Cow hitch

Cow hitch
Names	Cow hitch, Lark's head, Lark's foot, Girth hitch, Ring hitch, Lanyard hitch, Bale Sling hitch, Baggage Tag Loop, Tag Knot, Deadeye hitch
Category	Hitch
Origin	Ancient
Related	Clove hitch, Cat's paw, Bale sling hitch, Halter hitch, Prusik, Klemheist
Releasing	Non-jamming
Typical use	Tying a rope to a ring or pole
Caveat	Can fail unless equal tension is applied to both of the standing parts of the rope.
ABoK	#5, #56, #59, #244, #1184, #1673, #1694, #1698, #1700, #1802, #2163, #2164, #2168, #2175, #3317

The cow hitch is a hitch knot used to attach a rope to an object. The cow hitch comprises a pair of half-hitches tied in opposing directions, as compared to the clove hitch, where the half-hitches are tied in the same direction.

History

A simple and useful knotted structure, the cow hitch has been known since at least the first century when described by Greek physician Heraklas in a monograph on surgical knots and slings. Known under a variety of names, this knot was used both on land and at sea. The common alternate name lark's head is attributed to Tom Bowling (pseudonym) in the 1866 work The Book of Knots which is presumed to have been adapted from a French manuscript; lark's head is a literal translation of the French name for the knot, tête d'alouette.

Variations

The underlying cow hitch structure can be formed and used in a variety of ways. These variations are differentiated by method used to form the knot and the way in which it is loaded. In particular, the knot can be formed formed with an end of the rope, in a closed loop or strap, or a combination of these two in which it is tied with the end and then formed into a loop by securing the free end to the standing part.

With the end

When tied using the end of a rope, such as when securing an animal's lead to a vertical post or stake, this knot was said to be more resistant to untying as the animal wanders around the post than the clove hitch. In general, however, this single-ended form is less stable compared to the other two variations in which both ends are loaded.

In a closed loop or strap

This form is commonly known as a strap hitch or girth hitch. The latter term being common among climbers. It is the method commonly used to attach luggage tags which have a pre-tied loop of string or elastic. This form is also often used to connect loop-ended lanyards to handheld electronic equipment, since it can be tied without access to the ends of the fastening loop.

With the end, then secured into a loop

When tied by threading the end and then the end is secured to the standing part, the knot is known as a bale sling hitch.

• 
  Made with a closed loop
• 
  Shown being used to hoist a barrel
• 
  Made with an eye splice around a ring

Applications

Another application for the cow hitch is in the handling of large electric power cable in surface mines. Known colloquially as a Cableman's hitch, it is also used to attach loops of cable to the back of a pick-up truck during a shovel move. As the cable can weigh upwards of 22 pounds per foot and 3-4 loops of cable can be attached to one length of rope, a clove hitch's shearing force would damage the cable jacket. The Cableman's hitch puts the strain onto the hitch crossing over the two running ends of the rope.

See also

• List of knots