All about Knots

[UncleMJM]

Just a reminder about a great knot site: Grog's

Excellent site - thanks for listing.

[dually]

Knots … Good topic
Must be hundreds,
Except for fly tying and the monkey’s fist, I choose to remember only three.

Boat, fish, truck or camping;

Figure 8, is my new favorite (in lieu of bowline)
For splice and/or loop
Outstanding ‘knot strength’ (one of the best)
Fail safe (when dressed)
I can not tie the bowline in the dark.
The bowline is not failsafe


Two half hitch
For adjustable tension
But second hitch is a rabbit-ear (not failsafe) easy pull to untie
Quick, easy, strong, wet or dry
If bite is a problem, take more than one wrap around purpose before making first hitch
I can pull it tight (like the truckers hitch) and for me holds better than passaic
The >standard< two half hitch is not failsafe

Palomar
For terminal fishing tackle
Tie in the dark with wet cold hands
Monofilament or braid
Fail safe
With respect to ‘knot strength’,
the palomar may be one of, if not, THE strongest known to man/woman


And hardware …
with respect to hammocks, carabineers only.
No rings or buckles, failsafe question, too many variables (I will not take that chance).

Failsafe?
There is backup technique, I choose not to
tie a second knot to backup the first knot.

[DavidWa]

I'm curious to see what Knots others are using.

What knots?
Where?
Why?
C

Why ? for all of them it's just because I like them, I think they work well or sometimes I just think the individual knot looks cool, something in its symetry appeals to me.

A couple of alternatives to the standard bowline which I also use. Anywhere I want a non-sliding loop. On my tarp tie outs I put these loops at the ground peg end or at the tarp ridge line loop.

This link shows some nice pictures of how to tie ABOK#1029 - imo a really neat knot :
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/sho...8&postcount=29

And this next link is a picture of the Eskimo bowline, which I find easier to tie than ABOK1029 which is still easy to tie too, however note that the information at the link states that the standard bowline is a better choice if the loop is to be going to be pulled to nearly parallel and the Eskimo bowline better if the loop is going to be held stretched wide. Therefore I don't use it to often, just for novelity or knot trivia - but to me its an interesting knot with an interesting history , see second link. I have also seen it referred to as a Sitka loop and a Boas bowline.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_bowline

http://books.google.com/books?id=diG...um=6&ct=result

The Sheet bend, but I tie it by tucking a bight through the knot to make it a quickly untied sheet bend or slippery sheet bend.

Above my tarp I string up a ridgeline, at either end is a Klemheist or similar ( prusik) tension sliding hitch which has a loop, my tarp ridgeline has webbing loops onto which is tied a short length of line via one of the loop knot listed above, I tie the working end of that line to the loop of the Klemheist hitch. Then its easy to adjust my tarp to left or right if the need or urge presents itself.

http://www.animatedknots.com/sheetbe...matedknots.com

Barrel or blood knot , used to form the hoop of line for making the Klemheist hitch. Other knots are also good or perhaps better.
http://www.killroys.com/knots/barrel.htm

Klemheist hitch
http://www.animatedknots.com/klemhei...matedknots.com

Taut line hitch and others too.

I put a taut line hitch at tarp side tie out loops and a fixed loop at the ground peg end - some would say this is the wrong way round. That makes them easier to reach and when I take the tarp down I first take the double loops or larks head off the top of the ground peg. Then at the webbing loop end I slide the taut line hitch toward the webbing loop, closing it until the loop is closed till only three finger widths fit inside the loop. ( This is to make it ready for the last step of storing the tie out lines in a neat orderly fashion.)

Then coil the tie out line figure eight fashion from the outer end by putting the loop from the ground peg end over your thumb , wind the line around your pinky finger, then back and forth using a crossing figure eight pattern. ( actually I coil the line around my index finger and ring finger to make a smaller coil ) Keep coiling until you reach the taut line hitch knot.

