clip from a movie called hacksaw ridge), wondering who in all the earth I would actually share this video with? Not that it’s a bad video, it’s actually very informative, but to just send this to someone out of the blue might land me in the nut house.
What you have there is a double bowline on a bight. Refer to the tug boat bowline for a single bowline on a bight . And if you pronounce it "bowlin" you won't sound like a land lubber.
I have just been to look at the Tug Boat Bowline and it looks like the flying bowline, certainly not tied in the bight of a rope. Do you have a link to what you are referring to?
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Very good video. But something is lost when passing the line over the loops to finish. Your hands are covering something. Doing it exactly as you are, 20ish times. Comes out a slip knot every time. Strange?????? Thank you. I will keep stopping and watching short bits.
Same result here. Something is wrong with these instructions, and even he can't figure it out. I doubt it's the cable we're using, since mine works well with all other knots.
Make certain that you aren’t allowing the initial loop to collapse as you pass the end loop through, thus transferring that loop to the wrong part of the line. Also, make certain you are grabbing the right pair of lines to form your final loops. Grabbing the wrong ones will result in a slip knot. Also, allowing that original loop to untwist and transfer to the other side will result in a slip knot. This is actually a very dangerous knot to use even when tied properly in certain ropes.
@@KnottingKnots Thanks, not sure how or why but it sometime works so I'm going to keep exploring this knot until I understand what move differences I'm making---thanks again.
Warning! I think your videos are fantastic, but here I have to disagree. The bowline on a bight is one of the most dangerous knots of all and should actually be banned. Even you can't explain why it sometimes slips through. Imagine it is used as a rescue knot and someone just hangs on to one loop. Fatal, because the short end slips through a loop under heavy load. I have tried it countless times. It's an absolute death knot, especially as it's advertised everywhere as being safe. No one needs a knot that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Especially as there is a safe and easy-to-tie alternative: the double figure 8 loop/ Super8. With this knot nothing slips and you can hang on to just one loop.
Too many knots ! too confusing and actually burdensome. What we (I) need is one good loop knot that is strong, will not come undone accidentally, and be easy to untie in all environments including water after heavy loads, . I'm guessing here from what I have seen.... How about the Water Bowline with the Yosemite finish ? All I need is one best knot. STOP confusing me. If you or any other expert can suggest one best know please do so. Also please place emphasis on being able to untie as I am tired of good ropes with knots in them that I cannot untie as I sometimes put thousands of pounds on them and they squeeze up real tight.. Also.... If I need a loop in the middle of a rope I can see how the bowline on a bight will provide me with two loops but if I needed only one loop would there be any benefit to the Alpine Butterfly Loop in terms of 1. strength, 2. will not come undone accidentally, 3. and can be untied easily after loads of thousands of pounds. If for any reason the double loop bowline on a bight is superior I dont have to use both loops if I only need one and I cannot imagine any situation where the extra loop could not be used even if I only need one.
If you want one knot that is easy to tie/untie when loaded, just a basic bowline is your knot. For midline, bowline on a bight is good. But if you're wanting a single loop, an alpine butterfly meets your criteria. But I personally think a three ring circus knot is easy to tie and easier to untie after loading
Of course, with every knot, there are different ways of tying it. Now that you have mentioned this I will go and search for an alternative way and do a video on that. Thanks for popping over and leaving a comment.
Bowline Knots ua-cam.com/play/PL7nysDkNnZHcgPe-K4z2uMVI_SuxGFmIh.html I have a whole section just on the Bowline.
To avoid the slip, it is important to not pull on the double loop until the collar is fully cinched in place. Otherwise tugging on the double loop (especially RHS) causes the centre to collapse and the slip formed.
This is best done by gently tugging down on the LHS of EACH loop which pulls the collar down into place. You see this being done momentarily at 1:26 although he could make it more obvious.
I get the slip knot every single time. This is BY FAR the most difficult knot I've ever encountered. I'm a beginner, but I have a good 20 knots in my inventory, and I've never encountered a knot that was so elusive. I've watched every tutorial, copied their every single motion _exactly,_ and I get the slip knot every time. I hate this knot.
