# Useful knots to learn.



## Rorschach (18 Aug 2020)

I am rather rusty since my scouting days. I am setting myself a goal of learning a selection of useful knots to expand my current knowledge and also to be able to teach my nieces and nephews.
I don't use knots an awful lot in day to day work so I will be forcing myself to practice regularly.

So what do you think is a good list of knots to learn? My list so far is below and I would welcome any input as to knots you find useful and why.

Bowline
Constrictor Knot
Figure 8 (knot and loop)
Versa-tackle (an improvement on the truckers hitch I think)
Highwayman's hitch.

EDIT: Note I have left off what I would consider common knowledge knots like reef knot, granny knot etc.


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## clogs (18 Aug 2020)

Thats a good start, 
I'm still useing the knots I learned in the Scouts........and a few more.....
I'm still trying to master the spliced end and an eye splice.......hahaha....
I'f I can find it I"ll post it up, it's a photo of my uncle who used to splice ropes and steel wire in the merchant navy....
the picture shows him back splicing a wire rope as thick as ur thigh....spikes and sledge hammers....


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## Phil Pascoe (18 Aug 2020)

A clove hitch - probably one of the most useful hitches of all.


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## Rorschach (18 Aug 2020)

Phil Pascoe said:


> A clove hitch - probably one of the most useful hitches of all.



Now that's one I do know how to do, but I haven't found a lot of use for it. If I want it to be strong I use the constrictor, which is almost identical to a clove hitch. But if I want it to be easily removable I use something like a highwayman's hitch which is just as quick to tie.


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## Phil Pascoe (18 Aug 2020)

I used to be able to tie Turk's heads, monkey's fists etc. but I'd struggle now. I can still splice and whip though.


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## Yojevol (18 Aug 2020)

Sheepshank - used for shortening a rope 
Reef knot - tying 2 ends
Granny knot - for when you've tied a reef incorrectly 
Fishermans knot - for wet rope or line
Hangman's knot - for when you want to...........
Sheetbend - for tying unequal sized ropes

That should keep you going for a while 
Brian


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## MikeK (18 Aug 2020)

One-handed bowline - I had to learn that in the military, but never had to use it. This allows you to hang on with one hand and tie the rescue rope with the other.


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## Phil Pascoe (18 Aug 2020)

and one of the simplest - a timber hitch.


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## Rorschach (18 Aug 2020)

Yojevol said:


> Sheepshank - used for shortening a rope
> Reef knot - tying 2 ends
> Granny knot - for when you've tied a reef incorrectly
> Fishermans knot - for wet rope or line
> ...



Reef knot is on my already know list but certainly a useful one and better than the granny knot. Surgeons knots a useful variant as well.
I have done the hangmans knot in the past, of course never used for hanging it seems. Probably not a useful one in everyday life though.
Will look at sheetbend and fishermans knot. I will leave out sheepshank, never needed to shorten a rope in life my life, I just cut it, rope used to be expensive I assume to have use in the past.


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## Dr Al (18 Aug 2020)

I haven't got much to add to this, but I'm going to say a special thank you to @Rorschach - I've been using the "Versatackle" knot for years and I use it for all sorts of things, but I never knew what it was called! Now I do!


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## Trainee neophyte (18 Aug 2020)

Get a short piece of rope and use it to practice. Endlessly. It's all muscle memory, so the more you tie, the more likely it will stick. Practice whilst drinking tea, reading the paper etc. It will drive the rest of the household nuts, but is quire therapeutic. My favourite is the sheep shank, but I never use it in anger. Bowline and truckers hitch get used almost daily, and I quite like the alpine butterfly loop/hitch thingy, but never need that, either.


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## Rorschach (18 Aug 2020)

Dr Al said:


> I haven't got much to add to this, but I'm going to say a special thank you to @Rorschach - I've been using the "Versatackle" knot for years and I use it for all sorts of things, but I never knew what it was called! Now I do!



I only re-discovered the name quite recently. It's a knot I learned in my teens for putting up tarp ridge lines as it was much better than the usual knot used for guy lines. I forgot the name though and then I found my old knot book again and had to look through every page until I got it.


