A Genealogy of Climbing Hitches for Arborists Based on Association

[Knotorious]

Here is an amazing article which can help anyone understand how each friction hitch developed into another. You might recognize most of the drawings as having been done by @Brocky and it is written by David Restrepo. It is an excellent resource.

Knots Mechanics: A Genealogy of Climbing Hitches for Arborists Based on Association​

Knots Mechanics: A Genealogy of Climbing Hitches for Arborists Based on Association

The present article is an ongoing essay subjected to general public review, aiming to present the current arsenal of arborists' climbing hitches by association, serving as a praxis memorandum-vade mecum. It specifies the similarities and subtle changes between various hitches, highlighting simple re

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[Eric H-L]

In some of his videos Richard Mumford has briefly mentioned that he visualizes parts of the line within a hitch functioning in a way analogous to the spring in a purely mechanical climbing device. Have you seen anyone exploring this idea?

 

[Brocky]

I think the top wrap being able to create enough friction to get the rest of the wraps to stretch and separate, and in turn start to squeeze the rope, is comparable to the top bollard on mechanicals.

That article is a couple years old with no new additions, guess no new friction hitches have been made.

The Catalan hitch has been shown to be what I originally called the tr33climb3r, after Casey Seldens’ creation. He didn’t care at the time of the article what it was called. He has since decided to call it the Arbsession Hitch, after his company.
As a result, for some unknown reason, Mumford decided to call my Knut H Hitch the Catalan. The instructions to the HHFX show this mistake.

 

[Knotorious]

That article is a couple years old with no new additions, guess no new friction hitches have been made.

You sly, sarcastic devil! =-D

 

[Eric H-L]

I think the top wrap being able to create enough friction to get the rest of the wraps to stretch and separate, and in turn start to squeeze the rope, is comparable to the top bollard on mechanicals.

Thanks for explaining that!

 

[Marc-Antoine]

Same for the spring loaded top link in the Zizag. It relies on the friction at the very edges of the hole where the rope passes through, more precisely something like a third at the front top edge (link's floppy side) and a third at the inner edge of the underside ( near the link's hinge). When it wears, it's just these two edges becoming rounded, so they don't bite as much in the rope and can't drag up enough and deploy the other links of the chain. And the zigzag slips under load. There's an other floppy link under the top one with the same action but it's less involved.
I restored the functionality of mine by grinding a bit the top side and the underside with a dremel to get ride of most of the worn edges (not to a sharp edge tough, to avoid scrapping the rope's fibers).
Ok, I know, my post isn't hitch related, but the same principle applies and my "repair" verifies it.