Figure eight: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox knot

| image = File: Fig8.jpg

| image_alt = Figure-eight loop

| other_names = Figure 8, eight

| pros = Reliable, easy to inspect, low decrease of the rope strength

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This method is the most commonly used method for tying-in onto a rope end.

{{#invoke:FlexGallery|~~gallery_with_widths~~

{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery_with_widths_alt

|File: fig8_step1.png

|90px

|Take a bight of a rope and turn its one end around the other, making a full 360° turn (1)

|rope bight with one end twisted around the other

|File: fig8_step2.png

|90px

|Pull the rope through the upper eye (2), creating a figure-eight knot

|twisted rope bight with an arrow pointing through the top loop

|File: fig8_step3.png

|180px

|Pull the rope through both eyes of a harness next to the belay loop (3)

|figure-eight knot with an arrow from the rope end through the harness eyes

|File: fig8_step4.png

|180px

|Continue by following-through... (4)

|rope with figure-eight knot, one rope end is pulled through harness and being directed to follow the knot through

|File: fig8_step5.png

|180px

|... the original figure-eight (5)...

|rope with figure-eight knot, one rope end is pulled through harness and being directed to follow the knot through

|File: fig8_step6.png

|180px

|... knot (6)

|rope with figure-eight knot, one rope end is pulled through harness and being directed to follow the knot through

|File: fig8_step7to10.png|180px

|Tighten the rope ends one at a time (7,8,9,10)

|loose figure eight tied on a harness, arrows pointing out from the knot

|File: fig8_step11.png

|180px

|Inspect the knot and check if the loop is threaded through the harness correctly (11)

|tightened figure eight on a harness, eye icon

}}

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=== On a bight (tie in in a middle) ===

{{#invoke:FlexGallery|~~gallery~~|100px

{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery_with_alt|100px

|File: fig8_mid_step1.png

|Take a bight of a rope and do a bend (1)

|rope bight with an arrow

|File: fig8_mid_step2.png

|Make a full 360° turn of the bend around the rope strands (2)

|bent rope bight with an arrow around the bight

|File: fig8_mid_step3.png

|Pull the bight through the loop made by the turn (3)

|bent rope bight tangled around the rope strands with arrow pointing through a loop

|File: fig8_mid_step4.png

|Slightly tighten the knot (4)

|Very loose figure eight

|File: fig8_mid_step5.png

|If the knot is malformed, dress it for easier inspection (5)

|figure eight

|File: fig8_mid_step6.png

|Inspect the knot (6)

|dressed figure eight with an eye icon

}}

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In some cases, Figure 8 tends to get hard to untie. To prevent this issues, always dress the knot and tie its form where the load strand goes in a bigger diameter around the center of the knot, as illustrated below. This variant also has a slightly higher loading limit according to some sources (10% difference, both variants are completely safe).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lezec.cz/clanek.php?key=841 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226094325/https://www.lezec.cz/clanek.php?key=841 | archive-date=26 February 2024 | url-status=live | title=Metodické ústřižky III. | publisher=EnergyCloud Trade, s.r.o. | first1=''John'' Jiří | last1=Žižka | first2=''Bolek'' Karel | last2=Kříž | date=16 September 2002 | website=lezec.cz | access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref> The issue of figure 8 getting stuck was well studied and documented/illustrated by Hard is Easy.<ref>{{Cite AV media | people= Hard is easy | date=29 August 2020 | title=Why Figure 8 knot is NOT hard to untie! | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAr-uHd8h8o | publisher=Hard is Easy | access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref> If the figure 8 is not dressed and tightened properly before loading it, it tends to malform substantially after taking a fall. Malformation leads to a knot state in which the figure 8 is hard and sometimes even almost impossible to untie. Rope parameters (diameter, stiffness) also play a role. Last very important parameter discovered was if the load strand goes on the top of the knot, or in the middle of it.

