Cow hitch
| Cow hitch | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Names | Cow hitch, Lark's head, Lark's foot, Girth hitch, Ring hitch, Lanyard hitch, Bale Sling hitch, Baggage Tag Loop, Tag Knot, Deadeye hitch, Running eye |
| Category | Hitch |
| Origin | Ancient |
| Related | Clove hitch, Cat's paw, Bale sling hitch, Prusik, Halter hitch |
| Releasing | Non-jamming |
| Typical use | Tying a rope to a ring or pole |
| Caveat | Can fail unless equal tension is applied to both of the standing parts of the rope. |
| ABoK | #5, #56, #59, #244, #1184, #1673, #1694, #1698, #1700, #1802, #2163, #2164, #2168, #2175, #3317 |
The cow hitch is a hitch knot used to attach a rope to an object. The cow hitch comprises a pair of half-hitches tied in opposing directions, as compared to the clove hitch in which the half-hitches are tied in the same direction. It has several variations and is known under a variety of names. It can be tied either with the end of the rope or with a bight.
A simple and useful knotted structure, the cow hitch has been known since at least the first century when described by Greek physician Heraklas in a monograph on surgical knots and slings. Known under a variety of names, this knot has been used both on land and at sea. The common alternate name lark's head is attributed to Tom Bowling (pseudonym) in the 1866 work The Book of Knots which is presumed to have been adapted from a French manuscript; lark's head is a literal translation of the French name for the knot, tête d'alouette.
The underlying cow hitch structure can be formed and used in a variety of ways. These variations are differentiated by method used to form the knot and the way in which it is loaded. In particular, the knot can be formed with an end of the rope, in a closed loop or strap, or a combination of these two in which it is tied with the end and then formed into a loop by securing the free end to the standing part. Although certain names tend to be historically associated with a particular variations, real-world naming is not necessarily consistent between various users and applications.
When tied using the end of a rope, such as when securing an animal's lead to a vertical post or stake, this knot was said to be more resistant to loosening than the clove hitch as the animal wanders around the post. In general, however, this single-ended form of the cow hitch is less stable compared to the variations in which both ends are loaded.
This form is commonly known as a strap hitch or girth hitch. The latter term being common among climbers. It is the method commonly used to attach luggage tags which have a pre-tied loop of string or elastic. This form is also often used to connect loop-ended lanyards to handheld electronic equipment, since it can be tied without access to the ends of the fastening loop.
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Wikipedia