Skip to content
KA

Diagram

Double Sheet Bend

Double becket bend

Join two ropes of unequal diameter. Extra turn on the thinner rope.

Bend · Beginner · Polyester / Nylon rope / Polypropylene / Natural fibre · 4 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it
Double Sheet Bend, finishedDouble Sheet Bend, finished

Finished structure

Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.

  1. Fold the thicker rope back on itself to make a bightThe thicker rope is folded back on itself into a narrow bight, and the end of the thinner rope lies close to the bight's closed end.
    1Bight in the thicker rope
    2Thinner rope's end
    Move 1 of 1Fold the thicker rope back on itself to make a bightYou should now see: A narrow bight in the thicker rope, with the thinner rope's end beside its closed end.

    Step 01

    Fold a bight in the end of the thicker rope and hold it closed, with the short tail of the bight lying beside its standing part.

    You should now see

    A narrow U in the thicker rope with both legs together, and the thin rope free and ready to feed in.

    If it goes wrong

    Making the bight in the thinner rope. Where the ropes differ a lot in size, a thin bight cannot hold the thick rope and the bend pulls apart under load.

    Fix: Let go and start over with the bight in the thicker rope. The thin rope is the one that does the wrapping.

    Why: This version is for ropes of clearly different sizes. The extra turn at step 3 gives the thin rope more grip on a bight much thicker than itself.

  2. Push the thinner rope up through the bight, with enough end for two turnsThe end of the thinner rope comes up through the bight from underneath, near its closed end, with a long end pulled through.
    1Up through the bight
    Move 1 of 1Push the thinner rope up through the bight, with enough end for two turnsYou should now see: The thinner rope rising out of the bight with a long end, enough for two turns and a tuck.

    Step 02

    Push the working end of the thinner rope up through the bight from underneath, and pull through enough to make two full turns around the bight and a tuck.

    You should now see

    The thin rope rising out of the U with a long working end free, and the bight still held closed in your other hand.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling through only enough rope for a single sheet bend. The end runs out partway through the second turn and leaves a stub too short to tuck.

    Fix: Feed more of the thin rope through the bight before wrapping, so the end is still long after two turns and the tuck.

    Why: Each turn around a thick bight uses up a lot of thin rope. Measuring the end now saves unwrapping later.

  3. Take it down over the short end, then round behind both parts of the bightThe thinner rope runs down across the front of the bight's short end, round behind both parts of the bight, and back to the front.
    1Behind both parts of the bight
    Move 1 of 3Take it down over the short end, then round behind both parts of the bight
    Tuck the end under its own standing part, where it crosses the short endThe end comes back over the standing part and is tucked under the thinner rope's own diagonal across the short end: an ordinary sheet bend so far.
    1First tuck
    Move 2 of 3Tuck the end under its own standing part, where it crosses the short end
    Go round both parts again, beside the first turn toward the closed end, and tuckA second turn lies beside the first on the side toward the bight's closed end, and its end is tucked under the thinner rope's diagonal again.
    1Second turn
    2Second tuck
    Move 3 of 3Go round both parts again, beside the first turn toward the closed end, and tuckYou should now see: Two turns side by side round the bight, both tucked under the thinner rope's own standing part, with the end next to the bight's closed end.

    Step 03

    Take the thin rope around behind both legs of the bight and under its own standing part, then go around behind both legs again and pass under its standing part a second time, beside the first on the side toward the bight's closed end.

    You should now see

    Two turns of thin rope lying side by side around the bight, both passing under the thin rope's standing part, with the end coming out between the first turn and the bight's closed end.

    If it goes wrong

    Stopping after one turn, which leaves an ordinary sheet bend. Count the turns around the bight: with only one, the thin rope can slide on a much thicker bight.

    Fix: Pull the end back out of the tuck and add the second turn around both legs of the bight before tucking again.

    Why: The second turn adds more thin rope pressed against the bight. Animated Knots gives this double turn as the version to use when rope sizes differ significantly.

  4. Pull both standing parts to dress it, with both short ends on the same sideThe finished double sheet bend: two turns of the thinner rope closed round the bight, with both short ends on the same side of the knot.
    Move 1 of 1Pull both standing parts to dress it, with both short ends on the same sideYou should now see: Both turns bedded down on the bight, and both short ends on the same side of the knot. Short ends on opposite sides slip.

    Step 04

    Pull the two standing parts apart firmly to draw the turns down, then check that both short tails come out on the same side of the knot.

    You should now see

    Turns snugged down neatly on the bight, both short tails on the same side, and each tail left long, especially on the thinner rope.

    If it goes wrong

    Tails ending on opposite sides of the knot. As with the single sheet bend, that version is less reliable, and it looks almost the same unless you check the tails.

    Fix: Untie it and wrap again, taking the thin rope behind the tail leg of the bight first so both tails finish together.

    Why: The extra turn does not change the tail check. For critical loads, Animated Knots advises leaving the ends much longer than in its animation.

Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

Sheet-bend family

Bight in the thicker rope; tails same side; extra turn if the diameters differ.

  • !Bight in the thinner rope — the join spills
  • !Tails on opposite sides (left-handed sheet bend)
  • !Only one turn on a mismatch job — that is a single sheet bend asked to do double work
Fails when
  • !Only one turn taken around a much thicker bight
  • !Bight formed in the thinner rope
  • !Tails finish on opposite sides of the knot
  • !Tails left short, especially on the thinner rope
Geometry

  • Bight in the thin rope

    Mismatch join spills

    The thick rope makes the bight · step 01

  • Only one turn

    This is a single sheet bend on a mismatch job

    The extra turn is why this hitch exists · step 03

  • Tails opposite sides

    Same slip as a left-handed sheet bend

    Tail side is the lock on both versions · step 04

If you saw this

  • Thinner rope pulls out

    Check

    • ?Two turns on the thin rope
    • ?Bight in the thick rope

    Then

    • →Retie the double
    • →Splice if this is permanent

  • Bight in the thin rope

    Check

    • ?Mismatch join spills
    • ?Inspect step 01

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Only one turn

    Check

    • ?This is a single sheet bend on a mismatch job
    • ?Inspect step 03

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Tails opposite sides

    Check

    • ?Same slip as a left-handed sheet bend
    • ?Inspect step 04

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

Not ideal for

  • ×Equal thin lines where a single sheet bend already holds
  • ×HMPE without a splice

Related knots