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## Rorschach (18 Aug 2020)

This is another know I used on tarp lines, the Evenk slippery hitch (similar to a Siberian Hitch, personally I think it is slightly easier to tie thought maybe not quite as secure) learned as a teen from a Ray Mears show. It's so fast to do and surprisingly secure I have found.


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## Garno (18 Aug 2020)

Half Hitch
Double Clove Hitch
I noticed Clove Hitch has been mentioned

Those three aare used a lot.


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## Rorschach (18 Aug 2020)

Garno said:


> Half Hitch
> Double Clove Hitch
> I noticed Clove Hitch has been mentioned
> 
> Those three aare used a lot.



I hear that a lot about the clove hitch but I mentioned above I don't rate it much. When would you use one?


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## Garno (18 Aug 2020)

Rorschach said:


> I hear that a lot about the clove hitch but I mentioned above I don't rate it much. When would you use one?



Anywhere where you need a quick release  used it all the time in the army.


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## Droogs (18 Aug 2020)

Alpine Butterfly loop and the bend, very uesful for making rope bridges or grab handles


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## Phil Pascoe (18 Aug 2020)

Rorschach said:


> I hear that a lot about the clove hitch but I mentioned above I don't rate it much. When would you use one?


Tethering animals, tying up boats ...


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## Rorschach (18 Aug 2020)

Phil Pascoe said:


> Tethering animals, tying up boats ...



Would you actually use a clove hitch for that though? Both of those applications are for "jiggling" loads that would work a clove hitch loose quite easily, especially on a smooth tying point. A highwaymans hitch, the Evenk hitch or Siberian hitch mentioned above are just as fast to tie and would be far more secure surely?


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## Trainee neophyte (18 Aug 2020)

I've been wondering why I don't use a clove hitch, and it's because I would always do a round turn and two half hitches instead. The highwayman hitch is fun, but I would never tie an animal with it...know too many horses who love tugging on the end of ropes.


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## xy mosian (18 Aug 2020)

Yojevol said:


> Sheepshank - used for shortening a rope
> Reef knot - tying 2 ends
> Granny knot - for when you've tied a reef incorrectly
> Fishermans knot - for wet rope or line
> ...


Ever noticed how the sheet bend is very similar to the bowline?
xy


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## Sideways (18 Aug 2020)

Another vote for the alpine butterfly. A clever elegant knot.
Figure 8 all the time. It's what sport climbers trust their lives to every day, not abowline.
Clove hitch - fast and easy. to hang odds and ends from junk strung up to your rafters, to pop a string around a stake marking out in the garden...
Single, double and triple fishermans knots for joining two rope ends / closing a loop. Mostly the double, but triple is the knot to use when you use high tech polyamide cord.
Tape knot - super simple if you have to make a loop in webbing
Reef, sheet bend, etc etc all have good uses.


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## ManowarDave (18 Aug 2020)

A couple I've learned over the years:

Knot to drive over the speed limit with a police car right behind you.
Knot to drink so much you forget where you live.

And most important...
Knot to disagree with SWMBO


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## Suffolkboy (18 Aug 2020)

Rorschach said:


> Would you actually use a clove hitch for that though? Both of those applications are for "jiggling" loads that would work a clove hitch loose quite easily, especially on a smooth tying point. A highwaymans hitch, the Evenk hitch or Siberian hitch mentioned above are just as fast to tie and would be far more secure surely?



I have tied many a boat up with a clove hitch.


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## treeturner123 (18 Aug 2020)

Hi All

For more, please refer to the'Ashley Book of Knots' A VERY thick tome!!

Phil


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## bourbon (18 Aug 2020)

If you are going to teach people. Then learn a few knots....Then learn to tie them left/right handed.... Blindfolded.....one handed.....hands behind back. I was a scout leader for 26 years If we learned to do them like this, you can teach anyone, Visually impaired, disabled, left/right handers and a whole host of others


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## gog64 (18 Aug 2020)

Can’t believe no one has mentioned a truckers hitch. Literally a life saver and I use it more than just about any other knot.


