Triple Fisherman's Knot
Also known as: Triple Grapevine Knot
bend knot
Life-safety notice
TyingPoint's illustrations are for learning. For any life-safety use — climbing, rope access, rescue, or load-bearing rigging — seek qualified in-person instruction, and always inspect and test every knot before you trust your weight (or anyone else's) to it.
The double fisherman's knot is the standard, trusted bend for joining two ends of accessory cord into a closed loop for a prusik or similar friction hitch - but on genuinely thin, slick, or stiff modern cord, two wraps of overhand knot sometimes isn't quite enough friction to guarantee the knot won't slowly work loose over repeated loading cycles. The triple fisherman's knot adds one more wrap to each half specifically to address that margin, at the cost of a bulkier, harder-to-untie finished knot.
The tying method is a direct extension of the double version: instead of a double overhand knot tied by each rope around the other's standing part, a triple overhand knot is tied instead, then the two triple-wrapped knots are pulled together to interlock and jam against each other.
Climbers and canyoneers who work with particularly thin (5-6mm) accessory cord, or with especially slick modern cord materials, often default to the triple version specifically because that thinner, slicker cord is exactly where the double version's margin of safety is thinnest. On standard 7mm cord in typical conditions, the double fisherman's knot remains entirely adequate and far easier to untie afterward.
That extra wrap's cost is real: a triple fisherman's knot that's been loaded hard can be genuinely difficult to work apart afterward, sometimes requiring real effort or a marlinspike to loosen. Climbers building a permanent prusik loop that rarely needs untying accept that cost readily; those who expect to retie the loop regularly may prefer the double version's easier release, on cord thick and grippy enough to make that a safe tradeoff.
Material matters as much as diameter here: modern high-strength cords like Dyneema or Spectra blends are notoriously slick compared with traditional nylon accessory cord of the same thickness, and manufacturers of these cords often specifically recommend a triple (or even quadruple) wrap for any knot tied in them, since their low-friction surface behaves more like a much thinner traditional cord than its actual diameter would suggest.
Because the extra wrap is simple repetition of an already-familiar motion, climbers who default to tying triple fisherman's knots as a habit on all their prusik loops generally don't find it meaningfully slower in practice - the real cost shows up only later, if and when the loop needs to be untied and retied rather than replaced outright.
How to tie the Triple Fisherman's Knot
Lay the two rope ends alongside each other, pointing in opposite directions.
Strength & security
Approx. strength retained: 70-80%
Adding a third wrap to each half of the standard double fisherman's knot gives extra security specifically on slick, low-friction cordage - thin accessory cord, some coated ropes - where the double version's two wraps alone might not generate quite enough grip.
Cautions: It's genuinely harder to untie after loading than the double version, and the extra bulk can be unwelcome where the joint needs to pass through a narrow gap or device - use it specifically where the slicker cordage justifies the extra security.
Alternatives
- Double Fisherman's Knot
The standard version for most cordage; the triple adds a genuinely useful margin specifically on thinner or slicker cord where two wraps alone might not hold as reliably.
FAQ
When should I use a triple fisherman's knot instead of a double?
As a rough field test rather than just a diameter rule: tie the loop, weight it hard by hand, then watch the wraps under load for any visible creep. If they hold rock-solid, the double is fine; if you see even slight migration, that's the signal to switch to a triple rather than waiting for a real climb to expose the problem.
Is the triple fisherman's knot harder to untie than the double version?
Yes, noticeably - the extra wrap adds real security but also makes the finished knot bulkier and more resistant to being worked apart after loading.
Is a triple fisherman's knot necessary on standard climbing cord?
Usually not - on typical 7mm accessory cord in ordinary conditions, the double fisherman's knot is adequate and considerably easier to untie afterward.
Does modern high-strength cord like Dyneema need extra wraps too?
Yes, often - these cords are notoriously slicker than traditional nylon of the same diameter, and manufacturers frequently recommend a triple or even quadruple wrap since the cord behaves more like a much thinner, lower-friction material than its actual thickness suggests.