Carrick Bend Details
Uses: The Carrick Bend (ABOK # 1439, p 263) joins two ropes together. Ashley describes it as "the bend commonly tied in hawsers and cables." It is also makes the center of the very decorative Lanyard Knot.
Structure: The knot curls up under strain and the attractive, mat-like appearance vanishes. It is important that the tails lie diagonally opposite each other; if tied incorrectly, an intermittent pull will gradually work the knot towards the tails until it is undone!
Place: Because the Carrick Bend is reliable and has the enormous advantage of being easy to undo, it probably deserves to be used more often. However, it is slightly awkward to assemble and it is easy to make a mistake: you can have both tails on the same side of the knot; or one of the crossings may be incorrect. These other versions of this knot perform far less well.
Compare: The Carrick should be compared to the Ashley Bend. They are both excellent bends composed of interlocking loops, but the Carrick remains easier to untie after a heavy load.
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