Ashley's bend is a knot used to securely join the ends of two
rope
A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger ...
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 stoppe ...
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 ent ...
''.
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 ) originated from the Arabic word …هيرand it is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat (not Angora wool from the fur of the Angora rabbit). Both durable and resilient, mohair is lustrous with high shee ...
, 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.
Uses
This knot belongs to a group of knots formed by interlocking overhand knots. Its purpose is to securely join two ropes of similar thickness. Ashley's testing confirmed its reliability with minimal slipping tendencies. One needs to dress the knot correctly for easy loosening when expecting a heavy load.
See also
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List of bend knots
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
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 ...
*
Knot theory
In topology, knot theory is the study of knot (mathematics), mathematical knots. While inspired by knots which appear in daily life, such as those in shoelaces and rope, a mathematical knot differs in that the ends are joined so it cannot be und ...
Notes and references
{{Knots
Knots of modern origin