@@Azazello1482I was getting frustrated also. The above comment helped me. Remember the collar has to be cinched first.
when i want the slip i dont get the slip lol but htis helps
Very well explained. Almost fool proof. Honestly it's easier than the regular bowline for me now. Sometimes I get that one wrong.
Glad to have helped you out 😉 😉 😉
I think a lot of people missed the point of this excellent instruction- Yes, the knot can be tied at the end of a rope to quickly form two strong loops at once BUT, its really handy to be able to tie it in the middle of a rope when the ends are not accessible! You can't do that with a single bowline. Personally the butterfly hitch is my favorite for most apps like this but there are times when two loops are better than one ha ha. Nice vid John!!!
@3:16 where your right thumb and index fingers are, if you were to pinch those two and pull that out as your loop, you'll end up with a slip knot and just reverse that by pull on the then two and you end up with a bowline on the bight.
Took me a while to figure that out but once you do it's very easy to reverse the slip knot to get back to the bowline knot.
Thanks Johnny for the great challenge to figure that error out.
I did send you a reply to a previous comment that you made, did that link help?
@@KnottingKnots I checked it out but they seemed identical so I just kept working with it until I figured out my error.
Funny, I like this video better just because I like the blue rope---go figure?
Aesthetic I suppose.
Thanks Jonny.
Thanks so much for this video !! After watching someone else's video and trying a dozen times I gave up on that one searched again, found you and I learned this knot on the first try and as I expected it's simple , it's just some people couldn't explain it to save a life !!!! Thanks for your tutorial it is excellent
Thanks GLP for letting me know this, always good to hear when a video helps someone out. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
Terrific videos. First time I've seen the bowline on a bight done so cleanly. Seems like the trick is to pull away on the bottom loops to tighten the top one. I'm a sailor, love tying knots, and this is the best series I've encountered. Keep up the good work! David
Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated. Are you more of a practical or decorative knotter?
Pleasure. Really am impressed--your pacing is excellent. I teach sailing (and knots, sometimes) at the Cal Sailing Club in Berkeley CA, USA. Practical, but hoping to learn some decorative knots. Thanks again!
Hi there David I was taught this knot over 50 years ago while in the naval reserve- Why? A "bowline on a bight" can be used to lift an unconscious person out of the water and back into the boat. One loop around the back and under the arm pits and one around the back of the knees and up you go like a limp rag doll ! You can also secure the other end of the rope to the boom and use it as a lever to pull the person up or a winched halyard. Hope that is a worthwhile reason to learn the knot and hope you never have to use it a such. H
Thank you for sharing
My pleasure. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
@@KnottingKnots your welcome
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and hard work
It's appreciated
@@richardlilley6274 To be honest, I really started this channel just for me. When I first started out, I really struggled to remember how to tie knots, so I would video me tying them. Suddenly I noticed that others were watching them too, that is why my early stuff looks so awful! There is even one video, where I couldn't even be bothered to get dressed. You can see the sleeves of my dressing gown and was not really paying too much attention to detail. Funny how sometimes a little thing grows into a bit of a monster. 😉 😉 😉
@@KnottingKnots because you weren't bothered about your image
And simply showed how to do the task...
People watched
To learn
People don't want ego and flash when trying to learn
It's a distraction.
Keep it simple works
Well done
Sir,
I´ve spent the evening trying to remember how to tie this not. Been through around 10 different videos, still messing it up.
Followed YOUR video- BOOM! sucess first time! =)
Now I´m going to tie it 20 more times...
Thank You!
I personally find that once a month I have to practise all my favourite go to knots, otherwise you loose it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Thanks for the upload dude! The accent just makes it that much better.
Not only do I have a good accent, am really good looking too 😉 😉 😉 Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
@@KnottingKnots I'm finding it really hard to not make that a slipknot but I have done it so it's just a repetition thing I'm supposing
@@livingood1049 Once you learn it, it is hard to recreate the slip knot. However, it can easily be done by accident.
Works perfectly worked in hot pink on a shoulder lanyard for Paul in Sgt Peppers costume! The bight is worn over the shoulder and secured by the epaulet.! Thanks! We get by on a little help for our friends.
