How to Tie the Back Splice
A back splice and a whipping do the same job — stopping a rope's end from unlaying — but they get there in opposite ways. A whipping wraps the end in twine: slim, reversible, and gone the moment the twine is cut or lost. A back splice uses the rope's own three strands, crowned and tucked back into themselves: permanent, bulkier, and needs no separate material at all. If you want the low-profile route, tie the whipping instead — this article covers the splice.
ABOK Number
(Ashley Book of Knots)
Other Names
Category
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Why Learn the Back Splice?
It is a rope-end finish, not a load-bearing splice — you tie it to keep a laid rope's end from unlaying, permanently, using only the rope's own three strands. Bear Essentials' rule: nothing is nipped and nothing is under tension in a back splice — it is mechanical interlock, closer to weaving than to knotting, which is why it holds with zero pull on it and cannot work loose the way a whipping can.
Common Uses
- Natural-fiber rope ends: the traditional, recommended use — manila, sisal, and hemp all take the tucks cleanly.
- Nylon and polyester (caution): the tucks bite less on slick synthetic fiber, and on rope of this construction a heat-fused end has largely replaced it.
- Not recommended on polypropylene, on webbing/tape, or on braided line — the technique needs three separate twisted strands to unlay and tuck.
Notable Features
- Uses no extra material: unlike a whipping, it needs no twine, tape, or tools — just the rope's own strand ends.
- Bulky: the finished end runs roughly double the rope's working diameter, per Animated Knots, and for that reason it will not pass through a block or pulley.
- Permanent: there is no quick-release version — undoing it means unpicking every tuck strand by strand, or cutting the end off.
How to Tie the Back Splice
Bear Essentials teaches Ashley's "common way" (ABOK #2813) — the standard method. Two other family variants exist (the snugger crown-left/tuck-right "preferred sailor's way," ABOK #2817, and a no-crown version, ABOK #2815); we name them here rather than teach them, since one method done well beats three done thin.
Step 1
Unlay the rope's three strands back a few inches from the end and seize the standing part with a temporary whipping so it can't unlay further while you work.
Step 2
Crown the three loose strands right-handed — cross them over one another at the very end of the rope, the same first move that starts a whipping's opposite number, the Scout Pioneering back-splice demonstration walks through step by step.
Step 3
Tuck each strand back into the standing rope over-one-under-one, the same weave used in a Short Splice. Work all three strands in the same round before starting the next.
Step 4
Repeat the over-one-under-one tuck for two more rounds (three rounds total). Optionally taper the last tuck by shaving down part of each strand first, for a neater finish. Remove the temporary seizing once the tucks are snug.
Pro Tip: three rounds is enough because a back splice never carries load — there's nothing to work it loose. If you want to see the crown-and-tuck sequence rotate in 3D before trying it on real rope, the Knot IQ app lets you spin the model and count the tucks from any angle. Practice the sequence a few times on scrap cordage from a Knot Tying Kit before committing to rope that matters, and pair it with the Knot IQ Companion Kit if you're building out a full splicing and knot-tying practice set.
When Not to Use It
Never rely on a back splice as load-bearing — it is explicitly a non-load-bearing rope-end finish, not a structural splice, per both Animated Knots and industry rigging guidance. If a rope end has to take a pull, that's an Eye Splice's job instead.
Myths
"Splices retain about 95% of rope strength" is true — but that figure describes load-bearing splices like the Eye, Short, and Long Splice, not the Back Splice, which carries no load at all and has no breaking-strength rating to protect. And while Ashley treats "Crown Splice" as a direct synonym for the Back Splice, don't confuse it with the different, decorative Back-Spliced Wall and Crown (ABOK #892).
Similar Knots
Eye Splice vs. Back Splice
- Different jobs: the Eye Splice is a load-bearing loop that keeps roughly 80% of the rope's strength; the Back Splice seals a raw end and carries no load whatsoever. The Bear Essentials Eye Splice guide is in the works — check back for the link.
Common Whipping vs. Back Splice
- Advantage (Whipping): slimmer profile, and it passes through blocks, pulleys, and hardware where a back splice can't.
- Advantage (Back Splice): needs no twine or tools, and it won't come apart if the whipping twine is ever lost or cut.
History
Hasluck's 1907 Knotting and Splicing Ropes and Cordage documents the crown-and-tuck end finish (grouped with the era's "masons' whipping" material), and Verrill's 1917 Knots, Splices and Rope Work covers the equivalent "Single Crown Tucked" technique. Ashley's 1944 Ashley Book of Knots (ABOK) catalogues the full seven-variant "Dog Pointing" family under #2813–2819, and the BSA Pioneering Merit Badge pamphlet later codified a six-step scouting version of the same method — see the Wikipedia rope-splicing overview for how it fits alongside the Eye and Short Splice.
FAQ
Can a Back Splice carry a load?
No — it's explicitly a non-load-bearing rope-end finish. Use an Eye Splice, Short Splice, or Long Splice for load-bearing needs.
Is a Back Splice permanent?
Effectively yes — it cannot be undone without unpicking the splice.
What's the ABOK number for the Back Splice?
#2813 (the "common way," Ashley's index name "Dog Pointing"), part of a family spanning #2813–2819.
Important Notes on Safety
Treat a back splice strictly as a finished-end cosmetic and anti-fray measure — never as part of a rigging chain, tie-down, or anything meant to hold a load. If the job needs strength, splice an Eye Splice or Short Splice instead.