At this point slide the coiled line off your fingers and twist it around , then tuck the coiled line inside the loop of tie out line between the webbing loop and the taut line knot. Then push the taut line hitch toward the webbing loop to hold the coiled line inside the tightened loop. Thus your coiled line is held inside the sliding loop formed by the taut line hitch. And it is coiled using a figure eight loops so it won't tangle when you pull it out again. Only a small loop is left hanging out from when you tighten the taut line loop to hold the coiled line.

http://www.ropeworks.biz/reader/tautline.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taut-line_hitch

I find the Blakes Hitch intersting too as a possible alternative to the Klemheist hitch or Pursik hitch. Keeping an eye out for places to try it out.
http://www.animatedknots.com/blakes/...matedknots.com

The rope ridgeline I run above my tarp I tie at one end with a evenk hitch, aka siberian hitch, aka sliding slippery figure eight and at the other end with a truckers hitch or similar tensioning knot -
One place showing how to tie it with webbing
http://website.lineone.net/~mark.emery/Evenk.htm

I think this video, as well as the ones on youtube showing the siberian hitch , makes it look harder to tie than it is. Anyway heres a photo of same knot:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...Evenk-knot.jpg

The other end of the ridgeline

http://www.animatedknots.com/truckersrescue/index.php

http://www.netknots.com/html/truckers_hitch.html

Just a few of my knots and how I use them.

D

p.s. other knotty places -


http://www.outdooridiots.com/feature...sik/prusik.asp
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/...ad.php?t=66683

[warbonnetguy]

i use the slipped buntline hitch tie hammock line to tree straps (straps with a ring in one end.)

use a slipped double sheetbend (or variation) to tie hammock line to tree straps (straps with no ring)

slipped buntline at one end and trucker's at the other to attach tarp RL to trees.

[DavidWa]

[QUOTE=sk8rs_dad;112743]What about Don???

QUOTE]

Don Knots trivia or 2 degrees of seperation -

The father of a guy I work with was a classmate and childhood friend of Don Knots.

My friend tells me that his father saved Don from drowning when they were children.

I always tell him to thank his father for saving for the world: Barney Fife , the Ghost and Mr. Chicken , the Reluctant Astronaut , Mr Furley ( for this thread a shame it wasn't Mr Roper he played ) and all the other great characters Don created for our enjoyment.

[AndyB]

Here are my favs:

The Josephine knot. Unbeatable knot to bind two ropes of similar/different gauges:
http://www.realknots.com/knots/bends.htm#karaak

The Strangle-Snare. Scary page of nooses but this one is great for guy lines. with these knots, your tarp lines with NEVER come off the stake. ties in seconds:
http://www.realknots.com/knots/noose.htm#noose

Midshipmans Hitch:
http://www.realknots.com/knots/hitches.htm#tautline
Double figure-eight. Fast. easy to learn. Tie it with cold hands, wet hands, frozen hands, in the dark.
http://www.realknots.com/knots/sloops.htm#dubfig8loop

Hope these are helpful.

[trigger hurt]

A couple of weeks ago, while setting up my tarp, I had a serious brain fart. I use a taught line hitch, as demonstrated by Shug in one of his videos for guy lines to my stakes. I never made it past cub scouts, so don't laugh at me.

I stood there with guy line and stake in hand and couldn't remember how to tie the dang knot. So I just started tying regular knots. Then, I go to the last stake and remembered how to tie it. So I had to go all the way back around to redo the others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taut-line_hitch

The only other knot I use is the back up knot I tie in the suspension webbing to keep from ending up in the dirt. I don't know what it's called.

[CajunHiker]

I've been using the Munter Hitch (w/ mule tie-off) with my stock HH setup. I keep the line connected to the biner and I only have to disconnect one end of the strap to remove from the tree. I like having a clip-in point for hanging stuff up. I also like having a couple of biners available if I needed them for other purposes.

[Frawg]

In addition to the usual ones already mentioned, I also use

• a butterfly loop when I need a loop in a line,
• a zeppelin bend for joining like lines or creating a loop of line.
• a constrictor hitch, sometimes
• a toggled bight knot for the tree end of a suspension (see TeeDee's write-up)
• a tumble hitch to temporarily secure the end flaps of a hex-pitched rectangular tarp to the tarp ridge line. Keeps them out of the way until I want to close up the ends; it releases like a highwayman's hitch without the disadvantages.

FWIW, I usually tie the slipped version of most hitches.

I'm always on the lookout for some new knot to try.

[MacEntyre]

If you know how to tie eight knots, they will suffice for almost everything. Most people agree on which knots for four or five of them... the rest depend on whether you are hiking, sailing or cow-poking.

Fishermen are not allowed to voice an opinion.

P.S. for me, knots are so much fun, I can't work with only eight. I'm like Cannibal... tying monkey fists to throw at people! That's a hoot!