Overhand Knot
Also known as the thumb knot.
The simplest stopper. Stops a rope from slipping through a hole and keeps a cut end from fraying. The first knot in any scout's vocabulary.
- CategoryStopper
- StrengthLight loads only
- Time to learn2 minutes
- Best forSealing rope ends
Small knot. Big job.
Use an overhand knot to keep a rope from running through a pulley, eyelet, or hand. It is also the foundation of dozens of more complex knots, so master it first. For anything heavier than light tension, step up to a figure eight.
Five moves and you are done.
Take a length of cord, around 60 centimetres, and lay it across your palm. The end nearest you is the working end. Everything past your hand is the standing line.
Form a small bight
Loop the working end back on itself so it lies parallel to the standing line, leaving about ten centimetres of tail beyond the curve.
A bight is just a U shape in the rope. No twists yet.Cross the working end over the standing line
Lift the working end and lay it across the top of the standing line so the two strands form a small X shape.
Keep the resulting loop the size of a coin. Bigger loops drift apart while you tie.Pass the tail through the loop
Take the working end up and feed it through the small loop from underneath, then back out the top.
Pinch the loop with your other thumb and forefinger so it does not slide around.Pull all three strands gently
Pull the standing line and the working end in opposite directions. Use your other hand to keep the loop centred so the knot forms a balanced bump rather than twisting on edge.
Pulling too hard too fast traps a twist inside. Slow is smooth.Set firmly and trim if needed
Once the bump is symmetric, give a sharp tug to lock it. Leave a tail of two to three rope diameters. For natural fibre rope, melt or whip the cut end so it cannot fray back into the knot.
A correctly set overhand looks like a single tight ball with three strands meeting in the middle.
Field check. Run a thumbnail across the surface of the knot. If you can feel a clean trefoil shape, it is dressed properly. If it feels lumpy, it is twisted inside and weaker than it should be.
Common mistakes
- Pulling too hard before the knot is dressed. The shape locks crooked.
- Cutting the tail off flush. It will fray and the knot can creep.
- Using it where a figure eight should go. Overhands jam under heavy loads.
How to untie
Push the loop where the working end crosses the standing line, then wiggle the tail back through. After a hard load it can be stubborn. A marlinspike or a stick helps lever it open.
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