The Most Useful Rope Knots for the Average Person to Know

I just thought I'd contribute this find to everyone here on the board.

It shows a good number of knots, but what I really like about this site is that it teaches knots that are very versatile and useful. With only a few knots such as the Alpine Butterfly, Double Dragon, Adjustable Grip Hitch, and Constrictor, you could potentially have all the knot you need for 95% of the knot-requiring situations you encounter.

Now I just wish I could find a site that compares all the different fishing knots and shows what the their best uses are.

thank for the great link! The site is well put togeather.

Thanks for the link. It realy looks informative.

Some good knots there, altho I am still looking for that "double dragon."

Makes me wonder how I made it in life this far only using a bowline, square, figure eight, sheetbend, clove (or claw in some circles) hitch, tauntline hitch, and a few others...

That site is great, but to be frank, I'd be happy just knowing the knots OldBaldGuy listed!

That's a very worthwhile one to learn. I'm pretty sure the website mentioned has it. I've seen that site before, and I seem to remember that's where I first learned how to tie the Double Dragon. It should be categorized under "single loop knots". Easy to tie and untie, very strong and secure, has a good "lead" (i.e., the loop comes off the standing part of the rope nice and straight, not cocked off at some angle). It is also easy to "inspect" (i.e., look at the final product and determine if it's properly tied or not).

The only very minimal negative to this knot is that it takes slightly more time to set it. All knots should be "set" before use (i.e., all slack taken up and things tightened so that wrapping turns lie nicely snuggled up and adjacent to each other). Because there are two wrapping turns (hence the "double" in the knot's name) it takes a second or two more to tighten both of these, as opposed to tightening only one wrapping turn found on many other loop knots.

One knot you didn't list in your "known knots" is the "constrictor". This is a definite choice for anyone's "I should learn this" list. Also learn how to "slip" it (i.e., finish the knot by tucking a loop, not just the single running end of the rope). Easier done than explained. The constrictor is so good that it can be considered a "permanent" binding, unless you slip it.

I'll go back and look some more. The sites just kept leading to more and more intersting stuff, I guess I just didn't look far enough...

Here's the Double Dragon:

http://www.layhands.com/knots/Knots_SingleLoops.htm#DoubleDragon

I know that one, I just didn't know what it was called! Thanks...

Aloha OldBaldGuy,

Is the tauntline the one that talks trash to the other knots? <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

"...Is the tauntline the one that talks trash to the other knots?..."

I've never heard mine talking, but I doubt it. It only has one great claim to fame, it will slide along the standing end in one direction and hold in the other. Great for tent guylines, it will hold, but is easliy adjustable. Here is how you tie it...Tauntline hitch

It seems it has the same use as the adjustable Grip Hitch , but the authur claims that his varinant should grip better then the tauntline...
I've tried both, but I can't say I have discovered any significant difference.

Any clue wich is the best ?

I have never seen that one, but I like its looks. Gonna have to give it a try...

I have used the Adjustable Grip Hitch many times. I personally like it better than the Tautline Hitch, and the Tarbuck, and the Midshipman's Hitch (all these are sliding/locking loops).

But in my opinion, there are a couple of sliding/locking loops that are better still than the Adjustable. My favorite being the "Locking Loop" (slip it for ease of untying). I have not seen this knot published on the web, but I'm still looking around. It can be found in a book often seen in the discount book section of large retail booksellers (Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.) That book being "The Directory Of Knots" by John Shaw. The Locking Loop is on page 136. It is simple to tie.

I would recommend picking up this book if you can find it cheap (less than $10). It's a pretty good basic reference. But the king of knot books is "Ashley's Book Of Knots". It's a very good reference, but quite expensive ($50 - $75 depending on where you shop). I got mine at Amazon for around $50 IIRC. Big, hardback, heavy, maybe two inches thick! If you're new to knot tying I would not recommend Ashley's (commonly known as "ABOK") quite yet. You'd probably get lost in it.

Another slider that I think is better than the Adjustable is the "Exploding Sheet Bend". This one can be found on page 145 of Shaw's book I mentioned above. It has been published on the web as well. One such web publication is: http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/writing/explode.htm#4 This knot is a tad harder to tie than the Locking Loop, but not too much. All instruction I've seen on tying this knot shows it slipped by default, including the instructions on that web link above.

Aloha OBG,

I am familiar with the tautline knot, I was just taunting.

Guess ya got me...

I am the only person I know who is able to mess up a Granny knot, so that site will be very useful. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

... which is a good thing. You might accidently tie a better knot!

I think your list will be very useful. For fishing knots try http://www.animatedknots.com.

In fact - everyone might find http://www.animatedknots.com/ a useful sight.

Thank you very much. I was just admiring that site and the incredibly well-photographed examples there are in both the fishing and the regular knots. Definitely a good site to have on hand!