| Clove hitch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Category | Hitch |
| Origin | Ancient |
| Related | Slippery hitch,Two half-hitches,Buntline hitch,Cow hitch,Constrictor knot,Ground-line hitch,Lashings,Snuggle hitch |
| 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 |
| Instructions | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwdZTHu5rTI |
Theclove hitch is anancient type ofknot, made of two successivesingle hitches[1]: 283 tied around an object. It is most effectively used to secure a middle section of rope to an object it crosses over,[1]: 213 such as a line on a fencepost. It can also be used as an ordinaryhitch, or as abinding knot, but it is not particularly secure in either application.[1]: 18, 224 It is considered one of the most important knots, alongside thebowline and thesheet bend.
Although the name clove hitch is given by Falconer in his Dictionary of 1769, the knot is much older, having been tied inratlines at least as early as the first quarter of the sixteenth century. This is shown in early sculpture and paintings. Around turn is taken with the ratline and then a hitch is added below. The forward end is always the first to be made fast.
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.[2] In modern climbing rope, the clove hitch will slip to a point, and then stop slipping.[3] When tied around acarabiner, the load should pull on the end closest to its spine.[4] With smaller diameter cords, after being heavily weighted it may become difficult to untie.[2] It is also unreliable when used on a square or rectangular post, rather than round.
The clove hitch is also commonly used inpioneering to start and finish alashing such as the traditional square lashing, tripod lashing, round lashing and shear lashing.[5]
The clove hitch is tied by first passing the running end of the rope around the spar and back over itself to form an X. The running end then passes around the spar again, under the intersection of the last two turns, and both ends are pulled tight. There are several methods of tying it using both hands[6][7][8][9] or one hand.[10][11][12][13]
When a turn around an object is made and a clove hitch is tied to the rope's ownstanding part, it produces either abuntline hitch ortwo half-hitches, depending on whether the turns of the clove hitch progress toward or away from the hitched object. Two-half hitches is also thecapsized form of agranny knot.[1]: 18 The buntline hitch itself is used as anecktie knot called thefour-in-hand knot.
The clove hitch is also a part of a family ofbinding knots calledmillers' knots, which all start with asingle hitch tied around an object.
