Anchor bend (fisherman's bend)

As with the round turn and two half hitches, the double turn around the ring takes part of the load through friction. The difference: the end is not only taken around the standing part but tucked back through both turns. As soon as the rope is loaded, the round turn wraps tightly around the ring and clamps the end between rope and ring.

This trapping is why the anchor bend holds well under jerking, swinging and wet conditions. A knot held only by hitches around the standing part can slowly loosen with constant movement. With the anchor bend, the movement tends to work against slipping. The downside: what grips well is also harder to untie after a heavy load.

Look at the spot where the end goes under the round turn: it must lie under both turns, not just one. A half hitch around the standing part follows. Overall, the knot looks more compact than the round turn and two half hitches because the end lies close against the ring.

Keep the round turn loose while tying. If you tighten it too early, the end will no longer fit underneath. Only when the end is tucked through and the half hitch is in place do you dress everything and set first the round turn, then the hitch. The tail should stick out well; for long-term use, for example on a canister that hangs for a long time, you can also seize it to the standing part with thin cord.

The anchor bend is the right choice for rings, eyes and handles carrying a load that moves: a water bucket on a line, a canister, a bag swinging in the wind, or a line to a boat ring. It also holds reliably in wet rope.

If you have to untie the knot often, or the rope is already under tension, the round turn and two half hitches is more practical; the anchor bend cannot be tied under tension. And remember: how much a set-up can take does not depend on the knot alone. A thin handle or a rusty ring can fail long before the knot.

The most common mistakes: the end goes under only one turn, the final half hitch is forgotten, or the round turn is set too early. In the first case the knot hardly grips, in the second the end can work its way out. A tail that is too short is also a frequent reason why knots on swinging loads come undone after a while.

Never hang loads where they can swing over people or fall on someone if something gives way. The anchor bend is a knot for objects. Life-safety use of knots only after proper training with certified equipment.

The English name 'anchor bend' confuses many people, because in knot language a 'bend' actually means a knot that joins two ropes. The anchor bend, however, attaches a rope to an object, so it is really a hitch. Such names grew up historically; another name is 'fisherman's bend'.

A key ring, a bucket handle or a door handle is good for practising. Tie the anchor bend and the round turn and two half hitches alternately and compare them. Once you can tell the two apart at a glance, you have understood the anchor bend.