Thanks for taking the time to share this information, I always love to hear about knots and cordage being used in action! 😉 😉 😉
After doing it about a thousand times. 99% making a slip knot. Having created a method to ‘repair’ the slip to the proper knot. I realize that I was putting the bight around the initial loop and not the loop created by passing the bight. Diminishing the first loop and embellishing the second loop seems to keep it straight for me
Your the first to spell out that a bowline on a bight can often fail, and slip.
I've seen this over and over and tried to understand what makes it fail.
The critical part is - do not pull so hard on the left hand end that you inadvertantly straighten out the 'overhand loop' BEFORE cinching down the bight.
The bight has to secure the initial 'overhand loop' in place, before pulling firmly on the left hand end.
p.s. the failure of this knot is more likely with thinner ropes, or string, because it is easier to NOT notice the original overhand loop be pulled straight.
I remember when I researched this one, there were lots of cautions about make sure you tie it correctly. I learnt to tie it and then wanted to tie it incorrectly and at the time could not do it. I think that is why I mentioned the warning but did not demonstrate it?? Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated. Are you more of a practical or decorative knotter?
Spent 8 years working on and beside the water.
Now live in the country, and have to tie down loads on pick ups regularly, or put up tents and awnings.
First time I had to do a bowline on a bite was as a hand on a tug boat, using a ship's line about 10 inches in diameter....had to get it done in a hurry too.
I also got proficient at precoiling a clove hitch so I could throw it from the boat over a mooring bollard.
Did some alpine mountain climbing decades ago too. So figure of 8s, butterflys, etc were essential.
My most valued knots: clove hitch, fig8, bowline, butterfly, truckers hitch, rolling hitch, round turn two half hitches, fisherman's knot. Rarely needed a sheet bend or sheep shank.
Thanks for taking the time to share this information, I always love to hear about knots and cordage being used
Thanks for the lucid description.
thanks. Finally got it after watching a dozen videos and reading diagrams. It's all in the dressing and if you do not hold on the top part when tightening, it pulls through the middle and forms a slip knot. Hard to explain. maybe I'll do a video showing the mistake I've been making.
I just couldn't get my head around what the heck I was doing wrong.
I too used to get this one wrong.............. then when I wanted to demonstrate how not to do it, I could not do it again 😉 😉 😉
I had to tie this for my E&D class, you saved my grade man.
What is E&D?
@@KnottingKnots I got you
Exploration and Discovery classes
excellent explanation
Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
a beauty! I have a single strand version of this bowline animitation alpine knot I've used with a truckers hitch for years I learned as a boatswain way back in the before. Once you are not on the bow its a hitch!
Thanks for taking the time to share this information, I always love to hear about knots and cordage being used in action!
One of the most streamlined and dare I say sexiest knots out there.
Best knot for pulling a very heavy load and then being able to untie it. Never had one jam, even with a load of, literally, tons. Tree business. Rope in a top of a tree to be felled. Or a stripped-out pole. Bowline on a bight to attach to a truck hitch or a piece of equipment. Always works flawlessly.
Well, there is that _one_ time. But not the fault of the bowline on a bight: a very large pine tree had fallen over a creek. A log, 36 inches in diameter, maybe 20 feet long remained over said creek. Downhill, about 200 feet from some pavement. Chainsawed a 45° hole at the end so that one hole was in the face of the log andvthe other at the top. Wrapped a logging chain around and out the front hole. 45°cut bottom front to keep log from digging in. 200 ft ⅝ bull rope, 16,000 lb test strength. I attached a bowline on a bight to a loop in the chain. Other end, dude with a very large track loader tied a regular bowline to his end. I looked at that and thought, "I'll never be able to untie that knot." I was wrong. Dude starts to pull at low throttle. Everything goes smoothly. Then, unknown to us, the log connected with a low stump, covered in debris, and quit moving. Dude in track loader gives it some throttle. Rope breaks. At the loader, at the regular bowline. Sounded like a howitzer. You may have heard it -- this was in South Carolina. The rope was fed through a flimsy metal arbor and it collapsed that structure. I was about 10 feet from the rope and glad that I was not closer - might have lost a leg. Thankfully the log was now clear of the creek and could now be cut up and hauled off. Bowline on a bight still untied easily.
