What type of splice finishes a rope end and serves as an alternative to whipping?

• A. Whip splice
• B. Back splice
• C. Eye splice
• D. French splice

Answer: (B)

The correct answer is the back splice. A back splice is a technique used to prevent the end of a rope from fraying by reversing the strands of the rope back on themselves and securing them in place. This not only finishes the rope end neatly but also provides additional strength at the end of the rope, making it useful for applications where the integrity of the rope's ending is crucial.

In contrast, while a whip splice does indeed finish a rope end, it involves wrapping a small diameter rope around the end of a larger rope instead of reversing the strands. An eye splice creates a loop at the end of the rope, which is different from merely finishing the end. A French splice is a specific method used typically with braided ropes, which is also not designed just for ending a rope but can be more involved than necessary for a clean finish. This distinction is why the back splice is the most straightforward and effective method for finishing a rope end while preventing fraying.