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## Rorschach (18 Aug 2020)

gog64 said:


> Can’t believe no one has mentioned a truckers hitch. Literally a life saver and I use it more than just about any other knot.



The versatackle was mentioned which is a version of the truckers hitch.


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## Suffolkboy (19 Aug 2020)

There is an app called Grog knots. I think it costs a couple of quid but it is well worth the money. 

It has animated diagrams of shedloads of knots.


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## Suffolkboy (19 Aug 2020)

Home


Animated Knots is the world's leading site for learning how to tie knots of any kind. From Boating Knots, Fishing Knots and Climbing Knots to how to tie a Tie, or even Surgical Knots — we’ve got it covered.




www.animatedknots.com


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## Cordy (19 Aug 2020)

Like T N wrote - round turn and two half hitches, always does the biz

Don't put too much reliance on the reef knot btw, it's only a temporary affair; ask any Sailor


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## sometimewoodworker (19 Aug 2020)

treeturner123 said:


> Hi All
> 
> For more, please refer to the'Ashley Book of Knots' A VERY thick tome!!
> 
> Phil


The Ashley Book of Knots was the first real book I bought. I used my own money for it, some of which I got from being an extra in Help and Hard Days Night so I must have bought it in1965

I am still using some of my early work, here is a rope handle that’s been in use for over 50 years, using the star knot and several kinds of Turks head knots both short and long.





I suspect the material covering the seaman’s chest is from the 60s as well


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## Eric The Viking (19 Aug 2020)

"On Rope" (Padgett et al):





Item no longer available


The item you are looking for is no longer available. <br/>



www.abebooks.co.uk




Superb book. Might even still be in print.

One I had as a kid (Scouts, etc.):





Item no longer available


The item you are looking for is no longer available. <br/>



www.abebooks.co.uk





And if you want to know how to do a handbrake turn* in a frigate:





Seamanship in the Age of Sail by John Harland: New (2020) | Majestic Books


Available now at AbeBooks.co.uk - ISBN: 9781472982377 - Hardcover - Adlard Coles Nautical - 2020 - Book Condition: New



www.abebooks.co.uk





*clubhauling - one-off battle manoeuvre (instructions are included).


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## Rorschach (19 Aug 2020)

The book I have is Knots and Ropework by Geoffrey Budworth, it's a pretty good book.


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## Bm101 (20 Aug 2020)

I use a few knots in rope access work (abseiling to most people). Surprisingly few maybe. Day to day it's only 3 though there are extended versions of each to suit circumstance. The alpine butterfly. Fig. 8 and the occasional bowline. That's it for day to day use although barrel knots etc are left in equipment etc, as these are not tied regularly I'll leave them out. 
The butterfly is a great knot as it's three way loading. Can be used to equalise hanging/pulling loads. That's far more useful than it might sound. Tie it with two ropes to understand the name and use it to cut out a damaged section of rope. Also. Easy to undo. 
Two 'knots' I havent seen mentioned on here are the Italian hitch. A friction hitch. You can abseil on it in a bind or more likely use it to lower loads etc. The other is a (sometimes Swiss) prussik loop. Just a prussik generally. Not a knot as such but a thin loop wound into itself around a thicker rope. Can be used to climb a rope as a ladder or more usefully for most, a good way of hanging a load off a rope that is easily adjustable by sliding up or down under hand tension.

Just as an aside, I've also seen the lorry drivers hitch known as Manchester hitch.

Nice thread.

Edit. I don't use overhand figure of 8s or bunny ears though some do in my game. If you do, be sure to place the overhand correctly in the middle of the knot and not behind it but now im whittering.


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## Bm101 (20 Aug 2020)

Oh. And a blood knot for sea fishing. About twice a year if I'm really lucky.
As one monk said to the other. Remember to spit on it before you pull on it. I'll leave you with that image.


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## Roland (20 Aug 2020)

The knots I use most frequently are Reef, Clove, Round turn and two half Hitches, Stop Knot, Figure of Eight, and the Timber Hitch. Less frequently: Bowline, Sheep Shank and Sheet Bend. All the other knots I learned as a scout I have no use for. Lashings are a different matter. I use square, diagonal and parallel lashings every time I put up the bean poles.



xy mosian said:


> Ever noticed how the sheet bend is very similar to the bowline?