Over 100 years ago, this knot would be the basis of a "saddle" for climbing trees. With about 8 feet of ½ manilla 3-strand at the end, a bowline on a bight was tied with the loops big enough for your legs at your hips and a tail of rope, maybe 3 feet for a taut line hitch attached to the standing part if the rope was over a limb. Not terribly comfortable, but that's what they started with. Climbers would modify this with leather pads and eventually this morphed into today's much safer and comfortable saddles and harnesses. Used this technique once when working on an embankment and didn’t take a saddle or harness. Worked great, but OSHA would have had a cow.
Sorry for the novel, but you have mentioned that you wanted to hear of our uses and experiences with these knots. I hope that you're still involved with these excellent videos and will see this. I've learned a few other knots from this series (constrictor, turk's head) and find the tutorials to be very thoughtful and enlightening.
Thanks
go to time 3:04. Just to the right of his left hand you will see a loop. Just below his fingers on his right hand you will see two lines that are going to be part of the "loop on the bight." Pull to the right with these two lines and tighten the loop near his left hand has much as possible. If this is done, it should not slip but test it anyway like he says.
Yours are very easy to follow 😭👍 I'm pretty sure I'll pass my knot test this evening 😚☺
Tell me what are you doing that requires a knotting test?
@@KnottingKnots I'm an outward bound kesatria extracurricular activity. We've studied abt 23 knot altogether for 3semester already. Wish i rock my knotting test!
Great tutorial! Since bowlines are often used for tying around objects (creating natural anchors in rock climbing around boulders/trees) it’s not possible to pass the end of the bight around the load bearing loop as the object your tying to would be in the way. Is there another way of tying the knot that would avoid this?
Don't tie it on the bight just tie an ordinary bowline.
Do you think you could do a flying bowline, perhaps in slow motion so I can see wherethecord goes, because muscle memory takes awhile for me and I want to know exactly how a cord moves before I attempt learning it.
I dont understand cant you just tie a bowline with your doubled piece of rope or is this not a bowline on a bight but something else?
I thought the same thing but I guess with his method there's no tail just but just a continuous knot.
Yes, you can tie that, and yes, it's something else. What you describe is called the triple bowline. Triple, because the doubled-over tag-end becomes a third loop. How much tag-end you're working with will determine the size of the third loop.
@@fattymcbastard6536 Thanks for the info. turns out you can use that knot as an emergency harness kind of thing.
Awesome refresher! Thank you
Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
now that I know how to make it, how do I use it ??
How would you tie this around an object that you don’t have access to the ends on? Like a figure 8 follow through
ua-cam.com/video/y5U-95gpwgI/v-deo.htmlsi=N4ZafR0kp2ZcC116
He says how do you get it wrong ?
How do you get right ? 1 in 20 tries so far , and I'm following the video every time
Did you get my last reply?
Got it the first time and a slip knot ever since
Maybe this later video is a little better/easier to follow: ua-cam.com/video/5XcgC6a4Wac/v-deo.html
Seems to be contingent on what rope you use but from reading peoples comments here and elsewhere seems shiny surface rope is best
Awesome knot! Great job with these videos!
Cheer Macro, nice to see you here leaving a comment.
I think the reason it slips is that its easy to end up with a loop that comes from the input rope not the one that goes around. If its slipping carefully look at it and change which ropes form the loop. Hope that helps.
It’s driving me crazy. I sometimes end up with a slipknot, sometimes a bowline on a night. I’ve done it hundreds of times and still can’t tell why it’s different sometimes.
Its super easy for the lines to twist. Make sure both lines stay in formation as you come trew the loop and over the top.
Can it be used for attaching a 19 foot long trailer yacht anchor?
Not quite sure what you mean, but you may be interested in this post I did about the Anchor Bend: igkt-solent.co.uk/anchor-bend-nilsson-knot-tie/ Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
@@KnottingKnots Hi, thanks for your reply. I mean can we use this knot instead of anchor bend?
Ok I don’t know knots very well. But the double bowline and the bight version are important knots for my capstan rope winch. I have encountered the same problem with it turning into a slip knot. And after reviewing my moves it seems to come by not focusing on cinching the loop that goes around the whole construct an pulling at the lines from the original loop made. That being said you can actually reverse the slip knot to the proper knot by simply taking the two lines of the intended anchor loops and pulling them back the other way. So if say you tied the above the wrong way you will find that the two loops are oriented left of the loop cinching the line pull the two line so it lies right of the cinch you will recover the knots original intent.
