Figure 9 knot ok?

Somewhere (maybe here) I read about using a "figure 9 on a bight" (wrap twice around the standing side of the rope before pulling the loop through, instead of once) in situations (eg toprope anchor), because the 9 was easier to untie than the 8 after it's been loaded. Anyone aware of any problems or drawbacks with the figure 9?

Properly called the 'Stevedore' knot. Typically used as a stopper knot on a single rope end. Don't see why it couldn't be used on a bight though.

I use figure 9's all the time when I know it will be weighted. I use it with rope, cord, and dyneema slings.

The figure 9 is very popular among cavers who fix and rappel and ascend the same rope. All that weight really cinches a normal 8 tight and the 9 really helps make life easier to untie when tearing down your setup.

Bowline on a bight seems easy to untie...

Interesting. I'd never heard of this knot. I always thought a figure 9 was a climbing move

it works absolutely fine .. cavers use it

it wonders for anchors as its easier to untie ... the downside is that it uses slightly more material than a fig8 which uses more material than an overhand ... for skinny slings (which MPers will tell you the many ways to die) it works well

its also very easy to tie ...

overhand ... twist and put it in the hole

fig 8 ... add another twist and put it in the hole

fig 9 ... again add another twist and put it in the hole

keep wrapping (figure nine, ten, eleven, so on) it to make it even easier to untie, or to use up more cordage to create a higher master point.

Additionally, you can throw a carabiner in the knot itself to make it even easier to untie. The only purpose of the carabiner in the knot is to give you a handle to work the knot loose later (don't clip into it and kill yourself). A good application is when tying knots in dyneema slings.

A figure 8 is easy to inspect. A 9 is harder but if you look at them enough you could see if it is tied right.

Rick Mix wrote:Properly called the 'Stevedore' knot. Typically used as a stopper knot on a single rope end. Don't see why it couldn't be used on a bight though.

S. Neoh wrote:http://alpineinstitute.blogspot.com/2008/11/figure-eight-follow-through.html There is some discussion whether the knot will "roll" if you cross load the loop by clipping a q-draw between the loop and a bolt, for example.

Figure-9 on a bight -
animatedknots.com/fig9loop/

For the tie-in knot, I have also heard the Figure-8 follow-thru with a Yosemite finish being referred to as a Figure-9 (most likely incorrectly).

Personally, I now almost always use a Figure-8 Follow-Through with an extra wrap as my tie-in knot.

I use it with webbing because fig 8 tends to make the bight come out at a 90-degree angle to the strand and fig 9 corrects that. Not sure about actual knot strength, but the figure 9 just looks cleaner and loads more evenly