Usage
A useful general-purpose slide and-grip loop, the Tarbuck Knot is a friction hitch, which may easily be shifted up and down the rope while slack — yet under load the knot holds tight! The knot is versatile and can be used in a myriad of ways but is often used for adjusting tent lines, hammocks, and tarps in a camp setting. Like the Adjustable Grip Hitch, the Tarbuck can be used in place of the Taut Line Hitch Though originally devised as a climbing knot, it is not safe to use with modern climbing ropes.
Warning
Verify tying technique with a skilled instructor where knot failure could cause property damage, injury, or death.
History
The Tarbuck knot, named for its inventor, Kenneth Tarbuck, was devised in the early 1950's as a climbing knot that would lock under load yet was easy to slide when the load was removed. The Tarbuck was primarily used with stranded nylon ropes before the advent of kernmantle ropes that made the knot unnecessary and unsafe for climbing applications.
Strength/Reliability
Though originally devised as a climbing knot, it is not safe to use with modern kernmantle climbing ropes and could cause the rope to fail.
