no more becket, reef it!!!

[XJ35S]

I think it's much easier to release than a becket. I've been using it for a couple months and have not had any slipping. Way easy to tie and it doesn't lose any distance when you tighten the knot. set it and forget it...

[jgscott987]

I think that's just a slipped half-hitch? All I could really see in the video was your right arm.

[leiavoia]

A "Reef Knot": AKA "Square Knot", AKA "tying your shoes". This is effectively a single-Slipped Square Knot.



I will play with this a bit today, but i'm wary about square knots in general when safety is involved. They do tend to shake loose.

My first inclination would be to stuff the slipped bight with another bight to prevent slipping, J-bend style. However, in this case, the slippery part is the amsteel loop which isn't going anywhere. The strap is rough and has high friction.

My other concern would be wear and tear on the loop itself.

I do like how this knot doesn't travel when you set it. With Becket and J-Bend, you have to factor in an extra hand-breadth when setting up.

[Phantom Grappler]

I wonder how your knot will work with various straps and different body weights.
Proof is in the pudding—it works for you
And that’s all that matters!

[leiavoia]

Okay, had some time to play with this a bit. Observations:

PRO: unties easier. Pulling the tail loosens the entire body of the knot, unlike the Becket which does not loosen until the slip is pulled out.

PRO: familiar to anyone who can tie their shoes.

PRO: no "travel" when setting the knot. It goes exactly where you think it will (unlike J-Bend).

PRO: ties in as little as 6" of strap (as good as Becket, and better than J-Bend).

CON: you have to feed the entire strap through the loop first (like Becket, but unlike J-Bend).

CON: slightly more prone to twisting if you ware not neat with the line (mostly cosmetic).

CON: not adjustable (true of any strap-knot setup).

TOSSUP: Abrasion seems to be as good or better than the Becket, but not as good as the J-Bend.

VERDICT: Slight improvement over existing knots, but nothing revolutionary. Consider switching if you are a Becket Hitch fan. Definitely switch if you camp in Winter.

* I'm testing this with amsteel loops and hardware-store 1" webbing.

[rweb82]

I really couldn't tell what you were doing in the video. Your arm was in the way the entire time. I'd recommend re-shooting from another angle.

That said, I just have a small loop of zing-it larks headed to the ends of my CLs. That serves as a pull loop, which makes the becket hitch extremely easy to untie.

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[BillyBob58]

I'll play around with this soon. I have mostly just been using a slippery 1/2 hitch, which has worked without problems. It might slip a tiny bit, but less than a Becket, and a bit easier to untie.

[Rouskof]

Thanks for this improvement !

[Phantom Grappler]

Clifford Ashley, author of ABOK-Ashley Book of Knots, said if a knot is changed even a small change-it is a different knot.
I would not hang on a reef knot, BUT your knot is not a reef knot—it’s reef like, but uses a continuous loop, just as becket hitch uses a continuous loop. A slipped sheet bend and a becket hitch are two different knots even though they look similar.
As more hammockers try it, we can see how it works in a variety of suspension strap materials and campers experience both pro and con.

[BillyBob58]

I'll play around with this soon. I have mostly just been using a slippery 1/2 hitch, which has worked without problems. It might slip a tiny bit, but less than a Becket, and a bit easier to untie.

OK, played with it some today on my HH, on which I have double figure 8 knots tied in the rope. Not bad at all! Certainly seems to hold without any slippage at all, and is very easy to untie, more so than most others. I will continue to experiment with this knot. Thanks for sharing!