Skip to Content

Ashley Stopper Knot

The Ashley Stopper Knot, otherwise known as the Oysterman’s Stopper Knot, is simple yet bulky stopper knot. It is easy to tie, it is strong and bulky, and has a handsome threefold symmetry when looked from the underside.

This knot creates a flat triangular shape that is thicker than most other knob knots but useful once mastered.

The Ashley Stopper Knot got its name from Clifford Ashley who developed the knot and become popular from the Ashely Book of Knots. Ashley himself called it the Oysterman’s Stopper Knot, but most people refer to this knot as the Ashely Stopper Knot these days.

The knot is an extension of the Simple Noose where the end of the rope passes through the noose’s eye.

Some also think it looks like a Figure Eight knot, but is really a better version of the figure eight with multiple parts around the stem making the Ashley a more secure stopper knot than the figure eight.

Ideas For Uses of the Ashley Stopper Knot

  • Stop A Rope From Slipping Through A Pulley
  • To stop your rope from going through an eyelet of a tarp.
  • To stop the end of a rope from fraying.

To Tie The Ashley Stopper Knot:

Ashley Knot Step 1

Create A Loop On The Working End Of Your Rope.

Ashley Knot Step 2

Create a bight just behind your loop.

Ashley Knot Step 3
Ashley Knot Step 4

Pull The bight through the underside of your loop.

Ashley Knot Step 5

Tighten the loop around the bight. You’ve created a half knot, you must tighten this to have a secure stopper.

Ashley Knot Step 6

Take your working end behind the standing end of your rope.

Ashley Knot Step 7
Ashley Knot Step 8

Pull the working end through the bight that you created earlier.

Ashley Knot Step 9

Pull the knot snug by pulling on the standing end while keeping the working end snug.

Ashley Knot Step 10

Push down on the stopper from the standing end to the working end to finish off the knot.

The Finished Ashley Knot

If tied correctly, you should see three different rims

What Is A Stopper Knot Used For

Stopper knots can be used whenever you need to stop a rope from sliding through a hole, creating a knot on a rope for climbing, or keeping the ends of a rope from fraying.