Ashley's bend is a knot used to securely join the ends of two
rope
A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similar ...
s together. It is similar to several related
bend knots which consist of two 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 stopper, ...
s, and in particular the
alpine butterfly bend. These related bends differ by the way the two constituent overhand knots are interlocked.
History
The name "Ashley's bend" is now associated with the knot described in entry #1452 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 en ...
''.
Clifford Ashley developed this bend and believed it to be original, along with several similar ones. Rather than giving it a name he simply noted the date when he first tied it: "(2/3/34.)".
Cyrus L. Day, a contemporary of Ashley's, called the knot by the name "Ashley's Bend" in his 1947 book ''The Art of Knotting & Splicing'' just a few years after the publication of Ashley's book.
[The name "Ashley's Bend" is only used in the index (p. 223) of the first edition (1947) of ''The Art of Knotting and Splicing'', not the main discussion of the knot on page 64. By the second edition (1955) the name also appears in the main text.] Later authors have continued to use this name.
Security
In the 1930s, Ashley performed security tests on a number of bends for the
Collins and Aikman company.
[Ashley, pp. 16–17] The manufacturer wanted a bend that would not slip when tied in
mohair
Mohair (pronounced ) is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. (This should not be confused with Angora wool, which is made from the fur of the Angora rabbit.) Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster ...
, a stiff slippery material. The jerk testing Ashley performed placed his bend, #1452, equal to the
barrel knot in exhibiting no slippage at all. All other bends he tested slipped to some extent, and most failed completely in less than 100 loading cycles.
[Ashley, p. 273]
Jamming behavior
Most references fail to distinguish the distinct ways in which the two ends of the knot can be dressed. As the two
working ends emerge from the knot, they make a sort of vortex that twists the tails in one direction; the tails can be oriented such that they are twisted ever tighter together, or put on the other side of each other in which case the setting of the knot can lead to a jamming state.
See also
*
List of bend knots
This is a list of bends. A bend is a knot used to join two lengths of rope. They are used in a variety of situations, including climbing, sailing, and securing loads. Bend knots are classified based on their ability to be tightened or released, th ...
*
List of knots
This list of knots includes many alternative names for common knots and lashings. Knot names have evolved over time, and there are many conflicting or confusing naming issues. The overhand knot, for example, is also known as the thumb knot. The ...
Notes and references
{{Knots
Knots of modern origin