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The Euro-Death Knot is NOT


By Rick Momsen
Picture
The EDK, a great knot to join two ropes for rappelling...but unfortunately it has a horrible name - “The Euro-Death Knot.”
 
For climbers who are concerned about safety (and no matter how cavalier some of us are, none of us have a death wish) why on earth would we use anything with “death” in the name? The American Death Triangle has thoroughly been proven to be an anchor setup never to be used and I don’t know of any other rope/anchor/etc. setups with the name “death” in it...maybe because people died using it!!? But the EDK is actually a perfectly valid, functional, and safe knot to use. This knot does have another name that is logged in the authoritative source of knots, The Ashley Book of Knots, and it is called the Flat Overhand Bend. This name isn’t used often, perhaps because the name is just not as catchy as the Euro-Death Knot.
 
I’ll be honest, the first time I saw my partner tie an Offset Overhand Bend in our ropes to rappel I asked him if he was joking because the knot looked so puny. He offered to use the Double Fisherman's to satisfy my concerns. When I returned from that climb, though, I did a little research and learned he was correct - the Offset Overhand Bend (EDK) was indeed a perfectly safe knot to tie two ropes of the same diameter together for rappel. This was the turning point for me and this knot. Wow...no more fighting with undoing a weighted Double Fisherman's. The Offset Overhand Bend (EDK) is fast, easy, and is less likely to snag. In fact, personnel from Black Diamond and climbing guides trained by AMGA have written articles stating how the Offset Overhand Bend (EDK) is a perfectly safe knot for rappelling.
 
Before I go on I need to clarify exactly how this knot is tied. You take the ends of two ropes side by side, and tie a basic overhand knot using both rope ends. Clean the knot (as always), tighten each strand, and make sure to leave at least 12” of tails (I actually leave 18” for my own comfort).

There is another similar knot that is the Flat 8 Bend. It is the same as above except a figure 8 is tied rather than the overhand.
There is a major and deadly difference between these two knots – research shows that the Flat 8 rolls FAR EASIER than the Flat Overhand and will fail much quicker. I repeat – The Flat 8 Bend should NEVER be used to tie two ropes together for rappelling (tests show it rolls with as little as 110 lbs!). I mentioned that the Flat Overhand looked puny and I would have thought that an 8 would be better...but no...the Flat 8 will kill you. Period. End of story.
 
Except that it’s not. Some people think that the Flat 8 Bend and the Flat Overhand Bend are one and the same - they are NOT. People are preaching that the EDK kills when it doesn’t. There is this supposed controversy about this knot but the biggest problem with this knot is the misinformation associated with it.

The catalyst for this article is a Rock & Ice article published in the November 2016 issue that demonized the knot because it has a scary name. Yes...R&I’s “gear guy” advocated not using it because of the name, superstition, and other asinine justifications. What was not included in his article was any grasp of reality, much less accuracy.
 
This really got to me as any climbing publication should be considered somewhat of an authority (the climbing resumes of the staff are significant) and to perpetuate misinformation and confusion is simply irresponsible. After digging into the matter further I found another R&I article by Jeff Jackson that refers to the Flat 8 as an EDK. Infuriated, I fired off an email to the editor, features editor, and “the gear guy”. Surprisingly I got a response from the Editor in Chief Duane Raleigh. In his response, he expressed surprise that anyone would use the EDK when it has been “cited in at least 4 accidents and 3 of them fatal.” (I looked up each of these accident reports and most say they don't even know which knot was used! - go look for yourself the links are provided below. The best data we have on rap knots are the tests done by Tim Moyers - see below).

Mr. Raleigh does reference valid concerns identified in Tim Moyers research. but only one of his referenced accidents (possibly) used the Flat Overhand. In this accident they left too short a tail (6-8”) and comments were made about the knot looking weird after some “adjustments”. Basically, there is not enough information to put the blame squarely on the EDK. 

Another problem in the Rock & Ice reporting is they are the only source that uses the term EDK-8. When I explained this in my follow up response to Mr. Raleigh I was met with silence. Zero response. And it’s not just one person ranting (me) they’re ignoring, there are 100’s of comments on the article on the R&I site as well as Facebook that tell them point blank that they are using the wrong terms and confusing the issue. The lack of response after pointing out the error of their ways is very disconcerting. Again I’m left infuriated.