OK, maybe all knots, but you do appear to know that one very well. Thanks for taking the time to share this information, I always love to hear about knots being used! I wonder if you would be able to show me a photo sometime of the knot in action? You can drag and drop a photo here: goo.gl/mQgf8E
Johnny Debt will do
@@kreigdernier9553 Depending on how this knot is dressed it turns into a slip knot. Loosen the knot, shift it a little, and the lines slide through even when re-tightened. Seems like a dangerous knot.
great video!
beautiful knot, thank you.
Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
Need to explain exactly how it turns into a slip knot
It only turns into a slip knot if you tie it wrong.
I discovered that this can also be tied by rethreading a regular bowline, much like a rethreaded figure-8. And it's also used by climbers in that way, they call it the re-threaded bowline.
Thanks for taking the time to share this information, I always love to hear about knots and cordage being used in action!
I have never seen it tied by climbers but then I never see people using Bowlines full stop much now. ( Started climbing in 1980)
Great upload♥
Judging by your username, are you Part of the Scouts?
@@KnottingKnots Sir yes Sir!
@@scoutmasterloy8156 What are the main knots that are taught in the Scouts these days? I also wonder if the knots vary from country to country?
Thank for made knot is very essentialy. Í am from Brasil.
Slip knot or not? The key is that the clever, last loop will be the locking mechanism. So tie the knot loosely and then look to see which of the double loops will drag in the locking loop and keep the half-hitch intact. If you choose the wrong one stop and try another. My advice, practice with all four starting loops, over/underhand, top and bottom. Its such a sexy knot that part is fun.
With love to all the knot-nuts from the land of the perpetually free (aka Oz).
Thanks!
Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
I think I figured out why it sometimes turns into a slipknot. After the bight goes up through the loop, it's tempting to grab the two lines that form part of the loop - which would lead to a mistake. If I think of the bight as the head of a snake, after it goes up through the loop it needs to bite its own body. The bight bites its own body. A blissfully bright beacon.
I had this error happen to me, so I thought I must remember how it goes wrong.............. Then I forgot and kept tying it correctly. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
@@KnottingKnots No worries. But I was wrong: I kept tying this and it was turning out wrong every once in a while even though I'm pretty sure that I was tying it correctly. I think I finally figured it out: it has to do with the core of the knot before the locking loop goes up to the top. .... if it inverts while you tie it, it won't lock properly and the knot will fail. I think this an inherently unstable knot. I'm looking around for alternatives, so far I can only see the double lineman's knot, but it's a little too complex to tie easily.
@@stephanddd Use the triple bowline instead. Know how to tie a regular bowline? Great, simply tie a regular bowline in your doubled-over rope, using the bight as your tag end. You'll end up with three loops- two equal, and the tag end becomes the third loop, so how much tag end you pull through the knot will determine the size of the third loop. All three loops are reliable. Also, you can do what you want with the two free-ends of your rope afterward, including a trucker's cinch that uses one of the triple bowline loops for cinching, leaving the two unused loops you can strain in opposite directions, if you wish. You can pull either or both free-ends in any direction, and the same for the loops. I won't suggest the knot will remain neatly dressed after such abuses, but it will remain reliable, and _usually_ remains relatively easy to untie. If you'd rather just have _one_ reliable loop that's easily untied, try the alpine loop. If you want to strain the free-ends of the rope in opposite directions, the alpine loop is better suited for that anyhow, and it's EASY, although I keep forgetting how to tie it, lol.
@@fattymcbastard6536 Thanks, good points. The triple bowline would be quite a fatty indeed :) Yes I think that in the end, multiple separate alpine loops is the most predictable approach for me.
just left this message for David Fraser below but as I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else, I thought it might be worth attaching to your excellent Video- Hi there David I was taught this knot over 50 years ago while in the naval reserve- Why? A "bowline on a bight" can be used to lift an unconscious person out of the water and back into the boat. One loop around the back and under the arm pits and one around the back of the knees and up you go like a limp rag doll ! You can also secure the other end of the rope to the boom and use it as a lever to pull the person up or a winched halyard. Hope that is a worthwhile reason to learn the knot and hope you never have to use it a such. H
Bowline on a bight is a merchant navy rescue knot, when tied correctly both loops can be individually altered to fit casualties legs and body, not really used due to modern equipment but as explained this is the knots sole purpose.
