Mike Rz wrote:All the literature I found stated that there was no difference in strength between an inside and outside figure 8 or a bowline.
But have you found all the literature (and, what do they know, anyway!)?
In regard to the bowline, On Rope ... does state that the outside bowline configuration may be prone to snagging and rolling.
You are referring to
On Rope, 2nd ed.. Note that in that edition
the images for the 3-,4-,5-coil Prusiks were turned upside-down, and as such
will not work(!) (one word of text was changed, to match). So, be careful
of what you read (alas)! --esp. re knots!!
As for the outsidEnd Bowline being more prone to some sort of rolling, I think
that that's a myth; what it IS is more, much more, resistant to spilling on
ring-loading (i.e., pulling apart the eye, say, if it got snagged).
[quote]In regard to the Figure 8, On Rope (page 45 , col 2) states “ According to Montgomery, it is possible to tie this knot incorrectly, resulting in about a 10 % strength loss. Knot destructive tests and Ashley confirm that this is not the case. Whether the standing line travels the inside or the outside path, it really makes no difference.â€