In the animation below you can see how easy it is to tie this knot. It is one of the most common knots people use without thinking about, the thumb knot. It is possible to tie it with one hand using just your thumb as a guide, hence the name thumb knot. This knot is the easiest knot to tie and when pulled tight, it is probably one of the most difficult to undo.
You can try an experiment with this knot quite easily to see what happens when the knot spills. Just tie it losely around your finger and give it a pull from either end. The knot will spill into a half hitch. The half hitch is also unsafe because it will run and come undone. This is one of the reasons the thumb knot is considered unsafe. The only safe place to use this knot is in the end of a rope.

Copyright © 1994 - 2003