offset figure-eight bend

{{short description|Dangerous knot}}

{{Infobox knot

| name=Offset figure-eight bend

| image= Doppelter Achknoten Tropfen.jpg

| names=
flat figure-eight bend{{Cite web|url=https://user.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/EDK.html|title=Pull Tests of the "Euro Death-Knot"|last=Moyer|first=Tom|date=1999-11-09|website=Rope and Gear Testing|access-date=2018-07-10}},
abnormal figure-eight bend{{Cite web|url=http://www.chockstone.org/techtips/JoinRopes.htm|title=Rock Climbing Tech Tips: Joining Two Ropes|website=Chockstone.org|access-date=2018-07-10}}

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}}

The offset figure-eight bend is a poor knot that has been implicated in the deaths of several rock climbers.{{Cite news|url=http://www.rockandice.com/climbing-accidents/rappel-knot-fails-climber-falls-to-death-on-the-goat-wall|title=Rappel Knot Fails, Climber Falls to Death on the Goat Wall|work=Rock and Ice|access-date=2018-07-10|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13199507102|journal=Accidents in North American Mountaineering|publisher=The American Alpine Club|date=1995|title=Fall on Rock, Failure of Rappel-Knot Came Undone, No Hard Hat, West Virginia, Seneca Rocks}} The knot may capsize (invert) under load, as shown in the figure, and this can happen repeatedly.{{Cite web|last=Dahlberg|first=Robin|date=|title=Cross load test of common climbing knots|url=https://vimeo.com/40767916|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-06-10|website=Vimeo|at=0:08-0:35|language=en}} Each inversion reduces the lengths of the tails. Once the tails are used up completely, the knot comes undone.

File:Inverting offset figure-eight knot.svg

More secure knots for this purpose are the Flemish bend (the "figure eight bend"), (doubled) offset overhand bend, or double fisherman's knot.