{{#invoke:FlexGallery|~~gallery~~|200px

{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery_with_alt|200px

|File: fig8_tighten.png

|By properly pre-tightening the knot before loading, you minimize the chance of getting it stuck

|hand on a figure eight knot, arrows pointing in direction the rope leaves the knot

|File: fig8_goodstrand.png

|Allegedly slightly stronger variant. It is easier to untie after a fall

|figure eight with one strand highlighted

|File: fig8_uglystrand.png

|This variant is more prone to get stuck after big lead falls

|figure eight with other strand highlighted, warning symbol

}}

== Rolling ==

[[File:fig8_roller.png|200px|thumb|left|When the ropes coming from the figure 8 are pulled in the opposite directions, the knot might capsize and roll over itself]]

[[File:fig8_roller.png|200px|thumb|left|When the ropes coming from the figure 8 are pulled in the opposite directions, the knot might capsize and roll over itself|alt=figure eight bent with a warning symbol and arrows illustrating capsizing direction]]

The Figure 8 bend knot can capsize and roll over itself already around 3 kN of force (then it snaps). For that reason it is not an ideal knot for tying two ropes together.<ref name=Edelrid2023>{{cite web | url=https://edelrid.com/eu-en/knowledge/knowledge-base/knots-for-connecting-ropes-when-rappelling-comparison | title=Knots for connecting ropes when rappelling - a comparison | publisher=EDELRID GmbH & Co. KG | first1=Florian |last1=Hellberg | date=14 August 2023 | website=edelrid | access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref> There are speculations that the usage of Figure 8 bend knot during rapelling is the reason why the overhand-bend knot is known as an European Death knot in US.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://user.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/EDK.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729104327/https://user.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/EDK.html | archive-date=29 July 2025 | url-status=live | title=Pull Tests of the "Euro Death-Knot" | first1=Thomas | last1=Moyer | date=11 September 1999 | website=xmission.com | access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref>

