It's simple and fast to tie (with a little practice for muscle memory), and with an extra turn has exceptional friction preventing loop collapse in some situations where even a bowline would have an issue. However, by relieving tension on one side of the knot, like a taut-line hitch it can slide.
I use it for its common application of tensioning, but I also find it useful for cinching. It can go anywhere a cord lock might have been useful in but a few seconds.
zrobotics 39 days ago [-]
I can't track down the name of this knot, but for ropes that will be under tension the knot I learned when working line service in high school for tying down aircraft has been tremendously useful. [0] is an excellent example of how to tie this knot, it holds tremendous tension while being easy to release. I've found this very useful for camping and general securing of loads.
If anyone knows the 'proper' name for this knot I would greatly appreciate it.
I'm utterly fascinated, big knot fan and I didn't know this one, but it's a combination of parts I knew.
It's really strange to me though, and it's probably a culture thing, because for this use case literally everybody I know would use a bowline knot (https://www.animatedknots.com/bowling-knot), possibly with an extra lock to make sure it does not untie if there's no tension. This observation comes from a French sailing background, hence the probable cultural bias.
Could you educate me as of where the trucker's hitch is better? (to me the bowtie feels simpler, no possible slippage and easy to untie after a load)
mds 39 days ago [-]
Also a big truckers hitch fan, but that animation was hard for me to follow because it doesn't look anything like how it's used in real life. It doesn't really make sense to compare to a bowline, it's basically used like a ratchet strap.
The first part, up to step 6, is just a slip knot. That part could be replaced by a bowline. But the slip knot can be thrown in one-handed in the middle of the line without needing to pull the end through like a bowline. And when you're done you give it a yank and the slip knot pops out.
Step 7 is the real point of the whole thing. You're using the loop and the hook (in this example) to create a pulley system to crank your load down tight. Then the rest of the steps are a hitch to keep it in place.
This is more secure than the version than I typically see used (and would be annoying to untie). I normally don't poke the end through like in step 9, but make another slip knot so the whole thing can be unravelled by pulling on the end of the line like a quick release.
nostoc 39 days ago [-]
The trucker's hitch is usefull because you get a mechanical advantage to tension your line.
Typically, I'd do a bowline on one end first, and tension it with a trucker's hitch. If you go with two bowlines, you end up with a floppy line, not great way to tie a load down.
I doubt you could find a more topical meme video than that.
stevesimmons 39 days ago [-]
The trucker's hitch is great. So quick, and perfect for tensioning loads. I've used it probably a thousand times for tying kayaks on roofracks.
Only had one lost load, due to using the wrong rope (my friend's polypropylene rope rather than my usual climbing rope or yachting halyard rope). Unfortunately, that involved 5 canoe polo kayaks falling off, in the middle of a busy city intersection, in the evening peak hour. Lesson learned: bring your own rope!
BozeWolf 38 days ago [-]
Climbing rope is probably not a good fit for this job. Climbing rope has at least 10% stretch.
andrewflnr 38 days ago [-]
But you're going to take up a lot of the stretch during the tensioning phase. The key thing is that it's not so slippery that knots fall apart.
bozhark 39 days ago [-]
The website you linked is a wonderful advert for the OP
gffrd 35 days ago [-]
Want to add: the _about us_ of this site ("Grog Story") is excellent. I always seek out the "about" of sites to find out "why do you do this, and how well do you understand what you do?"
Nice knot! I agree with the others, I use the taut line hitch frequently, but this is interesting and looks like it will get easier to tie after a few times. Then it has a pull tag for a quick release.
MikeBVaughn 39 days ago [-]
The tautline hitch is, after the square knot, probably my most-used knot outdoors. It's just versatile and adjustable. I know people say there are usually better knots for various jobs where you can employ it, but throughout all of Boy Scouts and beyond, it was always at least good enough.
Plus, it's really satisfying the way you can slide and adjust it. There's something so wonderful about getting sophisticated mechanics from things made purely of rope or cord.
kqr 39 days ago [-]
Do you know about the prusik knot, and the corresponding practise of prusiking?
Works on the same principle as the taut-line hitch. You can hang your weight in the knot on a vertical rope indefinitely. If you can then find a way to unload the knot, you can slide it up the rope and then put your weight on it again, slightly higher up than before.
So how do you unload the knot? By loading another of the same knots! So you alternate between loading and sliding the two knots, making your way up the rope with comparatively little effort and comparatively high security.
It's quite amazing!
ubadair 39 days ago [-]
Klemheist knot is a useful related one. It's easier to slide than prussik and works with webbing or rope.
kqr 39 days ago [-]
IIRC it's also easier to accidentally slide, even when loaded. But I could be confusing it with some other friction hitch!
cudgy 39 days ago [-]
Prusik knot is great. Used it for attaching a tarp over the cockpit of a sailboat for some shade by attaching to the shrouds and stays. Holds extremely well in high winds too. Some use it as described by above post to climb the mast.
MikeBVaughn 39 days ago [-]
That's incredible! I'm going to give that a look later this weekend! Thanks!
dhimes 38 days ago [-]
I quite often use the tautline in combination with the truckers: Use the purchase of the truckers to reduce the load that tautline has to hold, but the adjustability of the tautline lets me cinch things tight. Super handy on sailboats.
Great example is from the video linked above with the airplane. At the end he's complaining about the tautline. In that instance, I would use (if not the knot he's showing) a truckers to the plane, and the tautline to set the length.
cseleborg 39 days ago [-]
I learned the taut-line hitch a while ago and find it great for exactly this purpose, and it looks a bit easier than the one you suggest. Do you have a particular reason to recommend this one?
fdr 39 days ago [-]
Much better friction. It's especially noticeable with synthetically sheathed ropes, including the abundant and inexpensive paracord format. I also find I can tie and untie it faster: the taut line hitch requires finding and threading the end a lot more (for multiple wraps).
