WhatKnot
Bend. Difficulty 2 of 5.

Sheet Bend

Also known as the becket bend.

Joins two ropes, especially when they are different thicknesses. The bend a sailor reaches for first. Holds where a square knot fails.

  • CategoryBend
  • StrengthReliable across rope sizes
  • Time to learn5 minutes
  • Best forJoining ropes, extending a line
Sheet bend joining a thicker rope to a thinner rope.
Sheet bend. Image: Wikimedia Commons.
When to use it

Two ropes. One reliable join.

Use a sheet bend whenever you need to join two ropes, especially if they are not the same diameter. The thicker rope forms a bight, the thinner rope wraps it. For very different sizes, use a double sheet bend by wrapping the thin rope twice.

Step by step

Six moves to a sailor's join.

Identify which rope is thicker. The thicker rope forms the U, the thinner rope does the wrapping. If they are equal pick one. The thicker the difference, the more important it is that the thicker rope is the one that is bent.

  1. Form a U with the thicker rope

    Bend the thicker rope back on itself so it forms a U shape, also called a bight. The mouth of the U should open to your right if you are right handed.

    Hold the U closed with your thumb and finger so the legs do not drift apart.

  2. Pass the thinner rope up through the U from underneath

    Take the thinner rope's working end and feed it up through the U from below. Leave at least 20 centimetres of working end above the U.

    Going through from underneath rather than over the top is what builds the right finishing pattern.

  3. Wrap the thinner rope around the back of the U

    Bring the working end of the thinner rope around the back of both legs of the U, going from your side away from you and back round.

    For slippery synthetic line, wrap twice instead of once. That is a double sheet bend.

  4. Tuck the thinner working end under itself

    Bring the thinner working end across the front of the U and tuck it underneath its own standing part, between the wrap and the U.

    Aim to tuck through the gap right where the wrap crosses the U.

  5. Verify both tails sit on the same side

    Both working ends, the thicker and the thinner, should now point out the same side of the knot. If they exit on opposite sides, you have tied a left handed sheet bend, which is weaker.

    If the tails are split, untie the wrap and bring it the other way around.

  6. Dress and set

    Pull each of the four strands in turn so everything seats together. Pull on the thicker U last to lock the knot. Leave at least eight rope diameters of tail on each rope.

    A correctly set sheet bend has the U pinched almost closed by the wrap. If you can see daylight inside the U the knot has not set.

Field check. Look at the cross section of the knot. The thicker rope's U should be visible curving away from the load side. The thinner rope's wrap should hug the U with the working end tucked between them, both tails on the same side.

Watch for these

Common mistakes

  • Putting both tails on opposite sides. The left handed sheet bend is weaker. Always finish with both tails together.
  • Using only a single wrap on slick synthetic line. Double up.
  • Loading the knot before dressing it. Slack creeps out of the wrap.
When you are done

How to untie

Loosen the wrap of the thinner rope, then pop the U back into shape. Comes apart cleanly even after long loading.

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