Usage
The Lariat Loop, also known as the Honda Knot, is commonly used by cowboys to make a lariat for lassoing cattle and horses. Its round shape, especially when tied in stiff rope, allows it to slide freely along the rope it encircles. The working end, fed through an Overhand Knot, can be seized or knotted to prevent it from working loose. A lariat is formed by feeding the main rope back through the Lariat Loop. Popular in ranching and rodeo work for catching livestock, this knot enables the loop to be quickly thrown and tightened around an animal. Secure yet easy to adjust, it is versatile for various situations requiring a tightening loop.
History
The Honda Knot and Lariat are referenced several times by Clifford Ashley in the Ashley Book of Knots (ABOK). He suggests that the knot was used by indigenous peoples across several continents and notes that Mexican and American cowboys adopted it for their lariats, referring to it as the Honda Knot.
Also known as
- Honda Knot
- Bowstring Knot
ABOK
Structure
Lariat Loop is created by tying a small overhand knot on the standing part of the rope and then passing a bight through the overhand loop, forming a larger loop that can tighten when pulled. The Lariat itself is considered to be a running knot.
