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 a Flat 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 Flat 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 Flat 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 Flat 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 Flat 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 Flat 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! What suggestions do you have?
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:
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 a Flat 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 Flat 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 Flat 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 Flat 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 Flat 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 Flat 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! What suggestions do you have?
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
- 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#
- 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/