Another Great Knot: The Pipe Hitch

The pipe hitch is a variation of the Rolling Hitch. It is used when you need to tie on to a smooth pipe or pole, in a situation where the tension on the rope will be in line with the pipe. Most knots would slip along the pipe as soon as you put tension on the rope, but the pipe hitch holds fast. Very handy. Like all good knots, the pipe hitch releases easily and quickly when you’re done.

How to tie the pipe hitch

To tie the pipe hitch, take out a long working end, roll four complete coils around the pipe, cross the coils and the standing part, and finish with a clove hitch (aka double half-hitch). Watch the video to see how to tie it, and watch the knot in action as I pull my son off the ground using this knot on the pole from which he’s hanging.

Knot trivia:

1. An interesting difference between the pipe hitch and the rolling hitch: With the rolling hitch, you pull the standing part of the rope across the coils, but with the pipe hitch you pull it across the double half-hitch.
2. Because the rolling hitch is used to tie the rope to itself or to another rope, technically it’s a bend, not a hitch.
3. Why are two half-hitches called a clove hitch and not a “hitch?” I mean, two half-inches are just an inch, right?

Uses for the pipe hitch

The pipe hitch is a great way to lift long, smooth objects like pipes or poles. It is often used to lift scaffolding segments made of pipe or bamboo. Use it in any situation in which you need to tie to a pipe and where the tension on the rope will be approximately in line with the pipe.