^^ do realize the rope I am testing is dyneema "Single braid" - pure dyneema - that is there is no polyester cover.
I an GLAD we can test our bends in such clear, pure one-material rope - because this shows the characteristics of the knot
per se, as a shape made of some material, and not as a
knotted material ! When we will find a knot that does not slip, then we can consider the same knot tied on a less slippery material, or with a cover of a different material, etc. If we do not study the knots when tied on slippery materials, but only the knots when tied on ropes covered with
Velcro, or immersed in
glue, we would nt learn much about the geometry of the knots themselves, would we ? To test the bends I was tying, I often used some amount of oil or another lubricant, because this can reveal the weakness of a bend which can otherwise remain hidden. I do not doubt that the industry will find a not-so-pure way to conceal the weakness of the knots tied on such materials - but I, for one, I will never use a bend that depends on a cover which could possibly be detached at any time under a fraction of the force required to break or even to slip..
I have a theory, which can/will be tested some time, I guess/hope. If a knot slips more than another, when it is tied on a most slippery material, it will still slip more than the other, when it will be tied on a less slippery material. I believe that the main property that makes a knot slip is its 3D shape - ceteris paribus, it is the geometrical shape of a knot that mostly determines its knotting properties, so, the same knots tied on two different materials will retain the same
hierarchy, regarding their ability to hold, on both of them. It is a theory, that should be, and it is, falsifiable, of course ! Hic Rhodus hic saltus !