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, Running eye |
| Category | Hitch |
| Origin | Ancient |
| Related | Clove hitch, Cat's paw, Bale sling hitch, Prusik, Halter hitch |
| 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 in which the half-hitches are tied in the same direction. It has several variations and is known under a variety of names. It can be tied either with the end of the rope or with a bight.
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.[1] Known under a variety of names, this knot has been used both on land and at sea.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] In particular, the knot can be 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. Although certain names tend to be historically associated with a particular variations, real-world naming is not necessarily consistent between various users and applications.
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 loosening than the clove hitch as the animal wanders around the post.[5] In general, however, this single-ended form of the cow hitch is less stable compared to the variations in which both ends are loaded.[6][7]
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, and (left) for tying a lead to a sounding line -
Made with an eye splice around a ring -
Made with end and then secured to standing part
Applications
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2010) |
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
References
- ^ Hage, J. Joris (April 2008), "Heraklas on Knots: Sixteen Surgical Nooses and Knots from the First Century A.D.", World Journal of Surgery, vol. 32, no. 4, p. 650, doi:10.1007/s00268-007-9359-x, PMID 18224483, retrieved 2009-07-15
- ^ Ashley, Clifford W. (1944), The Ashley Book of Knots, New York: Doubleday, p. 305
- ^ Ahsley, p. 11.
- ^ Ashley, p. 290.
- ^ Ashley, p. 44.
- ^ Cyrus Lawrence Day (1986), The Art of Knotting and Splicing (4th ed.), Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, pp. 94–95
- ^ Soles, Clyde (2004). The Outdoor Knot Book. Seattle: The Mountaineers Books. pp. 96–97. ISBN 978-0-89886-962-0.
