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Stopper Knot (Ashley Stopper Knot)

Also known as the Oysterman’s stopper, the Ashley stopper knot is of an excellent bulky nature that allows it to serve the purpose of a stopper knot, that is, to prevent the end of a rope from unraveling, passing back through a hole, device or block and slipping through another knot. It is a three-lobed structure that looks quite symmetrical when viewed from the underside. It is so named as it was developed by American knot expert and author, Clifford Ashley in 1910 approximately when he tried to duplicate a knot he saw on a local oyster fishing fleet boat.

How to Tie a Stopper Knot

Advantages	Disadvantages
Simple Well-balanced trefoil-face Secure (it is far less prone to shake loose than the more popular figure 8 knot) Bulkiest of the simple stopper knots Offers greater resistance when pulled through an opening than other common stopper knots	Easy to get it wrong. The tightening process should be done in sequence as shown in the above diagram.