Ashley's Bend
Encyclopedia
Ashley's bend is a knot used to securely join the ends of two rope
s together. It is similar to several related bend knots which consist of two interlocking overhand knot
s, and in particular the alpine butterfly bend
. These related bends differ by the way the two constituent overhand knots are interlocked.
. Clifford Ashley
developed this bend and believed it to be original, along with several similar ones, but rather than giving it a name he simply noted the date when he first tied it: "(2/3/34.)". Cyrus L. Day, a contemporary of Ashley's, called the knot by the name "Ashley's Bend" in his 1947 book The Art of Knotting & Splicing just a few years after the publication of Ashley's book. Later authors have continued to use this name.
, a stiff slippery material. The jerk testing Ashley performed placed his bend, #1452, equal to the barrel knot in exhibiting no slippage at all. All other bends he tested slipped to some extent, and most failed completely in less than 100 loading cycles.
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
s together. It is similar to several related bend knots which consist of two interlocking overhand knot
Overhand knot
The overhand knot is one of the most fundamental knots and forms the basis of many others including the simple noose, overhand loop, angler's loop, reef knot, fisherman's knot and water knot. The overhand knot is very secure, to the point of jamming badly. It should be used if the knot is...
s, and in particular the alpine butterfly bend
Alpine butterfly bend
The butterfly bend is a type of knot. It is the analogous bend form of the alpine butterfly knot in that it is the butterfly loop with the loop cut. It is very similar to the hunter's bend.-External links:*...
. These related bends differ by the way the two constituent overhand knots are interlocked.
History
The name "Ashley's bend" is now associated with the knot described in entry #1452 of The Ashley Book of KnotsThe Ashley Book of Knots
The Ashley Book of Knots is an encyclopedia of knots first published in 1944 by Clifford Warren Ashley. The culmination of over 11 years of work, it contains some 7000 illustrations and more than 3854 entries covering over 2000 different knots. The entries include instructions, uses, and for some...
. Clifford Ashley
Clifford Ashley
Clifford Warren Ashley was an American artist, author, sailor, and knot expert. He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, son of Abiel Davis Ashley and Caroline Morse. Ashley married Sarah Scudder Clark in 1932 and had two daughters, also adopting his wife's oldest daughter from a previous...
developed this bend and believed it to be original, along with several similar ones, but rather than giving it a name he simply noted the date when he first tied it: "(2/3/34.)". Cyrus L. Day, a contemporary of Ashley's, called the knot by the name "Ashley's Bend" in his 1947 book The Art of Knotting & Splicing just a few years after the publication of Ashley's book. Later authors have continued to use this name.
Security
In the 1930s, Ashley performed security tests on a number of bends for the Collins and Aikman company. The manufacturer wanted a bend that would not slip when tied in mohairMohair
Mohair usually refers to a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. The word "mohair" was adopted into English before 1570 from the Arabic: mukhayyar, a type of haircloth, literally 'choice', from khayyara, 'he chose'. Mohair fiber is approximately 25-45 microns in...
, a stiff slippery material. The jerk testing Ashley performed placed his bend, #1452, equal to the barrel knot in exhibiting no slippage at all. All other bends he tested slipped to some extent, and most failed completely in less than 100 loading cycles.