Cowboy bowline Cowboy bowline The cowboy bowline (also left-hand bowline, Dutch marine bowline or winter bowline) is a variation of the bowline loop knot. The cowboy bowline has the working end go around the standing part on the side closer to the loop and results with the working end outside the loop. In contrast, a regular bowline has the working end finishing inside the loop. (The "rabbit" goes around the "tree" in the opposite direction from normal.) Some hearsay suggest the Dutch Navy uses (or used) this variant of the bowline because they consider it superior since the working end is not
Bowline on a bight a climbing harness by tying a regular bowline knot and then re-threading it, such as is done with a figure eight knot. However, it is "critical" to use a strong backup knot with plenty of tail beyond the knot, as the knot may untie during long climbs. The advantage of using this knot instead of the figure eight knot is that it can be easily untied after a severe fall. The bight of rope is initially used to make a bowline in the usual way (picture on right). However, the bowline is "not" completed by going on round the standing