They are supposed to clear up confusion and educate readers! If they feel that this is not their objective or responsibility that is fine, but they should stop publishing articles that claim to be educational and stick to the turbo epic bro stories and pretty pictures. A record number of people are picking up rock climbing and many of those are venturing outside with limited knowledge and experience. The old system of mentorship is virtually gone and new-climber-knowledge is coming from questionable sources. Now,

R&I has joined that untrustworthy category which makes their advice essentially worthless.
 
Back to the Offset Overhand Bend (EDK) – it is a good knot for rappelling and it is here to stay. Even without Rock & Ice muddying up the (non-) issue, there will always be concerns with a knot called a “death” knot. Since we can’t seem to get rid of the acronym EDK, and the Offset Overhand Bend name is forgotten in about 15 seconds (although this IS the real name for it...), then let’s change what EDK means. How about the “Every Day Knot”? I don’t care – anything but Euro Death Knot! 
 
 
PS. A note on Tim Moyers’ knot testing research:
https://user.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/EDK.html
It is currently the most extensive research done on the Flat Overhand and Flat 8 using various configurations (rope diameters, rope age, knot status [dressed and tightened], and rope wetness). The tests pulled the two ends of the ropes using oppositional forces. One could argue that when rapping the knot is up against the anchors and are therefore not actually pulling in opposition, however the knot can slide away by accident or on purpose (when rapping with ropes of different lengths) and the weakest configuration should be the standard.

The worst performing Flat Overhand situation was with an 11mm dynamic tied to an 8mm static when wet. In this configuration the knot rolled 11 times and then through the end of the rope (this was at 1400 lbs; Note: this the ONLY EDK roll-through in the test). There are much better knots/bends to use when tying together ropes with significant diameter differences. The next worst was the same configuration but dry, and the next worst was with a sloppy knot...but that one still broke the rope when it reached over 1800 lbs of pressure – far exceeding what rappelling would incur.

Compare this to the tests on the flat figure-8 - it rolled with as little as 110 lbs!

PPS. It is probably safest not to use any type of figure-8 knot to join two ropes together for a rappel. This is because rappelling is often done in non-ideal, stressful, or confusing circumstances (you may be exhausted, not thinking clearly, and/or escaping a storm) and it's not the time to try to remember which version of the Figure-8 is safe and which will kill you. Instead, just use the Flat Overhand Bend/EDK or a Double Fisherman's.
 
PPPS. I cannot in good conscience write about rappelling without mentioning you should always tie knots in the end of your ropes. Many people end their climbing careers (by injury or death) by not taking this simple step.


RESOURCES:
  • How to tie the flat overhand bend/EDK: http://www.animatedknots.com/flatoverhand/index.php
  • Accident Reports:
    • June 17, 1995 - possibly flat-figure-eight to tie slings in webbing (these details of this accident are in the Tim Moyer's article, the original accident report does not state what type of knot was used) - Storm Mountain, Big Cottonwood Canyon. ANAM: http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13199606302/Fall-on-Rock-Rappel-ErrorAnchor-Knot-Failed-Utah-Wasatch-Mountains-Big-Cottonwood-Canyon#
    • 1994 - Flat-figure-eight - possibly - when you read the report they don't know. Imtiaz Lahlji fell 60 feet and died at Seneca Rocks. Reported 1995 Accidents in North American Climbing (ANAC): http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13199507102/Fall-on-Rock-Failure-of-RappelKnot-Came-Undone-No-Hard-Hat-West-Virginia-Seneca-Rocks
    • Sept. 13, 1998 - Teton accident, possibly mistied flat overhand bend/EDK Alpina Americana Journal - Accidents - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13199808000/Fall-on-Rock-Rappel-Ropes-Knot-Unraveled-Wyoming-Grand-Teton-Guides-Wall
  • Rope and Gear Testing: https://user.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/EDK.html
  • Another good article on this issue: One of These Knots Can Kill You - https://northeastalpinestart.com/2016/09/27/one-of-these-knots-can-kill-you/
  • For a full and in-depth analysis of Offset rope joining knots, technical paper at the PACI website: http://www.paci.com.au/knots.php (at #3 in the table).
 

