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Learning to tie knots - an offer to teach a few

jgohlke

jgohlke

My other hobby
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
991
Location
near Orlando, FL
I've had a fascination with knot tying for a while and have learned a few that really come in handy. I thought I would offer a couple of short lessons in knot tying if anybody is interested. I learned a whole bunch of them, but you really only need to know a couple. The all-purpose knots can be used for all kinds of stuff. Most of them are real easy to learn.

All you need is piece of decent rope 3-4 feet long. If you don't have one, pm me with your addy and I'll send you some. I can post a short knot lesson with pictures once a week or so. Reply to this thread and if there is any interest, we can get started in week or so.

It seems like the perfect thing to do while smoking a cigar. It doesn't take too much effort, you can do it sitting down and you can pace yourself. I learned by leaving the rope and knot book in the bathroom...but that was before I smoked cigars.

Of course, there are lots of internet (and book) resources available for knot tying and you can easily learn from them. Just about any good knot book will give you the basics. I'm kind of a fanatic, so I bought the Ashley Book of Knots (it's the "big book of knots"), but you only really need to know just a couple of basics ones.
 
Have you learned to splice yet? My favorite knot is the double Herrick bend. When the ends are spliced, it's the only knot that doesn't weaken the line by half. Google Marlinspike seamanship. If your not already familiar with that term. And by way the lubber, it's not rope; it's line :laugh:

Doc.
 
Coming from a Navel family and growing up in Devonport Auckland, in mainly navel housing, we learned from a very young age about splicing and Knots.
We actually had a lot of fun with it as children.
Now with the advent of new materials for rope,twine and line It looks like the art of splicing and knots will be another lost art.
 
And don't forget lashing. One simple knot, the clove hitch, and your off to the races. You can build all sorts of neat stuff, like catapults and bridges.

Doc.
 
I'd certainly be interested. I know of several instances where I had to tie off my bike and didn't have a clue! :D Would look like a drunk spiderman got hold of it and then it would still be loose.

I had a friend who would take small rope and make an awesome braid. Made me a keychain with it and I kept it for years. The only rope I have is the nylon stuff from Wally world...and some clothesline. :blush:
 
I think that's an interesting idea. I've spent many an hour on deck teaching myself to tie (and untie) knots.


Devil Doc said:
And don't forget lashing. One simple knot, the clove hitch, and your off to the races. You can build all sorts of neat stuff, like catapults and bridges.

Doc.
Click to expand...

Now that would be something to do while smoking. Lashing is truly an art.
 
I've long been fascinated by the utility and geometric beauty of knots and topology more generally. I've even gone so far as to buy a book on knots and some rope to practice with. All I can say is my knot gene must be missing because I just cannot remember how to tie the more useful ones.

Wilkey
 
I need someone to teach me how to braid my daughter's hair. Hell, I'd settle for being able to put a simple pony tail in it. Can you help with that?
 
Ok Doc...I hear ya....Everything on a boat has a different name (head, deck, bulkhead, stern, bow, etc). Got it. :D Only lines and sheets (a line that is attached to a sail, is a sheet.) To answer your other question, I have done some splicing and some lashing, made a few "bell-pulls" and even commented on my doctor's technique as he stitched me up (standard physicians knot, but tied with a little flourish). As a point of interest for you non-nautical types, a "line" on a boat is what most of us would normally call a rope. A "sheet" is a line attached to a sail (like the "mainsheet") and used to trim (adjust) or haul (raise) the sail. The term "rope" is used on boats, but it refers to cable.

Stinki - I wasn't planning to cover the braid, but we can, it's pretty easy....

Kingantz - I'm not even touching that one.

Maybe I can post our first lesson today. We'll see how the day goes.

There is a ton of info on the web about knots, but there are just a couple of things to know. First off, the "granny knot" that you already know how to tie is a very poor knot and downright dangerous. It's poor because it isn't that stable (it can "spill" or become untied pretty easily) and if it is put under strain, it can be hard to undo (get it wet and under load, you'll have to cut it to get it out). It's dangerous because that's the knot most folks know and it's the one they use for everything...and that can be scary. Fortunately, there are way better knots that are just as easy to tie.

