Useful knots to learn.

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[clogs]

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....

 

[Phil Pascoe]

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

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

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.

 

[Yojevol]

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

 

[MikeK]

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.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

and one of the simplest - a timber hitch.

 

[Rorschach]

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

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.

 

[Dr Al]

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!

 

[Trainee neophyte]

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.

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[Rorschach]

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.

 

[Garno]

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

Those three aare used a lot.

 

[Rorschach]

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?

 

[Garno]

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.

 

[Droogs]

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

 

[Phil Pascoe]

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 ...

 

[Rorschach]

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?

 

[Trainee neophyte]

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.