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        • April 2021
    • Topics >
      • Adaptive Climbing >
        • Adaptive Climbing Edition
        • El Capitan: Enock Glidden
        • Quinn Brett Interview
        • My Journey to Adaptive Rock Climbing
        • Planning for Mt. Rainier: Adaptive Climbing
        • Resources - Adaptive Climbing
      • Alpine & Ice >
        • California Still Has Untouched Climbing Wilderness
        • Ice Solo
        • Mt. Ogden Spanking
        • Mt. Whitney Whipping
        • My Common Alpine Epic
        • Vertical Ice Climbing in Ontario, Canada, eh?
      • CC Profile >
        • Profile - Shawn Axelrod
        • Profile - Megan Banker
        • Profile: Wendy Bruere - More Than It Hurts
        • Profile - Favia Dubyk
        • Profile - Debbie Fowler
        • Profile - Lindsey Hamm
        • Profile - Sabine Pratt Hunziker
        • PROFILE - Marisa Michael - Nutrition for Climbers
        • Profile - Caitlin Schokker
        • Profile - Louise Shepherd
      • CoVID and Climbing >
        • COVID Climbing Memes
        • CoVID-19 Remakes Our Lives
        • Dear Memory
        • From Couch to Lifting Couches
        • How to Climb and Avoid the Corona Virus
        • Train the Mind: Mental Toughness Tips for Quaratraining
        • The 5.10 Commandments
        • Trying to Send this Route
      • Equipment (writings) >
        • Aliens!
        • A Rack Retrospective
        • Cam Ranges (+ Big Bros)
        • Carabiner Strength Ratings
        • Climbing Shoes Fit
        • Guide Book Follies
        • Rope Buying 101
        • Shit Happens – Or, Why You Need a Walkie Talkie
        • The One Item to Stockpile
        • Which Way Should I Carry My Trad Rack?
        • Why GriGris Suck
        • 8 Reasons I Carry a Full Rack on Every Trad Climb
      • Facebook Feature >
        • FF: Big Walls
        • FF: Butt Shots
        • FF: Exploring Our World
        • FF: Overcoming Boundaries
        • FF: Trees & Climbing
        • FF: Welcome New Climbers
      • Grades, Styles, & Types >
        • Bouldering-Falling
        • Bouldering Grade Advancements
        • Grading Climbs at the Gym
        • It's a F-ing Chimney
        • Onsight vs Flash vs Etc...
        • Top 10: Increase the Climbing Grade When...
        • Trad Climbing is for Chicken Sh*#s
        • WTF 5.7?
        • 18 Climber Types: Which Are You?
      • Kids >
        • Family Stages
        • The Guidebook
      • Legends >
        • B - Joe Brown
        • G - Brad Gobright
        • G - Todd Gordon
        • H - Hugh Herr
        • H - Thomas Huber - In Another World - A Personal Climbing Journey
        • J - Saxon Johns
        • M - Tim Macartney-Snape: ​A Legend from Sea to Summit
        • M - John Middendorf
      • Mental-Physical >
        • Climbing Training Series >
          • Improving Hip Mobility
          • Rock Climber Mobility
          • Train the Mind: Mental Toughness Tips for Quaratraining
        • A Climb Worth Fighting For
        • Achilles
        • Everyone Around Me Is Better Than I Am
        • Fear, Pride, and Exploration
        • How Auto-Immune Disease Affected My Climbing
        • Mastering Joy on Easy Street
        • Mind, Body, and Soul
        • My Demon Has a Name
        • New Year's Resolutions
        • Of Cartoons and Quickdraws
        • Push and Pull
        • Sorcerer and the Kidney Stone
        • Take Risks - You'll Remember Them Later
        • The Art of Climbing Without Rock
        • The Devil's Game
        • The Eye
        • The Taste of Climbing
        • 12-Weeks to Onsighting a 5.8
      • Other/Misc >
        • Assault on Schurman Rock
        • Book Club
        • Climbing, Community, and the U.S. Presidential Election
        • Climbing Drinking Games
        • Climbing Gyms: The Gateway Drug
        • Climbing Hands
        • Climbing in the Bare Essentials
        • Climbing Resolutions
        • Demented Dirtbag
        • Don't Take Granite for Granite
