Clove hitch

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Clove hitch

Category	Hitch
Origin	Ancient
Related	Slippery hitch, Two half-hitches, Buntline hitch, Cow hitch, Constrictor knot, Ground-line hitch, Lashings, Snuggle hitch
Releasing	Jamming
Typical use	Securing lines running along a series of posts, belaying, starting lashings, weak binding
Caveat	Can spill if the standing part is pulled forcibly in the wrong direction
ABoK	#11, #53, #69, #70, #204, #400, #421, #437, #1176, #1177, #1178, #1179, #1180, #1245, #1773, #1774, #1775, #1776, #1778, #1779, #1814, #2079, #2541, #2542, #2543, #2544, #2546, #2547, #2548

The clove hitch is a type of knot. Along with the bowline and the sheet bend, it is often considered one of the most important knots.^[1] A clove hitch is two successive half-hitches around an object. It is most effectively used as a crossing knot. It can be used as a binding knot, but is not particularly secure in that role.^[2] A clove hitch made around the rope's own standing part is known as either two half-hitches or buntline hitch, depending on whether the turns of the clove hitch progress away from or towards the hitched object.

Usage

This knot is particularly useful where the length of the running end needs to be adjustable, since feeding in rope from either direction will loosen the knot to be tightened at a new position. With certain types of cord, the clove hitch can slip when loaded. In modern climbing rope, the clove hitch will slip to a point, and then stop slipping.^[3] With smaller diameter cords, after being heavily weighted it may become difficult to untie. It is also unreliable when used on a square or rectangular post, rather than round.

Tying

To tie a clove hitch at the end of a rope as shown at right, pass the end around the pole starting at the right, with the end coming around below. Put the end around in the same direction to cross over the standing end to be above the first loop. As the end comes around, put it under itself to be over the standing end. To start on the left side, the end comes around over the standing end, crossing it by wrapping below, then comes around to go under itself below the standing end. Check that both ends are in the middle, emerging in opposite directions. Pull to tighten. When pulled tighter, the rope passing over itself binds it in place.

A clove hitch formed in the bight and slipped onto a carabiner.

It can also be formed in the middle of a rope, if the end of the object is there. One way is to form two overhand loops in the rope. If both have the working end passing over the standing line, slide the second loop underneath the first one. If you made both loops with the working end under the standing line, slide the second loop over the first one. Drop both loops together onto the end of the object. Another way is to make a loop over the end of the object so that the working end is below. Twist the next loop with the working end again under, and slip it over the object. Before tightening, be sure that both ends are in the middle, emerging in opposite directions. This way of tying a clove hitch is used for instance at belay stations of multi-pitch climbs.^[4]

Other uses

The clove hitch is commonly used in pioneering to start and finish a lashing such as the traditional square lashing, tripod lashing, round lashing, and sheer lashing.^[5]

References

↑ Cassidy 1985, The Klutz Book of Knots
↑ Clifford W. Ashley, The Ashley Book of Knots (New York: Doubleday, 1944), 224.
↑ http://www.geir.com/mythbuster.html
↑ "Clove Hitch on a carabiner from left and right". www.climbignextreme.com. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
↑ "Lashing INFORMATION". www.scoutpioneering.com. Retrieved 2013-05-12.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clove hitches.

"How to tie the clove hitch", Animated Knots by Grog.
Notable Knot Index - shows quick method of tying
Hitch Knots - including instructions
The Misunderstood Clove Hitch - illustrations and stories

Knots

Overview

Colours

Bends	Adjustable bend Albright special Alpine butterfly bend Ashley's bend Basket weave knot Beer knot Blood knot Carrick bend Double fisherman's knot Fisherman's knot Flemish bend Grief knot Harness bend Heaving line bend Hunter's bend Nail knot One-sided overhand bend Racking bend Sheet bend Shoelace knot Shroud knot Simple Simon under Single carrick bend Surgeon's knot Surgeon's loop Triple fisherman's knot True lover's knot Water knot Zeppelin bend Zeppelin loop

Binding knots	Boa knot Bottle sling Constrictor knot Corned beef knot Granny knot Ground-line hitch Jamming knot Miller's knot Packer's knot Reef knot Strangle knot Thief knot Transom knot

Climbing knots	Alpine butterfly knot Autoblock Bachmann knot Beer knot Bowline on a bight Directional figure eight Double anchorman knot Double bowline Farmer's loop Figure-eight knot Figure-eight loop Figure-of-nine loop Friction hitch Klemheist knot Munter hitch Overhand loop Prusik Trident loop Yosemite bowline

Coils	Alpine coil Butterfly coil

Decorative knots	Carrick mat Chinese button knot Celtic button knot Knife lanyard knot Diamond knot Fiador knot Friendship knot Matthew Walker knot Turk's head knot Wall and crown knot

Fishing knots	Angler's loop Arbor knot Bimini twist Blood knot Fisherman's knot Half blood knot Improved clinch knot Knotless knot Nail knot Palomar knot Snell knot Trilene knot Triple fisherman's knot Turle knot Uni knot

Hitches	Adjustable grip hitch Anchor bend Axle hitch Bachmann knot Bale sling hitch Barrel hitch Becket hitch Blackwall hitch Blake's hitch Boom hitch Buntline hitch Cat's paw Clove hitch Cow hitch Double overhand noose Falconer's knot Farrimond friction hitch Friction hitch Garda hitch Gripping Sailor's hitch Ground-line hitch Half hitch Halter hitch Highpoint hitch Highwayman's hitch Hitching tie Icicle hitch Improved clinch knot Killick hitch Knute hitch Lobster buoy hitch Marlinespike hitch Munter hitch Ossel hitch Pile hitch Snuggle hitch Timber hitch

Loop knots	Angler's loop Artillery loop Bale sling hitch Bowline Bumper knot Cowboy bowline Diamond knot Double bowline Dropper loop Eskimo bowline Fiador knot Fireman's chair knot Halter hitch Handcuff knot Honda knot Jury mast knot Overhand loop Portuguese bowline Rigid double splayed loop in the bight Slippery eight loop Span loop Spanish bowline Tom fool's knot Trident loop Triple bowline Triple crown knot Water bowline Yosemite bowline Zeppelin loop

Running knots	Hangman's knot Running bowline Running highwayman's hitch Slip knot Tarbuck knot

Shanks	Catshank Dogshank Sheepshank

Stopper knots	Ashley's stopper knot Double overhand knot Monkey's fist Stevedore knot

Whipping knots	Common whipping Overhand knot with draw-loop Portuguese whipping Sailmaker's whipping West Country whipping

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knots

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