For some reason this amazingly useful knot has been forgotten. Like many knots, it is stronger than a square knot, but it is unique in that it can always be untied easily, even after it has been loaded heavily. In other words, it will not “jam”. It is also easy to tie and easy to verify.
Supposedly it is called the Rosendahl or “Zeppelin” knot because American airship commander Charles Rosendahl insisted on its use in mooring lines. Airships can put tremendous transient loads on those lines, so they needed strong knots that could still be untied in a hurry.
via Cool Tools – Zeppelin Knot.
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Showed a scout how to tie it this weekend at camp, he showed others, soon there were Zeppelin knots being tied all around camp, thanks!
It is hard to tell how to tie this just from this picture. Does anyone have any links to a better knot site to break this down?
Allan,
This video is not the best ever, but I like it because it uses the “6″ and “9″ method that helps me remember and tie this knot easily.
Absolutely my favorite knot to show Scouts and Scouters.
Notice that it is a “6″ over a “9″ with their tails drawn through each other. Simplicity for Cubbies and a beautiful symmetry for those of us geeky enough to notice such things.
One of my favorite knots, although I learned to tie it differently than shown above. Like most bends, it can be tied as a fixed loop.
Thanks for publicizing my favorite joining knot