Hitches
Sheepshank
DIFFICULTY ●●○○○
The traditional way to shorten a rope without cutting it: fold the slack into an S, then trap each end of the S with a half hitch. The Man o' War variant interlocks the hitches for more security.
See it tied step-by-step ↗Why it earns its place
A piece of living history every knot student should tie once, and still handy for taking up slack mid-line or bridging a damaged section in an emergency.
Where it fails
Honesty required: it only holds while tension is constant, and modern slick rope defeats it easily. For real work, an alpine butterfly on each side of the slack is safer.
Quick facts
| Type | Shortening knot |
| Under load | Steady tension only |
| Untying | Falls open when slack |
| Best for | Tradition, emergency shortening |