According to the U.S. Coast Guard in their Boat Crew Seamanship Manual COMDTINST M16114.5B (Feb 27, 1998) common knots loose much of the line's strength. The following table is from the above manual.
| Knots or Splice | Percent of Line Breaking Strength Lost | Percent of Line Breaking Strength Remaining |
| Square | 46 | 54 |
| Bowline | 37 | 63 |
| Two Bowlines (Eye in Eye) | 43 | 57 |
| Becket Bend | 41 | 59 |
| Double Becket Bend | 41 | 59 |
| Round Turn | 30-35 | 65-70 |
| Timber Hitch | 30-35 | 65-70 |
| Clove Hitch | 40 | 60 |
| Eye Splice | 5-10 | 90-95 |
| Short Splice | 15 | 85 |