Round Turn and Two Half-Hitches

Which is a Round Turn and Two Half-Hitches?

  • 1

    Votes: 52 71.2%

  • 2

    Votes: 2 2.7%

  • 3

    Votes: 15 20.5%

  • 4

    Votes: 4 5.5%

  • None of them

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    73
nigelmercier

nigelmercier

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Having recently read the article (in either PBO or YM) in which a Round Turn and Two Half-Hitches was voted the strongest knot for a mooring line (no discussion here please), I decided to give it a try. The only problem is, I found at least 4 ways of doing it! Knot books were no use, as I found examples of most of them.

So, which is it? (better quality image here)
 
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All of them are. Every picture there has a round turn and every picture has two half hitches.

Now whether they are all as effective I don't know but I don't see why they wouldn't be.

FWIW, 2 and 4 are the way I tie them, but that's just my OCD for neatness
 
In a round turn and two half hitches, the half hotches should form a clove hitch. 1 and 3 are correct as they are the same knot viewed from both sides.

2 and 4 are incorrect, also both the same knot from two sides. Instead of a clove hitch, the two half hitches have formed a lark's head knot.
 
1 and 3 are the same thing, just viewed from the other side. They are both correct - a clove hitch is formed around the standing part. 2 and 4 have a lark's head instead of the clove hitch and are incorrect.

Pete
 
I voted for 1 but 3 is also.

As said above 2 and 4 are a round turn and a cow hitch

Dunno what Searush means by a round turn and a clove hitch. A clove hitch is two half hitches surely?


Personally I very often do a clove hitch and two half hitches!

I recommend Animated knots by Grog http://www.animatedknots.com/
 
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1 and 3 are the same knot and are the way I'd tie 'em. Personally, I would'nt use 2 & 4 to hang off a belay on a cliff cos the hitches are not structurally as strong.
 
As Jimi says... 1 and 3 are the same knot (mirror image).. Rope exiting from the turn at the back in 1, starts it's half hitch at the back. Rope exiting from the front of the turn in 3, starts it's half hitch at the front.

2 and 4 are also mirror images of each, therefore 2 equals 4.

I was taught many years ago a different version of the round turn and two half hitches.. both half hitches lay the same way as each other (therefore correctly look like a clove hitch)... but it's much easier to make secure in this way when there's something on pulling on the rope that you are making fast..

Any guesses how? It's just harder to draw!
 
1 and 3 are not quite the same IMHO.
If you make the round turn upwards, should the half hitch go over or under the standing part first?
I have no idea, and whether I tie 1 or 3 probably depends on the angle I'm working at.

I would say 1 and 3 are both 'proper' round turn and two half hitches, but a round turn and cow hitch probably works just as well in some rope somewhere....
 
I think that's what diagrams 1 and 3 were supposed to show.. but both ended up showing a rope starting the half hitch at the same side as it exited the turn.
 
As winner of Hamble Sea Scouts knot tying competition 1975, * I hereby declare that 1 and 3 are not the same. The only true round turn and two half hitches is knot number 3.


(* dont knock it. as a 15 year old it was about my only talent !)
 
Please explain the difference between 1 and 3.

If you flipped pic 3 to the left then moved it up to be beside 1 - it looks like a mirror image to me.
 
Martin_J said:
Please explain the difference between 1 and 3.

If you flipped pic 3 to the left then moved it up to be beside 1 - it looks like a mirror image to me.
Click to expand...

Well.... I was always taught that you form the round turn from left to right then follow that with the two half hitches. Picture 1 looks nothing like IMO.
 
If I was standing behind a pole and caught a rope from a boat that needed to be tied to the pole...

.. If I'd caught it to the right of the pole.. I'd just pass it round the pole 1 1/2 times then do the half hitches..

.. If I'd caught it to the left of the pole, again I'd just pass it round the pole by 1 1/2 turns and make the two half hitches.

I would not waste time trying to start the turns from the side from which it had not arrived. A mirror image is the same (like my right hand is a mirror image of my left hand - or do have have different hands!)

I still think the diagrams were suppsed to show a difference in 1 & 3 that they don't actually do.
 
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