        • Dorothy, We Aren't on Havana Anymore
        • Guatemalan Worry Dolls Go Climbing
        • No Health Insurance Changed How I Climb
        • Snakes and Ladders
        • Starting Over
        • The Adventure of A Lifetime - So Far
        • The Bane of Northwest Climbing
        • The Pink Tricam
        • Things of Stone and Wood
        • We Were Just Boys
        • Zac the Interloper
      • Places & Climbs >
        • Climbs >
          • Consolation Prize
          • Flakes and Shakes: Flake Crack Revisited
          • From Yorkshire to Eternity
          • Tiptoeing Through Some Bungles
          • Tombstone Territory
          • Yosemite - What We Came For
        • Location Reviews
        • My Home Crag >
          • Climbing in the Upper Cumberland Valley, Kentucky
          • Drytooling in the Rain - Wayne's World, WA
          • My Home Crag: Nowra, NSW, Australia
          • The Kenyan Climber
        • Travel Stories >
          • Blue Mountains - Bliss: Climbing in the Blueys
          • Buenos Aires, Argentina Crag
          • Colorado - Calling Pat Ament
          • Coolum Cave - Sendfest 8
          • Ecuador - A Nation of Four Worlds
          • Egypt: The Sinai Sampler
          • El Potrero Chico - Riding the Dirty Dog
          • Yosemite: Growing Up
          • Lover's Leap - Zone of Craptitude
          • Rio de Janeiro - Classic Climbs Sampler
          • Taghia, Morocco - Hardly Failing
          • Tasmania - Legend of the ‘Unclimbable Cliff’
          • Thailand - Lost and Found: A Mini-Epic in Paradise
          • Vedauwoo, WY
          • Yosemite - What We Came For
          • 20 World Destinations for Adventurous Climbing
        • 2020 U.S. Rock Climbing Festivals
      • Poetry/Prose >
        • Anti-Social Climbers
        • Sojourn at Dyuritte
        • Finding Poetry
        • Ice is Nice
        • The Space Between
      • Safety and Skills >
        • Bolting and Ground-Fall Potential
        • Euro-Death Knot is NOT
        • Multi-Pitch Tips: Two ATCs
        • Sketchy Anchor Bolts
        • Sliding-X Anchor
        • Three Ways to Use a Stick Clip
        • Top 10: Climbing Best Practices
      • Science Fiction >
        • Red Curtain: Prologue
      • Social, Social Media, & Social Issues >
        • Chossy Trio Renegades
        • Climbing into the Fold
        • Diversity in Climbing is Not a Bandwagon
        • Fuck "Gumbies" and "Noobs"
        • Montana, My Home: Claire Larson
        • My Husband Climbs Stronger than Me
        • Navajo Rising
        • Social Network Rescue
  • Marketplace
    • Butora
    • Climbing Addicts Colored Chalk
    • Climb-On Maps
    • Dynamite Starfish
    • FIXEhardware
    • Furnace Industries
    • Grimpi
    • Heroclip
    • MoveWell with McGee
    • Mystery Ranch
    • Neilico
    • NW Alpine
    • Rockytalkies
    • Tension Climbing
  • Reviews
    • Books >
      • Advanced Rock Climbing Book Review
      • Adventures at the Edge of the World
      • Climbing Rock: Vertical Explorations Across North America
      • Hangdog Days Book Review
      • HOOKING UP: The Ultimate Big Wall and Aid Climbing Manual
      • Paul Preuss: Lord of the Abyss
      • The Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story - Book Review
    • Equipment/Gear Reviews >
      • Belay Device Review >
        • Edelrid Mega Jul
      • Harnesses >
        • ArcTeryx-FL-365
        • Misty Mountain Cadillac
      • Packs and Bags >
        • Sukoa Chalk Bag Review
        • Trango Crag Pack
      • Personal Anchor Systems >
        • Camp-Daisy-Twist
        • Petzl-Dual-Adjust
      • Other >
        • Dr. Piton's Review of the D4 Delta2P Portaledge
    • Location Reviews >
      • Australia >
        • Queensland, Australia >
          • Kangaroo Point Photos and Beta
          • Kangaroo Point Review
        • New South Wales Australia >
          • Blue Mountains >
            • Blue Mountains Photos and Beta
            • Blue Mountains Review