Secondly, for knots, friction is the key. Keeping the strain (load) of the knot so that it either tightens the knot or binds the knot through friction is the key. Strain on a bad knot will cause the opposite effect...it will cause the knot to spill. You want the load on the rope to be on the rope, not on the knot. We'll cover a few examples of this. It's easy to understand with some specific examples.
 
For me knots are a necessity.
I use knots for my sport (vertical caving) and for my volunteer work (cave rescue and HART).
The knots are used in rigging applications for either personal or rescue loads.
A well tied knot will keep you alive.

The knots I use are the following:
Figure Eight on a Bight
Figure Nine on a Bight
Figure Eight Follow Through
Double Figure Eight Knot
Bowline with safety (Yosemite acceptable)
Münter Hitch
Butterfly Knot
Clove Hitch with safety
Trucker’s Hitch
Ring Bend (Water Knot) in webbing
Double Overhand Bend (Double Fisherman’s Knot, Barrel) in 8mm cord
Prusik Hitch (3 wrap) in 8 mm cord on rescue rope

All are tied on 11mm rope, except for what is shown on either 8mm or webbing.
 
Being a Bass fisherman(artificials only and catch & release) and posting/reading fishing forums, knots come up all the time. Everyone wants a knot that won't slip when they attach their line to a hook or a lure.

One of the most popular knots is the Palomar knot. Cinched properly, it won't allow for any slippage but it uses up a lot of line and is difficult to tie onto large lures as tha knot has to pass over the entire lure.

I prefer the little known Crawford knot for all of my lures/hooks: Simple to tie and will not slip if cinched properly.

Btw, all(braid might not but why take the chance?) fishing lines will break if the line/knot is not moistened before cinching down.

Didn't mean to thread-jack but thought this might be helpful. :blush:


Dan
 
Lightninrod said:
Being a Bass fisherman(artificials only and catch & release)
Click to expand...

I would think you would use the Loop knot or the hangmans knot. Those knots don't cinch on the eye hole, therefore making the lure move freely in the water.

For fishing, I use the bimini, albright, palmor, trilene, arbor, and the other one I can't think the name of.

How about instructions on how to get useful information out of Ashley Book of Knots?
That book is information overload. Where do you start?
 
fisherman need to be aware that knots for monofilement are a whole different ballgame.

Doc.
 
I use Seaguar's Carbon Pro 100% flurocarbon for 95% of my rigs. I use Maxima's mono in 25# test for my heavier swimbaits and a lighter pound test for topwater lures. Stopped using mono a long time ago with those two exceptions.


Dan
 
junkman_56 said:
For me knots are a necessity.
I use knots for my sport (vertical caving) and for my volunteer work (cave rescue and HART).
The knots are used in rigging applications for either personal or rescue loads.
A well tied knot will keep you alive.

The knots I use are the following:
Figure Eight on a Bight
Figure Nine on a Bight
Figure Eight Follow Through
Double Figure Eight Knot
Bowline with safety (Yosemite acceptable)
Münter Hitch
Butterfly Knot
Clove Hitch with safety
Trucker’s Hitch
Ring Bend (Water Knot) in webbing
Double Overhand Bend (Double Fisherman’s Knot, Barrel) in 8mm cord
Prusik Hitch (3 wrap) in 8 mm cord on rescue rope

All are tied on 11mm rope, except for what is shown on either 8mm or webbing.
Click to expand...

You just lost most everyone. I teach Boy Scout climbing and am familiar with only about 3/4 of the hitches and knots you mentioned. We limit our program teaching to using only about 4-6 of those knots. We like the the KISS principle.

For general purpose, sports and outdoors, camping and such, the clove hitch (already mentioned), the taut line hitch, and the sheet bend cover about 95% of my needs. I'm still fascinated by knots though. Nice topic. Thanks.
 
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