I did not know that. Love to hear about knots and their uses. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
Meh... sole purpose? I think you're stretching. It's useful whenever you need a bowline in the middle of a long rope. Try tying a regular bowline in the middle of a 100 foot rope.
If you want two adjustable loops for the purpose you describe, I think the Portuguese bowline is preferred to this one. A load in either loop will hold, but even after such strain on the knot, the loops remain adjustable after the strain is removed. With the bowline on a bight, the loops must be sized as you form the knot. To adjust it, you'd have to loosen it all up, select a loop, and chase the entire path of the knot, bit by bit. Hardly practical in the adjustable sense. I think you might be confusing the two.
@@fattymcbastard6536 fair points mate, I should have been clearer as I was talking about British Merchant Navy uses for Bowline on Bight. We don't use Portuguese Bowlines as we have a Dept of Trade list of approved knots and splices which we use and Bowline on Bight is still the go to rescue knot but with modern rescue gear it's not used anymore. I've been in merchant navy for 30 years now and just talking about UK merchant seamans experience of this knot. Bowline ON a bight is often confused with a Double Bowline tied IN a bight which is more commonly used to tie into the middle of a rope for normal deck work
@@cmcc4662 Interesting.
@@fattymcbastard6536 you're obviously well schooled in your rope work, are you a sailor or climber?
Wait, you said we didn't have access to the ends. In that case, all you do is undo it the way you did it by bringing that bight back around those two loops. 😉
Bolicks, I have done it a hundred times, and it slips every times.
Well, I have just done it again, and it ain't slipping for me!
Dress the knot up snug, it could also be the type of rope you're using. I have had a normal bowline slip under heavy loads with Am-steel blue. That's when I started putting a Yosemite finish on them, problem solved. Good luck and stay out of the bite!
Great Video
Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated. Are you more of a practical or decorative knotter?
@@KnottingKnots I am training to become a fire fighter and part of our training is to be able to tie 8 or so knots, so you channel has made my life a lot easier. thank you :)
That is really interesting. As a FF what knots do you have to learn, please do list them all? I have have missed any I could include them.
@@KnottingKnots so far its just the basics. Overhand knot, Reef knot, Sheet bend, Double sheet bend, Bowline, Bowline on the bight, Clove hitch, Rolling hitch, Figure 8, Figure 8 rethread, Round turn & two half hitches and Timber hitch
Many thanks for that, I see that my list is missing the Rolling Hitch. I have to wonder why the Reef Knot is included, did you know that it is the only knot that has three Skulls ☠ ☠ ☠ in Ashley's Book of Knots? It should only be used for light duties. Thanks for letting me know PP.
Well done . I myself would just tie the Boe line like normal but still well done .
Yes, I have found that there are so many ways of tying some knots. I think everybody has their own favourite set of knots and how to tie them. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
under a great load a normal bowline would be a lot harder to undo
Lifesaver
Unless you reef down hard on the two loops you form you wind up with a slip knot. For this reason I use a double alpine butterfly knot. I just don't have faith in this knot for hoisting a body. There are other rescue knots that are used by professionals that are less likely to slip.
I do agree with you, but I do have to show more than just the best knots on my channel............. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
Tnks😍
It is slider not constant
I’m sitting here watching this, (found myself here after a comment on a clip from a movie called hacksaw ridge), wondering who in all the earth I would actually share this video with? Not that it’s a bad video, it’s actually very informative, but to just send this to someone out of the blue might land me in the nut house.
BOWL - LYNN
Yeah I know, I have always struggled with this 😉 😉 😉
That's kinda like magic.
Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
What you have there is a double bowline on a bight. Refer to the tug boat bowline for a single bowline on a bight . And if you pronounce it "bowlin" you won't sound like a land lubber.
I am happy to sound like a land lubber, spent 18 years in the Navy as a stoker. I will look up your suggestion.
I have just been to look at the Tug Boat Bowline and it looks like the flying bowline, certainly not tied in the bight of a rope. Do you have a link to what you are referring to?