Yes, the rabbit goes down the other hole.


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## Bm101 (20 Aug 2020)

What for Roland? Genuine question mind and no disrespect meant of course but that's a _lot_ of knots.


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## TFrench (20 Aug 2020)

Before my little boy came along I used to climb a lot. I can tie a bowline without even looking at it, can probably do a rethreaded fig 8 the same. Equalising a trad belay with double ropes can end up looking like a bit of a spiders web if you're not careful!


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## Robbo3 (21 Aug 2020)

I was taught to dolly, that's securing a load with a trucker's hitch, some 40 years ago & it's the only knot that I've ever remembered. It still comes in handy occasionally but I struggle to know what to do with the loose end.


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## sometimewoodworker (21 Aug 2020)

Bm101 said:


> What for Roland? Genuine question mind and no disrespect meant of course but that's a _lot_ of knots.


It really isn’t that many. I don’t claim to be able to tie more than 0.8% of the knots in my book without taking a look to check, but that’s a few more than Roland’s number. If I were using rope & string more often I might remember and use more


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## Orraloon (21 Aug 2020)

I was in the merchant navy and the rest of my time still maritime related so the knots and splicing are still in the muscle memory. This skill came in handy when I was making archery bows as making a bow string looked like another extension of ropework. As important as being able to tie a knot is using the right knot for the job in hand is the key. The sheepshank got a mention and in all my time at sea I only tied it for the practice. Perhaps back in the days of sail it was used but synthetic rope is a bit too slippery and likely to slip apart.
These days in the shed about the only knots I need are when stringing up an instrument. Good old timber hitch. Also used on one end of some bow strings so many thousands of years old.
Regards
John


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## Suffolkboy (21 Aug 2020)

Orraloon said:


> I was in the merchant navy and the rest of my time still maritime related so the knots and splicing are still in the muscle memory. This skill came in handy when I was making archery bows as making a bow string looked like another extension of ropework. As important as being able to tie a knot is using the right knot for the job in hand is the key. The sheepshank got a mention and in all my time at sea I only tied it for the practice. Perhaps back in the days of sail it was used but synthetic rope is a bit too slippery and likely to slip apart.
> These days in the shed about the only knots I need are when stringing up an instrument. Good old timber hitch. Also used on one end of some bow strings so many thousands of years old.
> Regards
> John



Sheepshank is used in repairing nets.


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## Trainee neophyte (21 Aug 2020)

I've spent my coffee breaks over the past day learning new knots - all because of this thread. I can now tie the alpine butterfly loop the other way, and I finally sussed the alpine butterfly bend at the same time. Also a truckers' quick release knot (use half a sheep shank, but good luck undoing it later). More coffee tomorrow...


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## Rorschach (21 Aug 2020)

I've been practising in the evening while watching TV. Very well sorted on the bowline and tying a constrictor both with a working end and on a bight. Next week I shall introduce another knot or two into the rotation.


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## Rorschach (23 Aug 2020)

Youtube suggestion after I had watched a few knot videos to help me learn, this one is actually very well explained and covers most of the knots discussed here. It is a shame it misses the constrictor knot, could have easily been added to the clove hitch but otherwise a good video. I liked the taut line hitch, I might try that as a replacement for the guyline hitch I currently use, it looks easier to tie and remove.


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## Droogs (23 Aug 2020)

I even had to use a knot on my wedding day in order for the ceremony to go ahead and I used a little known knot called the Merovinigian Knot. It was really useful and saved the day. A vid of how to do it is below:


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## Rorschach (24 Aug 2020)

Adding to the rotation this week:

Clove hitch in the bight.
Sheet bend.
Possibly the taut line hitch.

Will still be keeping up last weeks knots as well but not as much.


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## Rorschach (25 Aug 2020)

EDIT: Made a mistake.


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## aesmith (25 Aug 2020)

One I learned recently was the Diamond Knot (Lanyard Knot). 
How about splices, anyone use any regularly?


