Make a running loop with a two-turn barrel around the standing part.
Also known as Double overhand noose.
The poacher’s knot forms a sliding eye with a double-overhand barrel at its neck. The tag winds twice around the paired parts, then returns through the inside of both turns. The standing part can travel through the barrel, changing the loop’s size.
The two turns distinguish this version from a simple overhand noose. It is useful to compare the barrel here with a double overhand stopper: the added standing line is what gives this knot its running action.
When to use it
- Make a cinching loop around a suitable object.
- Learn how a barrel knot can form a running attachment.
Keep in mind
The loop tightens under pull and the barrel can jam. It is unsuitable as a fixed loop around a person or animal.
Check your knot
- There are two adjacent wraps at the loop’s neck.
- The tag returns through both wraps.
- The standing part passes through the barrel and can slide.