Do knots reduce a rope's strength?

Yes. Every knot tied into a rope lowers its load-limit capacity, because the rope bends sharply where it passes through the knot. The exact loss varies with the knot, the rope and the conditions, but a working range is roughly 20% for a figure 8 on a bight up to 40% for a clove hitch. Build your safety margin on the worst case, not the best.

Which rigging knot loses the least strength?

Of the common rigging knots, the figure 8 on a bight retains the most, costing around 20% of the rope's load limit. The clove hitch costs the most, around 40%. Bowline is about 30%, double fisherman's about 35% and the alpine butterfly about 25%.

What knot is used to tie off a hauling line?

A clove hitch is the common choice for quick ties such as tying off a hauling line. If it will be left unattended, finish it with an extra half hitch so it cannot work loose over time.

Should knots be used for load-bearing rigging?

For rated, load-bearing rigging over people or equipment, engineered terminations such as rated slings, shackles and cable holders are used in place of knots, because a knot reduces the rope's capacity and adds a failure point. Knots stay useful for hauling lines, tie-offs and temporary work. Have load-bearing rigging checked by a competent person.

Rigging · Field guide Updated 22 Jun 2026

Rigging Knots & rope

Common rigging knots, and what each costs you.

Five knots worth knowing backstage - and the one rule that outranks all of them: every knot you tie hands some of the rope's rated load back. Here is which knots earn their keep, and what each one costs.

Topic: Rigging · Knots & rope
Reading: 5 minutes
Audience: Stage crew & riggers
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The short version Scannable in five seconds

01 The five

Bowline, clove hitch, alpine butterfly, figure 8 on a bight and double fisherman's - the knots that earn their keep backstage.

02 What they do

Form a loop, tie off a hauling line, join two ropes, put a loop mid-rope. Each has a job, and each has a catch.

03 The catch

Every knot lowers a rope's load limit. Reckon on 20% to 40% gone, depending on the knot.

04 When to stop

For rated picks that hold a real load, knots give way to engineered terminations. When in doubt, get it checked.

Any time a knot is tied into a rope, it reduces its load-limit capacity. The only real question is by how much - so you plan for the worst case, not the best.

01 The five worth knowing

Five knots that earn their keep.

These are the knots you will actually meet backstage, each tied for a reason. Every card below has the same three things: what the knot is for, what to watch, and the figure that matters most - roughly how much of the rope's rated load that knot quietly costs you.

01Bowline

30%load lost

A reliable loop in the end of a rope. It does not bind tight under a large load, so it frees by hand after a heavy lift. Watch-out: left slack and unloaded, a bowline can work itself loose.

A clove hitch tied around a fixed object

02Clove hitch

40%load lost

Two successive half-hitches around an object - the go-to for quick jobs like tying off a hauling line. Watch-out: if it will be left unattended, add a half hitch at the end so it cannot loosen or unravel over time.

03Alpine butterfly

25%load lost

A secure loop in the middle of a rope, the way a line of hikers clip onto one shared rope. It still comes undone without a fight even after a heavy load has come off it.

04Figure 8 on a bight

20%load lost

Puts a loop on the end of a rope, fast. It does not bind as hard as the others under heavy load, which is also why it keeps the most strength of the five.

A double fisherman's knot joining two ropes

05Double fisherman's

35%load lost

Joins two ropes into one strong line, and forms the loop for a prusik. Watch-out: under a heavy load it can lock up so tightly it is effectively welded, and a struggle to undo.

02 What a knot costs you

Every knot is a load you give back.

A rope is rated for a load, but the moment you tie a knot in it, the rope bends sharply through the knot and gives some of that capacity back. Here are the five side by side, from the knot that keeps the most strength to the one that costs the most.

Figure 8 on a bight20%

Alpine butterfly25%

Bowline30%

Double fisherman's35%

Clove hitch40%

The figures are approximate and shift with the rope, the diameter and the conditions, so build your margin on the worst case, not the best. A 2-tonne rope is not a 2-tonne rope once it is knotted. On anything that genuinely holds a load - over people, over kit, over a show - riggers leave the rope's rating intact and reach for engineered terminations instead. That is the next part of the story.

03 Where TSA fits

Knots get you through the day. We keep the rope honest.

A double fisherman's knot joining two ropes - strong, but a knot still costs the rope capacity. — A double fisherman's joins two ropes cleanly - and still hands back roughly a third of the rope's rating.

Knowing your knots is part of the craft. Knowing when a knot is not enough is the rest of it. The rope and rigging holding your show up wear out, and a frayed, sun-tired or damaged rope quietly gives back even more than the figures above.

That is the part we look after. Our service team checks your rigging and rope, flags the gear that is past it, and keeps the kit over your stage rated and documented. Book a Venue Systems Health Check and we will tell you what is still safe to trust. Damaged rope does not announce itself - it lets go at the worst moment.

Tie the knots. We will keep the rigging honest.

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Common rigging knots, and what each costs you.