# [[Knot Strength]] _Created: 2025-07-28_ | #knots | [[Knots MOC]] A knot's strength percentage refers to how much of the rope's original breaking strength remains when that knot is tied. So when we see "70% strength" for a bowline, it means the rope will break at roughly 70% of its unknotted breaking strength. ## Why When we tie any knot, we create stress concentrations and sharp bends in the rope fibres. These bends cause some fibres to carry more load than others, and the tight curves can cause individual strands to fail earlier than they would in a straight pull. The bowline, being a relatively gentle knot with gradual curves, retains about 70% of the rope's strength - which is actually quite good. However a figure 8 knot is about 5-10% stronger, and therefore preferred by climbers. Other References - [Knot Strength: Structures that Make a Natural-Fiber Knot Strong or Weak](https://allaboutknots.blogspot.com/2010/11/knot-strength-structures-that-make.html) -