A butterfly knot is a fixed loop tied in the middle of a rope. There are a number of other knots that do the same thing, but the butterfly knot tends to work better because it doesn’t jam when strained and it’s easy to untie.
Since it’s tied in a symmetrical fashion, strain can be put on it from any direction. Though this knot is usually tied in the middle of the rope, you can also tie it at the end of the line if you need a fixed loop that is easily untied.
- Start with an overhand loop. Then twist the rope to form a second overhand loop. Next drop the upper loop down in back.
- When the upper loop is dropped down, pull it under the two crossed standing parts of the rope. Then pull it up through the top loops to complete the knot.
- To pull the knot tight, pull the upper loop while holding the standing parts of the rope at the bottom.
PIONEERING — USES
- When using a rope to pull a heavy object (such as a log), tie a series of butterfly knots to form loops for each person’s hand or shoulder.
- To provide a fixed loop to use with a toggle.
- When making a rope tackle, the loop in the butterfly knot serves as the pulley.