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(ref) The sheet bend is the standard way to join two ropes, yet the knot tends to snag things and also tends to flog loose. Enter the Zeppelin Bend. It is a very secure knot; the ends come out perpendicularly, resisting snagging, and it is fairly simple both to tie and untie. Brion Toss (The Rigger's Apprentice) gives the knot very high ratings. (ref) "We used the Rosendahl bend because of its superiority to the carrick bend, bowline, or sheet bend, all of which are more likely to jam under a heavy load. The Rosendahl distributed the load evenly throughout the knot and could always be untied in a hurry, even after a sudden surge of the Los Angeles had put tons of extra weight and stress on it." (ref) In regards to the Ashley Bend, it can sometimes become difficult to untie after serious strain. Many bends have different ways in which they can tighten. The Zeppelin Bend doesn't appear to have a mode of tightening that ever causes jamming. (Kevin @ roo_two The water knot can jam pretty badly. I've had good experience with using the Zeppelin knot for stretchy material, and I know many scuba divers have made the Zeppelin knot their first-choice knot for bungee. (Kevin @ roo_two "But I have to confess disappointment that the ongoing feature on knots didn't mention the Zeppellin Bend - the subject of a rant of mine on this forum a few months ago. I say this only half tongue-in-cheek. The fact that this knot will not slip when tied in shock cord makes it a very useful knot for divers to know." (ref) "Invented in the 1930´s by Commander Charles Rosendahl to secure the U.S. Airship Los Angeles. It resists snagging, and is fairly simple to tie and untie. It may be the best way to connect two ropes, absolutely secure and jerk-resistant in all materials, easy to untie after use (even when wet), and perfectly symmetric." (ref) "I've used the zeppelin bend for pulling cars. You make a loop through the two rings attatched to each car and tie with the bend. And what amazes people is it can be rolled out even after being put under so much strain. It also pulls itself together which helps if it is tied loosely. Tim Kerby" (ref) "According to Budworth, "This is probably the best of a whole trustworthy family of symmetrical bends comprising two interlocked overhand knots. It works even in big stiff hawsers and cables and is suitable for everything from hobbies to heavy industrial use. ... The knot does not have to be completely tightened before loading; it is secure even with daylight showing through it (fig. 4)." (The Complete Book of Knots, p.44)" (ref) "One of my favourite knots. I use it to tie leather thongs for medallions and whatnot. Has never failed in the corrosive conditions of my neck." (ref) "Use bungee for the pocket contents, your compass, and wrist-mount computer. It might be worth your while to replace the bungee on your inflator hose, too. On mine, the original knot from the manufacturer kept falling apart under stress, so I replaced it using a Zeppelin Bend (see link above). The new knot still shows no signs of slippage." (ref) "If you can remember "b over q" then you can tie a Zeppelin in less than five seconds - faster with practice. The only competition here is the Alpine Butterfly Bend, but that wastes more length, is slower to tie, and harder to remember. Other contenders are significantly less strong (Fisherman's) or waste much more rope (Double Dragon). It's arguable that the Ashley Bend is as good as the Zep, but I think the Ashley would be harder to tie in the dark." (ref) "Also, I encourage everyone to take a look at The Zeppelin bend. It's the simplest, strongest, most elegant, most useful knot I've ever seen. It'll take you fifteen seconds to learn it, and then you'll forever know the best way to tie ropes together." (ref) "Inflator hose retainer (short length of shock-cord looped under D-ring on left cheststrap to keep the hose in front). The knot tied in this loop when it left the Halcyon factory worked itself undone after three dives - they _didn't_ use a Zeppelin bend!" (ref) "Yup, it's the Zeppelin bend. Seriously, this really _is_ the only knot (ok, bend) I know that will hold in shock cord. It's true that you can tighten up a square knot to the point where it will probably hold, but you'd never be able to undo it again even with dental picks and pliers. Cinched up moderately tight, the Zeppelin will hold perfectly, but you can still untie it for another use and/or to adjust the tension in the shock cord." (ref) "After the war, I left the Navy and began sailing on merchant ships. In the past 30 years I've visited just about every deepwater port in the world. Knots are my hobby. I've read every book on knots that I could find and I've never seen the Rosendahl bend in any of them. It's as If it has been forgotten along with the airship . . . and that's a shame, because it's the most useful knot I know for tying two lines together. It's especially good for towing, mooring, or anchor lines, where a heavy strain can jam an ordinary knot and make it almost impossible to untie." (ref) "It is both strong and secure. Use it in anything from heavyweight cables and hawsers to the smallest of cords. It is perhaps the best way to connect two ropes that there is. It's absolutely secure and jerk-resistant in all materials and is perfectly symmetric. It's also remarkably easy to untie after use, even when wet." (ref)

How to make a Zeppelin bend



Just place "b over q", and then draw both ends through the gap in the centre. Couldn't be simpler. If you need another diagram to help you make it though, then go here.



In addition to its security, the most amazing thing about the Zeppelin bend is how easy it is to untie. You can literally just to pull the thing apart. Its only rivals include the Alpine Butterfly and the Ashley bend, but those don't quite reach the dizzy heights of the Zeppelin. For a humorous article, try The Zeppelin bend, or How to jailbreak with a rope made from bedsheets. at mackys journal.