Ropework

Common Whipping

Plain whipping
DIFFICULTY ●●○○○

Tight wraps of twine around a rope's end, with both ends of the twine buried under the wraps themselves. The simplest cure for a fraying rope.

whippingrope-endfinishtwine
See it tied step-by-step ↗

Why it earns its place

Fast, slim, and traditional — unlike a back splice it adds almost no bulk, so the whipped end still runs through blocks and fairleads. Every rope owner should know it.

Where it fails

It relies purely on the tension of the wraps, so it can slide off if tied slack or too near the end. Whip at least one rope-diameter of length, and pull every turn hard.

Quick facts

TypeEnd whipping
MaterialWaxed twine
Length≥1 rope diameter
Best forSlim fray-proof ends

Related knots