The Ashely Bend is used to securely join two ropes together.
It’s based on interlocking Overhand knots like the Alpine Butterfly bend, Hunter’s bend, and Zeppelin bend.
Let’s learn it in detail.
Ashley Bend Details
Type: Bends
Other Names: Original Bend, Versatile Bend, ABoK #1452, Janus Bend
ABoK Reference: #1452
How to Tie a Ashley Bend Knot
- Form a bight in each rope.
- Interlock the two bights.
- Pass both ends over itself.
- Pass it under both ropes.
- Pass both tag ends through the middle loop.
- Tighten the knot.
You have tied this knot correctly if you have tag ends crossing each other and the finished knot has identical front and back sides.
Ashley Bend Knot Strength
In 1930, Ashley himself performed the security test on this knot.
He found that the bend did not slip when used with stiff and slippery materials.
This knot held up perfectly under 100 loading cycles.
Structure of the Ashley Bend
The Ashley Bend is a symmetrical bend. It has identical front and back sides.
That’s why some call it the Janus Bend.
In the Ashley Book of Knots, both the tails emerge parallel to each other. However, you can tie it with the tails crossing each other.
This Wikipedia article states that the arrangement with the tails lying next to each other tends to jam.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Strong and secure
- Does not slip
Cons
- Can jam and may be difficult to untie
A Bit of History
The Ashley Bend Knot does not appear in the Ashley Book of Knots.
It has been mentioned as an “Original bend” by a number ABoK #1452 along with the date it was tied (February 3, 1934).
It was Cyrus L. Day who gave it the name “Ashley Bend” in his book “The Art of Knotting and Splicing” in 1947.
Other Similar Bends
Zeppelin Bend
If there’s one bend knot to beat, this would be the Zeppelin Bend.
It’s secure, works with all types of rope, and easy to untie even after it has been heavily loaded.
Alpine Butterfly Bend
Unlike the other bend knots, the Alpine Butterfly Bend has a unique tying method, so it’s hard to mess this up.
It’s strong and secure and easy to untie as well.
Carrick Bend
Ashley himself calls the Carrick Bend a “perfect bend”.
It does not slip, works well with wet and slippery ropes and is easy to undo under heavy loading.
But, it’s difficult for beginners to learn.
Hunter’s Bend
The Hunter’s Bend also belongs to the family of the interlocking Overhand Knots.
It’s used to join ropes of similar diameter.
Unlike other bend knots mentioned above, it tends to jam after a heavy load.
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