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## Heath Robinson (26 Aug 2020)

The slightly obscure knots I've found that I use often are the Zeppelin hitch (it's good for joining larger ropes, and strong but comes apart fast with extremely little effort) and the Dragon - Double Dragon Loop - which is like a mid-line Bowline to an extent. It also gives you a line at 90 degrees to the main line/loop, which can occasionally be useful.
Other than that it's the standard ones in some variations, with the ones that have saved my bacon most often being the Trucker's hitch, and the variations of Bowlines (on a bight, sliding, and double etc.)


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## Andrewf (27 Aug 2020)

The one that is missing is a Fireman's dobi hitch.


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## Rorschach (2 Sep 2020)

Andrewf said:


> The one that is missing is a Fireman's dobi hitch.



Have you got a link to that, google didn't show any results.


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## spb (2 Sep 2020)

Rorschach said:


> I will leave out sheepshank, never needed to shorten a rope in life my life, I just cut it, rope used to be expensive I assume to have use in the past.


The real benefit of the sheepshank for shortening is that you can put one in the middle of a line when both ends are already attached to something, then slide it to adjust the length as needed.

As for the clove hitch, again the real benefit is that you don't need access to the end of the rope. Particularly useful when stringing out a rope fence, for example. It's also strongest when there's roughly equal loading on both sides, which fits nicely with being able to tie it in the middle of a line that's anchored at both ends already.


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## Rorschach (2 Sep 2020)

spb said:


> The real benefit of the sheepshank for shortening is that you can put one in the middle of a line when both ends are already attached to something, then slide it to adjust the length as needed.
> 
> As for the clove hitch, again the real benefit is that you don't need access to the end of the rope. Particularly useful when stringing out a rope fence, for example. It's also strongest when there's roughly equal loading on both sides, which fits nicely with being able to tie it in the middle of a line that's anchored at both ends already.



As I said I have never needed to shorten a line yet, but if I did in the circumstances you mention there are easier knots I can press into service such as the Alpine butterfly.


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## Rorschach (7 Sep 2020)

Well I am pretty happy with my daily rotation of practise knots now. I think I have something to cover just about any day to day jobs I might want to carry out.


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## Andrewf (16 Sep 2020)

Rorschach said:


> Have you got a link to that, google didn't show any results.


A Fireman's dobi hitch is a derogatory term on a ship for the knot a fireman uses to tie up his dobhi (laundry).


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## Rorschach (1 Feb 2021)

I let my knot practice slip LOL and found some of them tricky to do, must get back into the habit. Luckily I was still able to remember the most important ones.


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## John Brown (1 Feb 2021)

One hand? I can tie a bowline with mind power alone! Although I learnt the sheep shank as a boy, I have never used it in anger, and I'm not convinced that it's used for mending nets. From my recollection, nets feature sheet bends, or something very close.
The bowline was always my favourite, but I have to say, that alpine butterfly is a thing of beauty. I will practise that until I can tie it with will power alone...


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## KingAether (2 Feb 2021)

Knot to argue with the other half  
This has been a really interesting thread to go through, going to bookmark it as im a bit useless with knots


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## Jelly (2 Feb 2021)

Rorschach said:


> Now that's one I do know how to do, but I haven't found a lot of use for it. If I want it to be strong I use the constrictor, which is almost identical to a clove hitch. But if I want it to be easily removable I use something like a highwayman's hitch which is just as quick to tie.



It's most useful when working with shackles or carabiniers, as you can very quickly attach the middle of a line to one in a specific place, securely and one handed, then load either or both ends of the line.

Alpine Butterfly is similarly useful but much stronger, and more permanent (still tieable one handed thought).


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## JoshD (2 Feb 2021)

Perhaps I missed it but I didnt see rolling hitch on this thread: surely part of anbody's core set of knots? certainly one I use routinely at sea, where you often rollling hitch a thinner line round a thicker one to have give a purchase that slides when pulled one way but grips the other way, although I also use prussiks for this (a heavily used rolling hitch will often twist itself into a tangle, a prussik not so much).

Less well known but incredibly useful is the tugman's hitch: can be tied and untied under tension, can be tied in the bight, very little slippage, will never come accidentally undone, easy to untie. But very bulky! The perfect knot for tying to a bollard or similar.

