Figure eight: Difference between revisions

Figure 8 tends to get hard to untie in some cases. To prevent the issues, always dress the knot and tie the form where the load strand goes in a bigger diameter around closer to the center of the knot as illustrated below. This variant also has a slightly higher loading limit (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> As well studied and well-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, resulting in a knot which 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 the knot.

[[File: fig8_tighten.png|200px]]

[[File: fig8_goodstrand.png|200px]]

[[File: fig8_uglystrand.png|200px]]