Figure of 8 on a bight

Vertical caving terminology and methods > Knots > Common knots

Figure of 8 on a bight, figure of 8 loop, figure of 8 follow-through knot, rethreaded figure of 8, Flemish loop

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Figure of 8 on a bight.
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The strength of a figure of 8 on a bight is not affected by whether it is tied starting anticlockwise (left pair) or clockwise (right pair), or which rope is loaded. However, if only one rope will be loaded, then it will be far easier to untie afterwards if the loaded rope passes over the shoulders of the loop (green, outer knots), rather than the collar around the neck of the loop (red, inner knots).

Common Recommended

A knot normally tied on a bight. Made from an overhand knot on a bight with an extra half turn. Used to create a loop that can be clipped into a carabiner. Designed only to be loaded in a direction away from the anchor. Can be used to start a traverse line instead of a bowline. Often used at a rebelay. Often mis-used in the middle of a traverse line. May be used to attach carabiners to cows tails, cows tails to a D-ring, a footloop to a top jammer, to form the loops at each end of a tether or safety cord, and to attach a lifeline to a sit harness or belay belt. General purpose knot, very common. Resistant to cross loading at the level that it might receive from a caver clipping their cows tail into the loop and pulling against an anchor, but severe cross loading, such as at about 660 kg (330 kg across the knot itself), causes the knot to deform (not as bad as a full capsize) and lose some of its strength, while rolling a short distance down the rope (that can be a problem if the knot has a very short tail). The rethreaded version produces the exact same knot, with the only difference being in the way it is initially tied, allowing it to loop through objects. It makes no difference whether the knot is tied with the first turn clockwise or anti-clockwise, with the two versions being simply mirrors of each other, with identical performance. However, there are two very similar variations of this knot, with one being far easier to intentionally untie than the other after loading, if only one of the tails is going to be loaded (such as when the knot is used at the start of a traverse line). The rope that is going to be loaded should be the one that passes further from the loop, over the shoulders of the knot, when it performs the first turn at the neck of the loop (at the opposite end of the knot from the loaded rope).

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