From time to time, I get philosophical questions about rope and rope topics. For example, these questions about Column Ties:
- If it is one cuff/compartment of rope, but it contains two columns (e.g. how we often start a Box Tie with a Somerville Bowline around two wrist) is it still a Single Column Tie?
- Is there such a thing as a 3- or 4-column tie?
This is how I think about this: What makes it an 1-2-3-column tie is the number of individual cuffs or compartments that the tie has, not how many things are inside each individual compartment or cuff.
Single Column Ties
An unambiguous example: a Somerville Bowline tied around a single wrist. Clearly a Single Column Tie.
If you tie that exact same thing – using the same technique and same structure – with the only difference being that it happens to go around two items. By the very fact that you tied the same thing, it is the same thing … it just happens to be around more than one column.
Sometimes people get inexplicably tense about this point, so let me give you an example going the other way: If I were to tie a Somerville Bowline around nothing, just creating a cuff of rope using that technique, and then sat that cuff on the table and asked you what it was, you would tell me it was a Somerville Bowline. And if I asked you to describe it further, tell me the kind of thing it was, you might then tell me it is a popular Single Column Tie, or perhaps even that it was a forward-tension Single Column Tie. The fact that it was not currently containing anything but air would not then make it into a 0-Column Tie. 😉
Double Column Ties
To make it a multi-column tie, you change its structure so that there are multiple compartment or cuff.
Multi-column ties are often just Single Column Ties with a cinch added to separate the columns. For example, the band/strap of the Lark’s Head Double Column is formed the same way as the Lark’s Head Single Column. The only difference is in what comes afterwards. With the LHSC you just lock it off using a Half Hitch. With the LHDC you first add a cinch, creating two compartments, then lock it off using a Square Knot.
That added cinch adds compartmentalization. Each wrist (in this example) is in its own compartment or cuff.
If that structure doesn’t change, the tie is still a Double Column Tie, no matter what it is applied to and how many columns happen to be in each compartment.
Picture two people, both tied in a Fisherman’s harness. They are placed back-to-back and tied together using a Lark’s Head Double Column that runs around both of their bound bodies at chest level. I don’t yet have a picture of this, but I will take one when I get the chance. But until then use this to picture it:
The tie binding them together contains three columns inside each compartment: A chest and two arms for each person. That doesn’t make this tie a 6-column tie. It is still just a Double Column; it still only has two compartments.
Triple Column Ties
You can certainly extend this idea, adding more than one cinch to create more than one compartment, thus going from a Double- to a Triple-Column. In fact, we already routinely do this! You can see examples in the Penguin Pinion or Gote Shibari Box Tie.
Both arms are held to the body by a single strap of rope, but then cinches are added to each side so that each arm is in its own cuff … forming a Triple Column.
Another example is the Doggy Style Harness where a band is run around the waist and both thighs, then cinches are added so that each is in its own compartment.
Four+ Column Ties
You could even extend this idea further, adding more cinches to create more compartments, but things tend to get a lot less stable after three, so this is not commonly done. It is more common to use a series of Double Columns in cases like this, as they are more stable.
For example, if a person is flexible enough, you could try to tie them so that their ankles and wrists are all tied together in a row or in a square. But what riggers will more often do in such cases is tie each wrist to the ankle using a Double Column on its respective side, then tie the ankles together with an additional Double Column. This tends to be more stable.
That said, philosophically, you can absolutely push this envelope if you wish!