Less well known still is the buntline hitch: more compact and more secure than round turn and two half hitches, although can be impossible to untie when it's very tight. A lot of people without thinking about it will use a half turn and two half hitches to secure a line to a post or spar, but I never use that at sea, using either a round turn and two half hitches (can be tied under tension, but prone to slippage and accidental release, and a bit bulky) or buntline hitch. An anchor hitch is a simple variation of a round turn and two half hitches giving greater security but to my mind doesn't do much that you can't do with a bowline or buntline hitch

Essential knots at sea are
1) Bowline (forget rabbits, holes and trees, learn the one-handed technique, much the fastest way when you have two hands)
2) Figure of eight stopper knot
3) Clove hitch (notwithstanding earlier comments a great knot: can be tied in the bight, you can pre-tie one ready to drop over a bollard, and you can make a simple quick-release version if you tie it in two stages by using the bight for the second stage)
4) Rolling hitch (or prussik---but you need a double fishermans or similar to prepare the prussik)
5) Round-turn and two half hitches
6) Anchor hitch or buntline hitch

I know mountaineers like the Alpine butterfly, it's certainly a nice knot; but the easy way of tying it doesn't allow you to tie it round something else; and it can be hard to untie, so I don't use it much. At sea, ease of untying can be as simportant as ease of tying!

Finally you need a method of joining two ropes: the recommended method at sea is a double sheet bend but in practise a lot of people will just use two bowlines. If you do use the two-bowline method you can reduce chafe by reef-knotting the lines first---but *never* use a reef knot alone to join ropes as it capsizes and comes apart if the tension on the ends is unequal. The only place I use a reef knot at sea is on reef lines.

If you want to take your knots to the next level then learn the carrick bend: a lovely way in its own right to join two ropes, but also takes you 90% of the way to a diamond knot, one of the few knots that work in super-slippy stuff like dyneema (and used for making your own soft shackles), and opens up the whole world of turks heads and similar. But a more practically useful skill is splicing, especially for dyneema, which I like but which I never even try to knot (except diamond knots), splices only, generally locking splices ...


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## TRITON (2 Feb 2021)

Turks head was one i found relaxation in making. Rather than around a spar theres a method of making it around 3 of your fingers.


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## JoshD (2 Feb 2021)

TRITON said:


> Turks head was one i found relaxation in making. Rather than around a spar theres a method of making it around 3 of your fingers.


..or larger


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## glenfield2 (2 Feb 2021)

I shall have to drag my knot tying books out of the dim recesses and get practising again. 
The problem I have is that I’m largely left handed and knot instructions are forthe right handed.
I need ‘The Left Hander’s Guide to Knots’.


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## Bm101 (2 Feb 2021)

glenfield2 said:


> I shall have to drag my knot tying books out of the dim recesses and get practising again.
> The problem I have is that I’m largely left handed and knot instructions are forthe right handed.
> I need ‘The Left Hander’s Guide to Knots’.


Just read it in a mirror.


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## AFFF (2 Feb 2021)

MikeK said:


> One-handed bowline - I had to learn that in the military, but never had to use it. This allows you to hang on with one hand and tie the rescue rope with the other.


Absolutely MikeK "throwing a bowline" with one hand around your waist may well save your life. Bowline on the bight is a good one too, makes a very effective harness. Had to do these and many others blindfolded when training at BRNC Dartmouth in the 80s


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## stuckinthemud (2 Feb 2021)

Figure 8 knot to stop a rope unravelling is the knot I use the most


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## glenfield2 (3 Feb 2021)

Bm101 said:


> Just read it in a mirror.


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## pe2dave (3 Feb 2021)

If you are interested this or the paper version are a treasure trove. 
I learned a few, but the clove hitch is by far the most useful and most used.


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## Phil Pascoe (3 Feb 2021)

I have that, it's going on evilbay soon as part of the big clear out.


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## Artiglio (3 Feb 2021)

From my diving days two phrases that endured

”if you can’t tie knots, tie lots”

whats that- its a double overhand (insert name of creator) with complications.

Both usually used when something was recovered to the surface.


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