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{Infobox knot
 | image = File: Fig8.jpg
+| image_alt = Figure-eight loop
 | other_names = Figure 8, eight
 | pros = Reliable, easy to inspect, low decrease of the rope strength
@@ Line 20: / Line 21: @@
 This method is the most commonly used method for tying-in onto a rope end.
-{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery_with_widths
+{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery_with_widths_alt
 |File: fig8_step1.png
 |90px
 |Take a bight of a rope and turn its one end around the other, making a full 360° turn (1)
+|rope bight with one end twisted around the other
 |File: fig8_step2.png
 |90px
 |Pull the rope through the upper eye (2), creating a figure-eight knot
+|twisted rope bight with an arrow pointing through the top loop
 |File: fig8_step3.png
 |180px
 |Pull the rope through both eyes of a harness next to the belay loop (3)
+|figure-eight knot with an arrow from the rope end through the harness eyes
 |File: fig8_step4.png
 |180px
 |Continue by following-through... (4)
+|rope with figure-eight knot, one rope end is pulled through harness and being directed to follow the knot through
 |File: fig8_step5.png
 |180px
 |... the original figure-eight (5)...
+|rope with figure-eight knot, one rope end is pulled through harness and being directed to follow the knot through
 |File: fig8_step6.png
 |180px
 |... knot (6)
+|rope with figure-eight knot, one rope end is pulled through harness and being directed to follow the knot through
 |File: fig8_step7to10.png|180px
 |Tighten the rope ends one at a time (7,8,9,10)
+|loose figure eight tied on a harness, arrows pointing out from the knot
 |File: fig8_step11.png
 |180px
 |Inspect the knot and check if the loop is threaded through the harness correctly (11)
+|tightened figure eight on a harness, eye icon
 }}
@@ Line 49: / Line 58: @@
 === On a bight (tie in in a middle) ===
-{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery|100px
+{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery_with_alt|100px
 |File: fig8_mid_step1.png
 |Take a bight of a rope and do a bend (1)
+|rope bight with an arrow
 |File: fig8_mid_step2.png
 |Make a full 360° turn of the bend around the rope strands (2)
+|bent rope bight with an arrow around the bight
 |File: fig8_mid_step3.png
 |Pull the bight through the loop made by the turn (3)
+|bent rope bight tangled around the rope strands with arrow pointing through a loop
 |File: fig8_mid_step4.png
 |Slightly tighten the knot (4)
+|Very loose figure eight
 |File: fig8_mid_step5.png
 |If the knot is malformed, dress it for easier inspection  (5)
+|figure eight
 |File: fig8_mid_step6.png
 |Inspect the knot (6)
+|dressed figure eight with an eye icon
 }}
@@ Line 67: / Line 82: @@
 In some cases, Figure 8 tends to get hard to untie. To prevent this issues, always dress the knot and tie its form where the load strand goes in a bigger diameter around the center of the knot, as illustrated below. This variant also has a slightly higher loading limit according to some sources (10% difference, both variants are completely safe).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lezec.cz/clanek.php?key=841 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226094325/https://www.lezec.cz/clanek.php?key=841 | archive-date=26 February 2024 | url-status=live | title=Metodické ústřižky III. | publisher=EnergyCloud Trade, s.r.o. | first1=''John'' Jiří | last1=Žižka | first2=''Bolek'' Karel | last2=Kříž | date=16 September 2002 | website=lezec.cz | access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref> The issue of figure 8 getting stuck was well studied and documented/illustrated by Hard is Easy.<ref>{{Cite AV media | people= Hard is easy | date=29 August 2020 | title=Why Figure 8 knot is NOT hard to untie! | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAr-uHd8h8o | publisher=Hard is Easy | access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref> If the figure 8 is not dressed and tightened properly before loading it, it tends to malform substantially after taking a fall. Malformation leads to a knot state in which the figure 8 is hard and sometimes even almost impossible to untie. Rope parameters (diameter, stiffness) also play a role. Last very important parameter discovered was if the load strand goes on the top of the knot, or in the middle of it.
-{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery|200px
+{{#invoke:FlexGallery|gallery_with_alt|200px
 |File: fig8_tighten.png
 |By properly pre-tightening the knot before loading, you minimize the chance of getting it stuck
+|hand on a figure eight knot, arrows pointing in direction the rope leaves the knot
 |File: fig8_goodstrand.png
 |Allegedly slightly stronger variant. It is easier to untie after a fall
+|figure eight with one strand highlighted
 |File: fig8_uglystrand.png
 |This variant is more prone to get stuck after big lead falls
+|figure eight with other strand highlighted, warning symbol
 }}
 == Rolling ==
-[[File:fig8_roller.png|200px|thumb|left|When the ropes coming from the figure&nbsp;8 are pulled in the opposite directions, the knot might capsize and roll over itself]]
+[[File:fig8_roller.png|200px|thumb|left|When the ropes coming from the figure&nbsp;8 are pulled in the opposite directions, the knot might capsize and roll over itself|alt=figure eight bent with a warning symbol and arrows illustrating capsizing direction]]
 The Figure 8 bend knot can capsize and roll over itself already around 3 kN of force (then it snaps). For that reason it is not an ideal knot for tying two ropes together.<ref name=Edelrid2023>{{cite web | url=https://edelrid.com/eu-en/knowledge/knowledge-base/knots-for-connecting-ropes-when-rappelling-comparison | title=Knots for connecting ropes when rappelling - a comparison | publisher=EDELRID GmbH & Co. KG | first1=Florian |last1=Hellberg | date=14 August 2023 | website=edelrid | access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref> There are speculations that the usage of Figure 8 bend knot during rapelling is the reason why the overhand-bend knot is known as an European Death knot in US.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://user.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/EDK.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729104327/https://user.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/EDK.html | archive-date=29 July 2025 | url-status=live | title=Pull Tests of the "Euro Death-Knot" | first1=Thomas | last1=Moyer | date=11 September 1999 | website=xmission.com | access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref>