Consider the following number when employing the various knots within your rigging systems.

Knots, Bend or Hitch	Strength in pounds	% Loss in strength
Double Fisherman’s Knot	8,440	21%
Figure 8 Bend	8,640	19%
Figure 8 Loop	8,560	20%
Double Figure 8 Loop	8,820	18%
Inline Figure 8 Loop	8,000	25%
Butterfly Knot	8,000	25%
Bowline	7,180	33%
Water Knot	3,060	36%

A knot is not a knot until it is tied off.
A neat knot is a happy knot.

Just as we back up our rigging systems, so we must also back up our knots. This insures our knots have been checked as well as done properly, which go a long way in determining the security and strength of our system itself.