In Budworth's book, Compete Book of Knots, he refers to the midshipman's hitch as an adjustable loop for moorings, guy-lines, etc., and he refers to the Tarbuck knot as a general purpose slide-and-grip loop that can be used to tension guy-lines, clotheslines, etc.
They both seem to me to be general purpose slide-and-grip loops. Is the Tarbuck superior to the midshipman's hitch? It seems to have more holding power. If so, when would one use the midshipman's hitch?
Friction hitches are sometimes tricky things to get to work, and they can
be sensitive to various cordage characteristics (frictive/smooth, stiff/flexible,
like-dia./diff.-diameter, twisted/braided) and loading rates (sudden/slow,
high/low). I recall tying a Hedden in polyester (lubricated) cable-hauling
tape (1/2", solid, thin, very flexible) and standing on it tied around 1/4"
(or was it 11mm?) rope, and thereafter being UNable to get it to hold!? Huh???!
NB: That book has the
Icicle Hitch WRONGly loaded -- one loaded the OTHER
end from what is shown. (Arborists have used the variant loading of BOTH
ends, btw.)
ALSO, next page to query, pp.68-9, the
Reever Bend is what is shown but
with the purple (left side) rope loaded on the tail -- so, symmetric loading. FYI
FURTHERMORE, on p.73,
forget this treacherous "Highwayman's Hitch"-- this is even a worse version of the not-so-good original. Rather, do this:
after Fig.1, bring left end up AROUND the first-placed bight (not through it),
working left-to-right (i.e., both ends will then lie on right side);
then as in Fig.2 take the tail in a bight and put it through its first-made
bight (crossing over and so locking in the S.Part). THIS hitch is much
safer, though still should be used with close attention to circumstance,
where wide diameter objects relative to rope size and flexible cordage
or great load can press towards capsizing if not set well snug.
- - - - - - - - -
To answer your question, the
Midshipman's Hitch (which has absorbed some
other names, too -- "Rolling Hitch", e.g.) is MUCH faster to tie -- one just
throws in half-hitch turns, jamming the 2nd into the first, then going past
these to finish the knot (or repeat the jamming step (YMMV)); one can put
in an Overhand stopper in the end to prevent loosening/untying.
AND --importantly-- this tying can be done with the line under tension,
each tying step pretty independent of the prior ones.
The
Tarbuck, nevermind its raison d'etre of being some shock-absorbing
hitch, has a more stable finish, obviating the need above for the stopper.
As presented in the book, the T. also has an extra turn. Frankly, I think
I prefer (and think that rockclimber Rob Chisnall also prefers) the finish
to go the other way around the object rope -- making a Cow- vs Clove-like
relation. (Hmmm, maybe this isn't all so secure as I thought?)
OH, note that the book is contradictory re the position of the tail: in
Fig.3 it is shown passing above the S.Part, in Fig.4, below -- and in
this latter case seems better secured by the loading.
I'm now intrigued by the Cow-oriented finish with the tail being
tucked
down through the initial turn of the S.Part -- much as
is the tail in Blake's Hitch (ProhGrip) : makes for a very secure
finish; not sure of effects on grip or grip-&-release-&-regrip.
--dl*
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