Snubber - Knot or Hook

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
Knot vs hook isn't -- or shouldn't be -- about strength, but about other things like convenience and price. The hook is quicker to apply and remove, but costs lots more. The hitch is slower, and relies on the skill of the operator to choose and to tie, but is free. Hitches generally weaken a line by about 20%, so it should be fairly easy to calculate the line type and size you'll need to use if you use a hitch. Note also that if you hitch to that hook, you'll also lose about 20%, and if you tie a Bowline or other loop knot you could lose 40%.
Having said all that, I strongly urge you to abandon the stem as the snubber attachment point; run it through a block at the end of the bowsprit instead. The loads you'll impose there are a fraction of what the jib does in a good breeze, the boat will yaw and pitch much less, and the line will be easier and tidier to deploy and retrieve.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss