Jack, probably the major impetus for my current interest in knots is nothing more than intellectual curiosity, similar to my becoming interested in various residential architectural styles when I started walking through lots of neighborhoods and noticed the great variety of styles that existed and about which I knew nothing. Since I was a kid, I've always had some curiosity about the various types of knots people use, how they're tied, what they're used for, and pros and cons of each knot. And my interest has lately been rekindled due to my interest in knives, in the sense of how different knots might be used in making/attaching lanyards to knives with bails/shackles and how decorative knots might be used for fobs. Also, since we spend a couple of weeks of vacation next to a Great Lake, and the dock of the resort at which we stay is right outside the door of the cottage we rent, I find myself often being asked by boaters questions like, "Hey, can you tie my stern line to that cleat?" I've finally learned the meaning of the terms in that question, but I still don't know what knot expectations boat owners might have.
Intellectual curiosity is the foundation of civilization I guess Gary
That's interesting my friend
I have quite a few friends who own English narrow boats, and I have stayed on them many times myself. The first time I did so, I was interested to learn which knots people used, and would ask my friends, and their fellow boat-owners about it. I'm sure some of these folks must know a few knots, but not the ones I came across. I was rather appalled to see that they just tied to the bank by simply wrapping the rope around the cleat a lot of times!
As an aside, a few years back, I was surprised when someone I knew popped up on the national (and international) news, after being seized by a
Japanese whaling vessel!
A few months later, I bumped into Giles, a former British paratrooper, in Leeds, and when I asked him about the experience, his main point of contention seemed to be that the Japanese whalers tied really bad knots!
I have bumped into the same 2-3 people from the International Guild of Knot Tyers a few times, and always enjoy telling them how interested my girlfriend would be to learn a few knots!
Thanks for posting the interesting and well-illustrated basic knots article, Jack. I've been trying to learn to tie some knots from this website:
https://www.animatedknots.com
For each knot at the site, there's a series of 6-12 photos that show the tying sequence. They can be viewed almost like a movie, all in a row with no pauses, or the viewer may step through them one frame at a time. There's also some brief text that describes each knot-tying procedure. Then there is often a more in-depth analysis of the history of the knot, its uses, its advantages and disadvantages compared to other knots with similar uses. Finally there's an actual video of how to tie the knot (with voice-over by a guy with a British accent). Ashley's
Book of Knots and its numbering system seems to be revered on the site.
Perhaps surprisingly, most of the knots you picture in your article have the same name on the website I visit. A couple of exceptions: you say "Reef Knot", they say "Square Knot" (but give reef knot as an alternate name); you say "Lark's Foot", they say "Cow Hitch" (but give lark's foot/head as alternate names). I also noted that the website classifies the figure-8 knot as simply a "stopper knot", but then use its basic design for other uses (e.g., there's a visually appealing way to join 2 ropes they call "figure 8 bend" in which a loose figure 8 is formed in the end of one rope and then the end of the other rope is threaded through the first in the opposite direction; I wonder if it's related to your rethreaded figure of eight).
Anyway, I've been practicing some of the knots that are recommended (or that appeal to me) using a fabric shoelace. That or a leather shoelace would be what I'd use for making knife lanyards, and I think in some situations I'd want to tie 2 laces together. As I was looking at your article, I was surprised to see that Lark's Foot, since that's the knot I've used (without knowing its name) in my "quick and dirty" lanyards. I just tie the 2 ends of a shoelace together to make a loop, stick the loop through the knife shackle and feed the other end of the loop through the first end to make a lark's foot on the shackle. Then I stick the loop without the knife through a belt loop and feed the knife through that loop to make another lark's foot on the belt loop. While walking to work one day last week, It dawned on me that if I tied my ends of the shoe lace with a double fisherman's knot, I'd have a lanyard whose length is adjustable!
That's cool Gary
Years ago, I remember former poster, ScruffUK, showing me a similar app on his fancy phone. I have something similar on mine, but never get round to using it!
The Ashley Book of Knots is certainly the 'Knot Bible'! I forget who it was who used to use a copy as a backdrop for their knife posts
When I first started rock-climbing, my mentor, (who owned a copy of the afore-mentioned tome), suggested I buy 2-3 yards of 9mm climbing rope, stick and next to the tub, and learn my knots while having a soak!
Rather than that, I just made sure I had always got a short length of rope in my pocket. It didn't take me long at all to learn them
(Believe it or not, I'd never heard of Ylvis until the first time I saw that Trucker's Hitch video. I thought it was very cool, since I just laugh every time I see a photo of the trucker's hitch! And the video that the guys watch that helps them learn the knot cracks me up because the lead "knot dancer" bears a strong resemblance to Charles Bronson IMHO.)
Me neither mate!
We wanted to move up to the mountains, but the fire insurance is crazy high... so we will stay in the foothills for now.
One of my friends is a Captain for Cal Fire. He says the biggest issue causing the xtreme fires in the last several years can all be contributed to California outlawing forest maintenance (burning the undergrowth and deadwood)... also the limited logging has gotten rid of all the fire breaks the they provide.
Hope you make it to the top one day pal
You've had your money's worth out of that one!
It ain't no Ram but it's a horn.
View attachment 1741772
And an attractive knife Ed
I'm sure I can find stuff to do in the house, but I'd rather be out in the fresh air.
