Ashley's stopper knot, also known as the oysterman's stopper, is a

knot A knot is an intentional complication in Rope, cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including List of hitch knots, hitches, List of bend knots, bends, List of loop knots, loop knots, ...

developed by Clifford W. Ashley around 1910. It makes a well-balanced trefoil-faced stopper at the end of the rope, giving greater resistance to pulling through an opening than other common stoppers. Essentially, the knot is a common overhand noose, but with the end of the rope passing through the noose eye, which closes upon it. It may be multiplied to form a larger knot with more than three bights appearing around the knot. It is the result of implementing a double wall knot in one strand. Ashley developed this knot in trying to duplicate a knot he saw on a boat in a local

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...

fishing fleet. When he had a chance to observe the knot up close at a later time he realized it was just a badly water-swollen figure eight stopper knot.

Tying

# Form an overhand noose, or simply tie an

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 ...

around the standing part as shown. # Tighten the overhand portion of the knot around the standing part. Thread the working part through the loop. # First close the noose on the working part by pulling on the standing part, then remove any remaining slack in the knot by pulling on the working part. The knot should have a tidy, triangular shape where the standing part enters the knot. (See image at right.)

Tying

See also

References

Further reading