          • Nowra >
            • Nowra Review >
              • Nowra Photos and Beta
      • Mexico >
        • Potrero Chico Photos and Beta
        • Potrero Chico Review
      • United States >
        • Climbing Area Check List - U.S. >
          • Climbing Area Check List Part 1: Alabama to California
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 2: Colorado to Michigan
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 3: Minnesota to New Mexico
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 4: New York to Wyoming
        • Arizona >
          • Queen Creek Canyon
        • California >
          • Joshua Tree >
            • Joshua Tree Tips
          • Mount Whitney >
            • Mount Whitney Photos and Beta
        • Idaho >
          • City of Rocks >
            • City of Rocks Photos and Beta
            • City of Rocks Review
        • Oregon >
          • Smith Rock >
            • Smith Rock - Photos and Beta
            • Smith Rock Review
          • Spring Mountain >
            • Spring Mountain Review
            • Spring Mountain - Photos and Beta
          • Trout Creek >
            • Trout Creek Photos and Beta
            • Trout Creek Review
        • Nevada >
          • Gun Club
          • Keyhole Canyon
          • Mt. Charleston, Nevada
          • Red Rock Canyon >
            • Red Rock Canyon Review - Yeahs and Neahs
            • Red Rocks Photos and Beta
        • New Hampshire >
          • North Conway, NH
          • Rumney, NH
        • New York >
          • Gunks Review
        • Utah >
          • Echo Canyon
          • Ferguson Canyon >
            • Ferguson Canyon Photos and Beta
            • Ferguson Canyon Review
          • Ibex >
            • Ibex Photos and Beta
            • Ibex Review
          • Maple Canyon >
            • Maple Canyon, Utah Photos and Beta
            • Maple Canyon Review
          • Moab >
            • Moab - Main - Photos and Beta
            • Moab -Main - Review
          • St. George >
            • St. George - Prophesy Wall- Photos and Beta
            • St. George - Prophesy Wall - Review
        • West Virginia >
          • Seneca Rocks
        • Wyoming >
          • Ten Sleep
  • Photographers & Artists
    • A- Brook Anderson
    • B - Florian Beyer
    • C - Karen Chan
    • C - Matt Cunningham
    • D - Daga Dygas
    • F - Eric Fallecker
    • G - Max Gordon
    • J - Michelle Ranee Johnson
    • K - Christine Kuebler
    • L - Shawn Lee Illustrator
    • M - Alex Messenger
    • N - Tiffany Nardico
    • O - Charlie OlGrady-Kessner
    • O - Karmelo Onate
    • O - Camila Ospina
    • P - Diego Perez
    • S - Bryan Sillorequez
    • S - Stephen Smithburger
    • S - Matt Spohn
    • V - Laura Vallo
    • W - Joel Wilson
  • Store
    • Anthology
    • Proud to be a Common Climber T-Shirt
  • JOIN!
  • Submissions
  • About Common Climber
    • Why I Started Common Climber
    • Advisory Board
    • Welcome Dave Barnes!
  • Authors
    • B - Stephanie Bahnsen
    • B - Dave Barnes >
      • Dave Barnes Extended Bio
    • B - Austin Beck-Doss
    • B - Keith Bell
    • B - Brianna Boney
    • C - Carrot
    • C - Radek Chalupa
    • C - Lyle Closs
    • C - Erin Collins
    • C - James Crump
    • D - Stefani Dawn
    • F - Tony Ferrar
    • G - Joshua G
    • G - Leesa Gallia
    • G - Naomi Gibbs
    • G - Enock Glidden
    • G - Max Gordon (Contributor)
    • H - Grey Hensley
    • J - Jonathan
    • K- Melissa Kline
    • K - Christine Kuebler
    • M - Collin McGee
    • M - Aaron Mike
    • M - Rick Momsen
    • M - Jesse Montgomery
    • O - Maggie Odette
    • P - Emilie Pellerin
    • P - Brice Pollock
    • P - Paul Pritchard
    • R - Monique Richard
    • R - Juan Rodriguez
    • S - Lor Sabourin
    • S - Jess Sanson
    • S - Jeff Smoot
    • T- Frothy Thomson
    • T - Wil Treasure
    • T - Matt Tredway
    • W - Kirby Walke
    • W - Hugh Ward
    • W - Wayne Willoughby
    • W - Lani Wilson
    • Z - Peter Zabrok