Figure eight: Difference between revisions

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 has also 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 getting-stuck was 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. 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 the knot.