Hunter's bend (or rigger's bend) is a

knot A knot is an intentional complication in Rope, cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including List of hitch knots, hitches, List of bend knots, bends, List of loop knots, loop knots, ...

used to join two lines. It consists of interlocking

overhand knot The overhand knot is one of the most fundamental knots, and it forms the basis of many others, including the simple noose, overhand loop, angler's loop, reef knot, fisherman's knot, half hitch, and water knot. The overhand knot is a stoppe ...

s, and can

jam Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...

under moderate strain. It is similar to the Zeppelin bend. When assessed against other bends in stress tests using

paracord Parachute cord (also paracord or 550 cord when referring to type-III paracord) is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes. This cord is now used as a general purpose utility cord. This versati ...

, it was found to be "not as strong as the

blood knot ''Blood Knot'' is an early play by South African playwright, actor, and director Athol Fugard. Its single-performance premier was in 1961 in Johannesburg, South Africa, with the playwright and Zakes Mokae playing the brothers Morris and Zacharia ...

, similar to the reverse figure of eight and stronger than the

fisherman's bend Fishermans Bend (formerly Fishermen's Bend) is a precinct within the City of Port Phillip and the City of Melbourne. It is located on the south of the Yarra River in the suburb of Port Melbourne and opposite Coode Island, close to the Melbourne ...

sheet bend The sheet bend (also known as weaver's knot and weaver's hitch) is a bend knot. It is practical for joining lines of different diameter or rigidity. It is quick and easy to tie, and is considered so essential it is the first knot given in the ...

reef knot The reef knot, or square knot, is an ancient and simple binding knot used to secure a rope or line around an object. It is sometimes also referred to as a Hercules knot or Heracles knot. The knot is formed by tying a left-handed overhand knot ...

History

In October 1978, an article in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' presented it as a newly invented knot credited to Dr. Edward Hunter.Howard, Philip (6 Oct 1978) "Doctor ties up his claim to fame", in ''The Times'' (includes information from Inspector Geoffrey Budworth) He had used it for years to tie broken shoelaces before discovering its originality through a friend in the 1970s. When it appeared on the front page, it led to much publicity for the knot and also to the formation of the

International Guild of Knot Tyers The International Guild of Knot Tyers (or IGKT) is a worldwide association for people with an interest in knots and knot tying. Formation and beginning Officially established in 1982, the founding members were initially drawn together by th ...

. It was later pointed out by

Amory Bloch Lovins Amory Bloch Lovins (born November 13, 1947) is an American writer, physicist, and former chairman/chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He has written on energy policy and related areas for four decades, and served on the US Nationa ...

that the knot had already been presented in ''Knots for Mountaineering'' by Phil D. Smith in the 1950s. The tying of the bend was described as a modification to the

alpine butterfly bend The butterfly bend is a knot used to join the ends of two ropes together. It is the analogous bend knot, bend form of the butterfly loop, in that it is the butterfly loop with the loop cut. The observation that the butterfly loop is secure enough ...

. Smith had devised the knot in 1943 while working on the

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

waterfront and had called it simply a "rigger's bend". Although not documented in the original 1944 print of ''

The Ashley Book of Knots ''The Ashley Book of Knots'' is an encyclopedia of knots written and illustrated by the American sailor and artist Clifford W. Ashley. First published in 1944, it was the culmination of over 11 years of work. The book contains 3,857 numbered ent ...

'', it was later added in 1979 as entry #1425A.

References

External links

Alternative steps to tie a Hunter's Bend
Knots of modern origin {{Knots

History

See also

References

External links