What knot(s) should I use to secure this?
The yellow arrow points to a leather cord tied similar to a poacher's knot to have an end loop.
The red arrow are ends of an elastic string which passes through a hole (one for each end) in the leather.
I need to tie the elastic string ends in such a way to secure both the leather cord, and on itself so that when the elastic is pulled, it will not stretch. Also it should be hard but not impossible to untie.
Also it should not be too bulky.
As a bonafide Eagle Scout, I remain firmly convinced that any rope tying needs can be met with a combination of square knots and more rope. 🤣
As a climber I have to disagree, figure 8 knots are the best, especially when double back.
It's the one knot I trust my life to on a weekly basis and I have rarely encountered a situation where they weren't part of the solution.
Look, friend, if you can't trust 15 year-old me, who acceptably tied FOUR different knots that one time to check off the box in the handbook, or 17.83333 year-old me who managed the building of not one but TWO picnic tables for a local elementary school because my Dad was being a pain about finishing the final Eagle Scout project, then who can you trust?!?!?!?!
double back figure 8 knot?
Figure eight on a bight.
It’s a standard figure 8 knot, but the end of the rope doubles back through the eight. This leaves the end of the 8 at the top of the knot & would look similar to this:
The right one looks easier to undo than a bowline.
I get you on that, it doesn’t look like much. I’m guessing that’s because it’s a true follow through & looks “traceable”?
Physics or whatnot means the stress that knot puts on itself allows it to retain roughly 80% of the ropes strength, without a backup knot.
Many use a backup knot, but that’s typically just for convenience, to get the loose end out of the way.
The biggest reason, aside from the knot’s strength (…and to my knowledge), that it is used for climbing, is because it will not fail or slip past a rope delivery system, such as an ATC or a grigri.
Basically if you’re ass backwards & heading in the wrong direction, that knot may help stop your decent by not blowing past a safety measure.
I think I made an unclear comment, lol. I actually meant it in a good way. It looks like a strong knot that holds up until it's time to take it apart, in which case it would be somewhar easier than a bowline.
As a normie knot-know-nothing, I have to say, whatever happened to my double-knotted shoelaces.
I like Velcro.
Me too, me too.
A flat overhand bend in the elastic cord is what I recommend: https://www.animatedknots.com/flat-overhand-bend-knot
Justification:
Simple, not bulky, reasonably secure against shaking loose, and relatively easy to untie.
As suggested in another comment, a double figure eight could be used as well. It will be more bulky and a bit less likely to come loose.
would I be able to cut the ends and it won't come loose?
If you want to be able to trim off the ends, I suggest a double fisherman's instead (aka the double overhand stopper) with both strands (hold them together while you tie and treat them as a single strand).
https://www.animatedknots.com/double-overhand-stopper-knot
With either knot, after you trim, you can melt the ends of the elastic cord. It will "mushroom" a bit, which will also prevent the tips from creeping into the knot and coming loose.
I'll try this, thank you
It looks to be secured already. Are you looking to anchor this to something?
I forgot to add, I have to cut the elastic string short, so everything would come off. So I need to a knot or something to secure the elastic strings.