Klemheist knot
self-locking knot used in climbing and mountaineering, made with a sling or cord around a rope and locks under load in one direction only
The klemheist knot or French Machard knot is a type of friction hitch that grips the rope when weight is applied, and is free to move when the weight is released. It is used similarly to a Prusik knot or the Bachmann knot to ascend or descend a climbing rope. One advantage is that webbing can be used as an alternative to cord. The Klemheist is easier to slide up than a Prusik. The klemheist is also a way to attach a snubber to the anchor rope of small boats, with the advantage that it is easy to undo.
Sometimes the knot name is misspelled as "kleimheist", with an extra "i".
Technique
Make a secure loop of a cord (see Double fisherman's knot) that is definitely narrower than the rope. Wrap from one end around the rope two or three times in a direction that will be down. The number of turns depends on the material and the desired friction. The loose end is then threaded through the starting end, and carefully tightened to leave the wraps neat.
The public source identifies “Klemheist knot” as self-locking knot used in climbing and mountaineering, made with a sling or cord around a rope and locks under load in one direction only. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Klemheist, knot and self-locking.
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This entry incorporates text from “Klemheist knot” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.