EStar Stopper
E-Star stopper · Dyneema stopper
A stopper knot for slippery rope such as Dyneema. In Evans Starzinger's tests it was the only stopper that did not slip in Dyneema, and it cannot be untied after heavy loading.
Finished structure
Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.
Move 1 of 1Bring the working end around in a wide loop beside the standing partYou should now see: A wide loop, with the working end lying beside the standing part and not crossing it. Step 01
Wrap the tail around the standing part and on around itself, then around the standing part again and under itself to form a buntline hitch. Keep it loose.
You should now seeA loose buntline hitch on the standing part, the tail coming out from under its last wrap, and two open loops made by the wraps.
If it goes wrongWrapping only around the standing part and not around the tail itself. There is then no buntline hitch to pass the tail through in the next step.
Fix: Undo the wraps and start again: around the standing part, around the tail, around the standing part again, then under.
Why: The buntline holds the tail and the standing part against each other. The harder the pull, the more tightly the two are forced together.
Move 1 of 2Make one loose turn around the standing part Move 2 of 2Add the inside turn to finish a loose buntlineYou should now see: Two open turns, the second one above the first: a loose buntline on the standing part. Step 02
Pass the tail back through the buntline hitch you have just formed.
You should now seeThe tail running through the buntline hitch, with the two loops from the first wraps still open beside it.
If it goes wrongTying a figure-8 and calling it an EStar. A figure-8 has no buntline hitch, so there is nothing for the tail to pass through at this step.
Fix: Untie it and start again from the wraps in step 1.
Why: Evans Starzinger described this knot after testing several stoppers, and it was the only one of them that did not slip in Dyneema.
Move 1 of 1Pass the tail back up through both loopsYou should now see: The tail comes out above the hitch after one pass through both loops. Step 03
Carry the tail across the knot and through both of the loops made by the first wraps.
You should now seeThe tail crossing the body of the knot and coming out through both loops, held by wraps on each side.
If it goes wrongThreading the tail through only one loop. The body stays soft and can be worked open with your fingers.
Fix: Back the tail out and pass it through both loops.
Why: Those two loops grip the tail the way an EStar hitch grips, while the buntline presses the tail and the standing part together.
Move 1 of 1Cross the tail over and pass it down through both loopsYou should now see: The tail leaves below the hitch. Each loop now holds two passes of the tail. Step 04
Tighten in order: pull the buntline snug, then the standing part, and last the tail. Check the finished knot against the opening it has to stop at.
You should now seeA compact, slightly lopsided knot that stays firm when you squeeze it, does not move under a hard pull and will not fit through the opening.
If it goes wrongSkipping the tightening order, so the buntline stays loose and the knot feels soft when squeezed. A soft knot can pull through the opening. Using it to join two ropes is also outside its job.
Fix: Loosen it and tighten again in order. If it still fits the opening, it is too small for that fitting. To join two HMPE ropes, splice them.
Why: Expect to cut it off later. Animated Knots notes it cannot be untied after heavy loading.
When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.
Bulk at the tail, larger than the opening — not a join.
- !Body smaller than the block or fairlead after dress
- !Asked to join two ropes
- !Figure-8 used in HMPE where Estar extra turns were the stopper, or Ashley left as a two-lobe overhand
- !The buntline was not tightened first, so the knot stays soft and can pull through the opening
- !The tail goes through only one loop, leaving a body that can be worked open
- !The finished knot is small enough to fit through the opening it has to stop at
Tied as a figure-8 and called Estar
Walks through the block in Dyneema
The extra tucks are why this stopper exists · step 02
Loose or undersized body
Pulls through the opening
Size after dress is the job · step 04
Asked to join two ropes
A stopper is not a bend, and HMPE joins are splices
Splice if you needed a join · step 04
Stopper walks through the block in Dyneema
Check
- ?Extra tucks present
- ?Compact body larger than the opening
Then
- →Retie the Estar path
- →Splice if you needed a join
Tied as a figure-8 and called Estar
Check
- ?Walks through the block in Dyneema
- ?Inspect step 02
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Loose or undersized body
Check
- ?Pulls through the opening
- ?Inspect step 04
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Asked to join two ropes
Check
- ?A stopper is not a bend, and HMPE joins are splices
- ?Inspect step 04
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.
Why this knot
What it earns its place with, what it costs, and what to reach for instead.
- A join in HMPE (splice)
- A throwing weight (heaving line knot)
- Polyester that only needs a figure-8
- Tying a figure-8 and calling it an EStar
- Wrapping only around the standing part and not around the tail, so no buntline hitch forms
- Threading the tail through only one of the two loops
- Tightening out of order, which leaves the buntline loose and the knot soft
- Ashley StopperIntermediate
A bulky stopper in the end of a line, for an opening such as a block, fairlead or hole that is too large for a figure-eight
- Figure-8 StopperBeginner
Stopper in the end so the rope cannot pull through a block or fairlead