Bad asssssss
thanks Ricky Gervais!
Iv got it wrong every single time
How?
God loves you and he wants to save everyone, but in order for him to do that, you need to repent and be baptized, also share his gospel with everyone you come in to contact with and keep his commandments 🙏🏾😘
Will God tie a bowline for me?
Very good video. But something is lost when passing the line over the loops to finish. Your hands are covering something. Doing it exactly as you are, 20ish times. Comes out a slip knot every time. Strange?????? Thank you. I will keep stopping and watching short bits.
Yep, it took me a number of times to get it. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
Same result here. Something is wrong with these instructions, and even he can't figure it out. I doubt it's the cable we're using, since mine works well with all other knots.
Make certain that you aren’t allowing the initial loop to collapse as you pass the end loop through, thus transferring that loop to the wrong part of the line. Also, make certain you are grabbing the right pair of lines to form your final loops. Grabbing the wrong ones will result in a slip knot. Also, allowing that original loop to untwist and transfer to the other side will result in a slip knot. This is actually a very dangerous knot to use even when tied properly in certain ropes.
Yep. You are twisting your lines. Look how his never twist, they run together all the way through.
good
Glad that you liked it! Are you a knotter?
👌
Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated. Are you more of a practical or decorative knotter?
appears to be double
Yes, you do end up with a double loop. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
hum, turns into a slip knot every time.
That is a slightly older video, maybe this one is better for you? ua-cam.com/video/IBCV6-Bc2g0/v-deo.html
@@KnottingKnots Thanks, not sure how or why but it sometime works so I'm going to keep exploring this knot until I understand what move differences I'm making---thanks again.
This is the worst knot I've ever had to tie , it worked once , can't get again
It's bizarre, isn't it?
Weird stuff.
BO'Lin pronuciation.. like Botswain is pronounced Bo'sun
Yep.................. Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.
Warning! I think your videos are fantastic, but here I have to disagree. The bowline on a bight is one of the most dangerous knots of all and should actually be banned. Even you can't explain why it sometimes slips through. Imagine it is used as a rescue knot and someone just hangs on to one loop. Fatal, because the short end slips through a loop under heavy load. I have tried it countless times. It's an absolute death knot, especially as it's advertised everywhere as being safe. No one needs a knot that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Especially as there is a safe and easy-to-tie alternative: the double figure 8 loop/ Super8. With this knot nothing slips and you can hang on to just one loop.
Too many knots ! too confusing and actually burdensome. What we (I) need is one
good loop knot that is strong, will not come undone accidentally, and be easy to untie
in all environments including water after heavy loads, . I'm guessing here from what
I have seen.... How about the Water Bowline with the Yosemite finish ? All I need is one
best knot. STOP confusing me. If you or any other expert can suggest one best know please do so.
Also please place emphasis on being able to untie as I am tired of good ropes with knots
in them that I cannot untie as I sometimes put thousands of pounds on them and they
squeeze up real tight..
Also.... If I need a loop in the middle of a rope I can see how
the bowline on a bight will provide me with two loops but if I needed only one loop
would there be any benefit to the Alpine Butterfly Loop in terms of 1. strength, 2. will
not come undone accidentally, 3. and can be untied easily after loads of thousands of
pounds. If for any reason the double loop bowline on a bight is superior I dont have
to use both loops if I only need one and I cannot imagine any situation where the
extra loop could not be used even if I only need one.
Ask your mommy to make your decision for you...
If you want one knot that is easy to tie/untie when loaded, just a basic bowline is your knot. For midline, bowline on a bight is good. But if you're wanting a single loop, an alpine butterfly meets your criteria. But I personally think a three ring circus knot is easy to tie and easier to untie after loading
good god... make and over hand knot then throw the loop over.. wtf is with people making this so complicated.
Of course, with every knot, there are different ways of tying it. Now that you have mentioned this I will go and search for an alternative way and do a video on that. Thanks for popping over and leaving a comment.
your video was instructive. following other people's instructions, I was falling victim to the slip knot. thank you for the clarifying video.
Yes, that dreaded slipknot. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment, much appreciated.
It’s a bull riding knot
are you saying that is the knot that they use on a bucking bull? Thanks for taking the time to view and also make a comment, very much appreciated.