How to Tie the Eskimo Bowline
Usage
The Eskimo Bowline is a fixed-eye loop knot, tied so that the collar forms around the outgoing eye-leg rather than around the standing part. That single inversion is what separates it from the standard bowline. It is a capable general-utility and marine knot, and it is not a knot we recommend for climbing anchors, harnesses, or any other life-safety attachment — see When Not to Use It below.
Why Learn the Eskimo Bowline?
The collar forms around the outgoing eye-leg rather than the standing part, which is what distinguishes this knot from a standard bowline (Mark Gommers, PACI — Anti Bowlines documents the inversion and notes the anti-#1010 form can take four distinct shapes). That geometry also means its security depends almost entirely on being dressed and set properly.
It does not prevent capsizing. Under cross or ring loading — the eye pulled sideways rather than in line with the standing part — the common form of this knot can capsize into a less secure, sheet-bend-like structure and slip. Wikipedia’s Eskimo bowline entry describes exactly this behaviour, and the IGKT’s Ring loads on Bowlines discussion covers how the whole bowline family behaves once the load turns ninety degrees. In fairness to the knot, that thread also records the counter-case: a well-dressed, hard-set example resists far better than a soft-set one, and some tyers argue the anti-form reorients more favourably under ring load than the standard bowline does. The honest summary is that setting quality is the single largest variable in how this knot behaves — which is not a property you want carrying your body weight.
Common Uses
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Arborist Work:
- Useful for rigging and securing loads.
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Boating and Marine:
- Creating loops for mooring and retrieval.
When Not to Use It
- Not for climbing or rescue life-safety attachment. Tying in to a harness, or rigging an anchor, is precisely the situation where the eye gets loaded across its axis rather than in line — the loading mode this knot is worst at. Use a purpose-built tie-in knot and follow the instruction of a qualified climbing or rope-rescue instructor.
- Not where the eye may be pulled sideways or clipped to hardware that can lever it out of line.
- Not in slippery high-modulus line (HMPE/Dyneema and similar). The older “more secure in synthetics” reputation comes from the nylon and polyester era; we have found no test extending it to modern slick fibres, so we do not extend it either.
- Not without a backup if the knot will sit slack or be shaken. A stopper or a couple of half hitches in the tail is the usual remedy.
Want to see the structure before you commit to it? The Knot IQ app shows this knot in rotatable 3D alongside the loop knots we do recommend for load-bearing work.
ABOK Number
(Ashley Book of Knots)
Other Names
Type
Anchor/End Loop Knots
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Notable Features
- Distinctive Structure: The collar forms around the outgoing eye-leg, giving the set knot its three-lobed crown. Security is good in line, poor across the eye.
- Non-Jamming: Easy to untie even after heavy loading.
- Versatile: Suitable for synthetic and natural ropes alike.
Variations
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Bowline with Yosemite Finish vs. Eskimo Bowline
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Bowline with Yosemite Finish: Adds extra security to prevent slippage; ideal for climbing.
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Eskimo Bowline: Simpler, but without that added security — and it is the weaker choice wherever the eye may be cross-loaded.
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Double Bowline vs. Eskimo Bowline
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Double Bowline: Offers greater strength and security for critical applications.
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Eskimo Bowline: Easier to tie, but less suited to critical applications — the Double Bowline is the more secure of the two.
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Bowline vs. Eskimo Bowline
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standard Bowline: Easier to tie and inspect but less secure.
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Eskimo Bowline: Comparable in strength, and reported as more secure in line, but more sensitive to dressing and vulnerable to cross-load capsize.
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Similar Knots
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Double Dragon Loop vs. Eskimo Bowline
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Pros: Creates a secure loop with excellent load distribution.
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Cons: More complex to tie than the Eskimo Bowline.
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Perfection Loop vs. Eskimo Bowline
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Pros: The Perfection Loop is compact and secure; great for fishing and decorative uses.
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Cons: Fiddlier to tie and it jams — but it holds its shape under cross load better than the Eskimo Bowline does.
History
The Eskimo Bowline is believed to have originated with the Inuit people and has been commonly used in Russia, where it is known as the Cossack Knot. Arctic explorer John Ross was presented with a sled containing several of these knots on his 1818 expedition — the earliest European record of it, and good evidence it is a genuine Inuit knot (Wikipedia). The name “Eskimo” is dated, and many knotting bodies now prefer “Inuit Bowline” or “Anti-Bowline”.
Security Level
Secure when dressed and set correctly, and sensitive to dressing — those two go together. Loaded in line with the standing part it performs much like a standard bowline. Loaded across the eye it is materially worse, and in slick modern line we would not rely on it at all. Treat “properly tied” as the whole of its security, not a footnote to it.
Downsides
- Requires Attention: Requires more attention to detail when tying to ensure security.
- Harder to Inspect: Harder to visually inspect compared to simpler knots.
- Vulnerable to Cross Loading: Can capsize into a less secure form when the eye is pulled sideways.
- Dressing-Critical: A collar built around the standing part instead of the outgoing eye-leg means you have tied a standard or Cowboy bowline by habit; a nipping loop tied too small lets the returning eye-leg slip; a badly formed collar can degenerate toward a noose.
Structure
- Make an Overhand knot with the working end of the rope.
- Pass the tag end above and through the loop.
- Pass it over the bight.
- Pass it through the loop again.
- Tighten the knot securely.
FAQ
What is the Eskimo Bowline used for?
Creating a fixed eye in the end of a rope for general utility, marine and sled work. Not for climbing or rescue life-safety attachment.
How does it compare to a regular Bowline?
About the same strength, and often reported as more secure in line. But it is more sensitive to how it is dressed, and it is not more resistant to capsizing — under cross load it can capsize into a less secure form.
Is it suitable for climbing?
No — we do not recommend it for climbing anchors, harnesses, or any life-safety attachment. Harness and anchor connections are exactly where the eye gets loaded across its axis, and that is the loading mode where this knot can capsize. Use a purpose-built tie-in knot and learn it from a qualified instructor.
Can it be untied easily after being loaded?
Yes, it remains non-jamming and easier to untie than many other secure knots.
Important Notes on Safety
Before you set this knot, confirm the collar encircles the outgoing eye-leg and not the standing part — a collar on the standing part means you have drifted back into a standard bowline. Work the slack out of the collar, set it hard against the nipping loop, and check for the three-lobed crown. A soft-set example is far easier to capsize than a well-set one.
Keep it away from life-safety loads. Climbing, rescue and any application where a person’s weight is on the rope call for knots chosen and taught by a qualified instructor — not for this one. Nothing on this page is a substitute for hands-on instruction.
