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Diagram

Figure-8 Loop

Figure eight on a bight · Flemish loop

A fixed loop tied in a bight of rope, for a loop that can be dropped over a post and checked by tracing the two strands through the knot.

Loop · Beginner · Polyester / Nylon rope / Polypropylene / Natural fibre / Dyneema / HMPE · 4 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it
Figure-8 Loop, finishedFigure-8 Loop, finished

Finished structure

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

  1. Double the rope into a bight long enough for the eye you wantThe rope is doubled into a long bight, its two parts lying side by side and the closed end hanging down.
    Move 1 of 1Double the rope into a bight long enough for the eye you wantYou should now see: A long bight hanging down, its two parts side by side, with plenty of length below for the eye.

    Step 01

    Fold the rope back on itself into a bight long enough for the eye you want plus the knot, and hold the two strands together side by side.

    You should now see

    A doubled length of rope with the two strands lying flat together and the closed end of the bight well past where the knot will sit.

    If it goes wrong

    Starting with a bight that is too short. The eight takes up more of the doubled rope than it seems to, and the eye comes out too small for the post or clip.

    Fix: Untie it and start again with a longer bight. Changing the eye size is hard once the knot has been set.

    Why: The eight uses a good length of doubled rope, so the final eye size is mostly decided by where you start the knot.

  2. Lay the doubled rope over itself to make a small loopThe doubled rope is laid over itself to make a small loop, with the bight end hanging down past it.
    Move 1 of 3Lay the doubled rope over itself to make a small loop
    Take the bight round the outside of the loop and behind both parts above itThe bight goes down round the outside of the loop and up behind the doubled standing part above it.
    Move 2 of 3Take the bight round the outside of the loop and behind both parts above it
    Bring the bight down through the loop from the front to make the eyeThe bight comes down through the small loop from the front, completing a figure-eight in the doubled rope with the eye hanging below.
    Move 3 of 3Bring the bight down through the loop from the front to make the eyeYou should now see: A loose figure-eight in the doubled rope, with the bight hanging below it as the eye.

    Step 02

    Treat the doubled rope as one strand: lay the bight over the standing strands to form a loop, take it under and around them, then pass it down through the loop.

    You should now see

    A loose figure-eight in the doubled rope, with the bight sticking out as the eye and the two strands following each other through every curve.

    If it goes wrong

    Letting the strands twist or cross as you tie. Somewhere in the eight one strand jumps over its partner, and the knot will not dress into a flat, even shape.

    Fix: Loosen the eight and untwist the strands so they lie side by side. If you cannot find the crossing, untie it and tie the eight again.

    Why: Tied on a bight, this is the same figure-eight as a stopper knot, made with two strands at once. The strands need to stay paired the whole way for the knot to dress properly.

  3. Dress the knot so the two eights lie side by side, and set the eye's sizeDressed and tightened, the doubled figure-eight is compact, its strands lying side by side, with the eye below.
    Move 1 of 1Dress the knot so the two eights lie side by side, and set the eye's sizeYou should now see: Two eights lying side by side through the whole knot, and an eye the size you meant.

    Step 03

    Before loading it, work each curve of the eight so both strands lie parallel, and feed slack through the knot until the eye is the size you want.

    You should now see

    A symmetrical eight with the strands parallel through each curve and the eye at the size you need.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling the knot tight before dressing it. The strands lock wherever they happened to fall, and any twist and the eye size are fixed in place.

    Fix: If it is only snug, loosen it and dress it again. A loop that has taken a hard load may not open, so tie a new one rather than forcing it.

    Why: Animated Knots advises dressing so the outer turns are brought in snug against the strands they enclose. Then pull on each strand and load the eye against the standing part to set it.

  4. Inspect both strands: they run side by side and never crossThe finished figure-8 loop: a compact doubled figure-eight with its strands side by side and a fixed eye below.
    Move 1 of 1Inspect both strands: they run side by side and never crossYou should now see: Every pair of strands side by side through the whole knot. A crossed eight is a different, weaker knot: retie it.

    Step 04

    Trace both strands through the knot from the eye to the ends, then load the eye and watch the knot draw up.

    You should now see

    Two strands side by side at every part of the eight, and a knot that tightens neatly into a compact shape when the eye takes load.

    If it goes wrong

    Choosing this loop for a line you will need to untie after it has taken a hard jerk. After heavy loading it can jam, and you find out when it will not loosen.

    Fix: Loosen a jammed knot by bending it back and forth. Where a loop has to be untied after heavy loads, use a knot that releases more easily, such as a bowline.

    Why: Tracing the strands catches a crossed eight before it goes into use. Animated Knots gives the same check for the follow-through version: two strands beside each other at each part of the knot.

Failure modes

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

Figure-eight loop family

Nested eights in a bight — inspectable, stable, and they jam after a snatch.

  • !Crossed eight that will not dress
  • !Eye eaten by the eight because the loop was sized after the set
  • !Expected to untie after a hard snatch
Fails when
  • !Heavily loaded, after which it can jam and be hard to untie
  • !Loaded before dressing, with the strands twisted or crossed
  • !Outer turns left loose instead of snug against the strands they enclose
Geometry

  • Crossed eight

    Weaker, hard to inspect, may not dress

    Both strands must nest through the same eight · step 02

  • Eye eaten by the eight

    Loop smaller than the post or too small to use

    Eye size is decided in the bight before the eight · step 01

  • Expected to untie after a snatch

    Jammed eight, knife job

    This eye trades release for stability · step 04

If you saw this

  • Loop distorts or the eight will not dress

    Check

    • ?Nested eights
    • ?Both strands parallel

    Then

    • →Untie and retie a clean eight

  • Crossed eight

    Check

    • ?Weaker, hard to inspect, may not dress
    • ?Inspect step 02

    Then

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

  • Eye eaten by the eight

    Check

    • ?Loop smaller than the post or too small to use
    • ?Inspect step 01

    Then

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

  • Expected to untie after a snatch

    Check

    • ?Jammed eight, knife job
    • ?Inspect step 04

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
This failed — start Diagnose

Not ideal for

  • ×A loop you must untie after a hard snatch (it can jam)
  • ×Fairlead-critical running rigging

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