Two-second Bowline (by Gary York)

[djlewis]

Gary asked me to upload his picture series on tying a bowline quickly...

The secret to tying this knot is to not let go of the working (bitter) end of the rope. The photos depict the preferred technique for right-handers. It is best tied with very slight tension on the non-working end of the rope (rope suspended in air and tier standing). With practice, this knot can be tied in 2 seconds.

1: Right hand (RH) grips the bitter end, while left hand (LH) suspends the rope in the air.

http://djlewis.smugmug.com/photos/101456089-S.jpg

2: RH crosses over the top of rope.

http://djlewis.smugmug.com/photos/101456135-S.jpg

3: Flex the right wrist, bringing the bitter end inside the closed loop, and forming a new loop (rabbit hole) around the wrist.

http://djlewis.smugmug.com/photos/101456188-S.jpg

4: The "rabbit" is now up through the "hole", and you have not let go of the rope.

http://djlewis.smugmug.com/photos/101456234-S.jpg

5: Circle around the "tree", and with great dexterity using thumb and first 2 fingers.

http://djlewis.smugmug.com/photos/101456302-S.jpg

6: Transfer the bitter end from behind the "tree" to front of "tree".

http://djlewis.smugmug.com/photos/101456372-S.jpg

7: Pull the bitter end through the hole.

http://djlewis.smugmug.com/photos/101456432-S.jpg

8: Finished knot

http://djlewis.smugmug.com/photos/101456503-S.jpg

[gyork]

Thank you David for putting this together. My simple brain is too challenged to construct this.

Gary

[EEL]

>

>The secret to tying this knot is to not let go of the

>working (bitter) end of the rope.

Not to disagree, but just as a comment; when using the bowline to tie into something or to use the loop around waist or other object, it is not always possible to tie a bowline as shown. Nevertheless it is a neat way to tie a bowline and good one to practice.

Ed Lawson

[gyork]

Of course you are right Ed, but even when I am working in miniature (cord to secure hatch cover or stake out a tent fly) I follow the same "route" (as pictured) that I have committed to memory when employing ropes and sheets (sailing).

Gary

[djlewis]

I learned a similar method in my youth, but not quite the same.

Instead of crossing the whole hand over the opposite side of the loop, as in figure 2, place the working end over the opposite side with the index finger. Then flip the hand to simultaneously create the "hole" and make the "rabbit" come out of it. It's the same principle, but the hand isn't inside at any point, just the index finger. After that, it's roughly the same to run the rabbit around the tree and back into the hole. As with Gary's version, that's actually the tricky part. When you get good, you can do that part with one hand.

This method was posed to me as something you could actually do quickly enough to use while falling, to make a loop around your waist with the bowline and thus save your life! Of course, you still have to have the end of a secured rope in your hands to make it work, so I always considered that to be a bit of overly dramatic motivation.

--David.

[FrankR]

Great set of photos. The Animated Knots site has a good presentation of one-handed tie:

http://www.animatedknots.com/bowlineonehand

But what about the final position of the bitter end - inside or outside the loop - any thoughts on that?

And it seems that the knot must be under tension or it can work loose. So - does anyone have other ways to make a loop short of a splice?

Any one familiar with a "Figure 8 Loop"

http://www.animatedknots.com/fig8followrescue

Frank