Description
The Alpine Butterfly Bend is a knot used to join the ends of two ropes of equal size.
History
While the loop form of the Alpine Butterfly has been known since at least 1914, the earliest found mention of the bend form was in 1953 by Phil D. Smith in his book 'Knots for Mountaineering' while describing the Hunter's Bend. Although the Butterfly Bend had been known to mountaineers for some time, nautical rigger Brion Toss brought the knot to a wider audience when he published it in 1975. Unaware of the earlier publication, Toss called the Butterfly Bend the Strait Bend after the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a body of water separating the state of Washington in the United States from British Columbia, Canada.
Structure
The Alpine Butterfly Bend is the analogous bend form of the Alpine Butterfly Loop and has the exact same structure as the loop form but with the loop cut.
Strength/Reliability
A properly tied butterfly bend should be as secure as the equivalent loop form. However, subtle positioning errors while tying can result in a similar looking but insecure bend knot.
Warning
Verify tying technique with a skilled instructor where knot failure could cause property damage, injury, or death.
Common Uses
- join two ropes together for climbing or hauling.
- connect two ropes when easy untying is needed later.
- join ropes of similar thickness to form a longer rope.
- tie two ropes of the same thickness together with a knot that won't jam.
- connect two ropes with a bend that is easy to untie after loading.