Double Simon (Over)

The Double Simon Over is a bend used to join two ropes together, providing greater security than the single-wrap Simple Simon variants. The doubled structure makes it particularly effective with slippery synthetic ropes and when joining ropes of significantly different diameters.

This knot offers a good balance between security and ease of tying. It is more secure than both the Simple Simon Over and Simple Simon Under, though not quite as secure as the Double Simon Under.

The Simple Simon bends were invented by Dr. Harry Asher, a retired research scientist and prominent member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. They were published in his 1989 book The Alternative Knot Book. Asher developed the Simple Simon knots as an improvement on the Sheet Bend, seeking a bend that would be more secure with slippery synthetic ropes while remaining simple to tie.

Asher described his approach: 'When I had decided that the way to try for new bends was to think of the two halves separately, and then decide how to put them together. There seemed to be no better way than to start with the two halves that make up the famous Sheet Bend... an open loop and a single hitch.'

The Simple Simon family includes four main variants of increasing security: Simple Simon Over, Simple Simon Under, Double Simon Over, and Double Simon Under. Dick Clements later developed the Symmetric Simple Simon (SSS), published in Knotting Matters in 2006.

The Double Simon Over is tied like the Simple Simon Over but with an additional wrap around the bight before the final tuck. Form a bight in one rope, pass the working end of the second rope up through the bight, wrap it around both legs of the bight twice (rather than once), and then pass it back through the bight parallel to where it entered. As the working end crosses back over itself to complete the knot, it passes OVER its own standing part.

The extra wrap around the bight provides additional friction and bulk, significantly increasing the knot's holding power compared to the single-wrap versions. As with all Simple Simon variants, the two running ends should emerge on the same side of the knot.

The Double Simon Over provides substantially more security than the single-wrap Simple Simon variants due to the additional friction from the second wrap around the bight. It is well suited for joining ropes of different diameters and performs reliably with slippery synthetic materials.

While more secure than the Simple Simon Under, it is not quite as secure as the Double Simon Under. For the most demanding applications with very slippery cordage, the Double Simon Under is the preferred choice from this family of bends.