Useful knots to learn.

[sometimewoodworker]

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

 

[Orraloon]

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

 

[Suffolkboy]

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.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

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...

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[Droogs]

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:

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[Rorschach]

EDIT: Made a mistake.

 

[aesmith]

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

 

[Heath Robinson]

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.)

 

[Andrewf]

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

 

[Rorschach]

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

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

 

[spb]

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.

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[Andrewf]

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).

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[John Brown]

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...

 

[KingAether]

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