By comparison, the Farrimond Friction hitch is two major steps: wrapping a small underhand loop you can put anywhere on the running end of the rope is faster and more contained motion. After wrapping it, you just tuck a bight through, and you're done. If you crave much more security than what a bight allows, pull the rope through.
If anything took some practice vs the taut line hitch (or the midshipman's variant), it was the fact that the knot is one of those you tend to dress at the end: a taut-line hitch has a distinct and neat look at every step...at the cost of having to thread a rope through one loop (twice), then another once.
Dressing the Farrimond Friction hitch is simple to do, a firm tug on the standing end plus sliding the knot is all you need, but to someone without muscle memory the knot may appear to be controlled chaos in mid-tying. It's a very easy knot to tie without any visual feedback after a bit of practice, you gain a feel for it with your hands.
kqr 39 days ago [-]
Seconding this question. I learned many knots from my father when I was small, but the taut-line hitch is one of few I have used on a weekly basis all these years.
(If anyone is curious, the carrick bend is the other one I use very often.)
probotect0r 39 days ago [-]
If the length of your working end is really long, it's easier to tie a farrimond hitch. I used to use the tautline hitch for tying tarps over my hammock, but sometimes I would have a lot of line left over after wrapping it around a tree and passing the end through the loop of the tautline hitch was annoying.
contravariant 39 days ago [-]
Being able to tie in the bight seem useful, it means you don't need to have both ends free to tie it.
A taut line hitch is a good choice in most cases though.
bhelkey 39 days ago [-]
I also learned the taut-line hitch. It looks like the Farrimond Friction Hitch trades off slightly harder tying with easier untying.
joshuamorton 39 days ago [-]
Oh neat it's a taut line hitch but using a prussik instead of half-hitches. It's cool that you can compose knots like that!
I'll give that a whirl. I usually use a tautline hitch for that function.
Melatonic 39 days ago [-]
Looks like a fancy slip loop
almog 39 days ago [-]
I like Knots3D, but there are some alternatives that made it easier for me:
1. The Klutz Book of Knots (it's a book with holes around the pages so you can practice the knots next to their instructions). I think it's supposed to be a kid's book, but I bought for myself few years ago and was probably the resource I used the most.
2. I find it _much_ easier to learn how to tie a knot by watching someone's hands while they explain what they're doing. KnottingKnots on Youtube is incredible at that:
https://www.youtube.com/c/KnottingKnots/
I think the knots I use the most, both in everyday life as well as for hiking are (from most used to least used):
- Trucker Hitch
- Bowline knot
- Clove hitch
- Figure of Eight knot (bend too but less often)
- Sheet Bend
- Prusik knot
- Square knot
- Taut line hitch
etra0 39 days ago [-]
That's a good selection :^)
This pandemic I started learning about knots as well but IMHO one end up using a very few selection that works for most cases. I admit sharing small selections may not be that useful because people have different life styles but there are some that are almost always useful.
I'd like to add a few 'quick releases' to your selection like the Painter's Hitch and the Highwayman's Hitch. I personally use the Painter's hitch and the taut line hitch to secure my motorcycle's cover on windy days, pretty fun to use!
almog 39 days ago [-]
I'll try to add Painter's Hitch to my repertoire, I can see how it can come handy.
And yes, the selection really depends on one's use case. I think that Trucker Hitch was the most life changing for me. Both for securing items in the car but also as a more versatile replacement for taut line hitch when staking down guylines to the ground (Andrew Skurka has a good demonstration of this use case).
Though for your use case taut line is probably best as it's easier to adjust and you probably aren't trying to optimize for minimal line length or weird anchor points)
Great list. I would invite you to try a stevedore instead of the figure 8. It's really the same knot with an extra wrap, and it cinches into something the size of a double-overhand but won't jam. It's an outstanding stopper know- the only one I use on sailboats now (and I'm converting many people to it).
almog 38 days ago [-]
I just tried it and at first I thought it really was just a figure eight with extra wrap (a bit like the figure of nine bend), I noticed the difference was not just the extra wrap but also that the working end is finally fed back into the loop from the bottom rather than from the top (as in figure of eight). That last piece I think result in a different final shape.
dhimes 37 days ago [-]
I feed the working end through the bottom in the figure-eight as well.
almog 37 days ago [-]
I think in both cases, whether the working end should be fed from the bottom of the loop or from the top depends on whether we're crossing the working end under or above the bight the first time: working end that crosses above the bight leads to feeding into the loop from the top and vice versa.
That's for figure of eight but for figure of eight above first leads to feeding from the bottom of the loop at the final step and vice versa.
pmoriarty 39 days ago [-]
My favorite knot is the Zeppelin Bend: [1]
It's used to tie the ends of two ropes together.
It's super easy to tie, super easy to untie (when you want to), and will not untie accidentally.
I remember discovering this as a boy scout of around 14 and when I presented it to our scout leader, the look he gave me suggested that he was trying to decide whether to call the police or the psychiatric services. I've kept these things to myself ever since.
obloid 39 days ago [-]
Yes! the zeppelin bend is also my favorite knot. I probably don't use it as much as a bowline, but it comes in handy joining two lengths of rope, looks cool, and is always easy to untie no matter how much the knot has been loaded.
Besides the bowline my most used knot is probably the trucker hitch.
Carrick bend is another favorite of mine, but I prefer the zeppelin bend for real world usage.
failTide 39 days ago [-]
Hah, same here. There's something really satisfying about it. Maybe it's the imagery of tying off a hydrogen airship.
ZoomZoomZoom 39 days ago [-]
> There's something really satisfying about it.
You could even say there's something nice about it.
The ABoK was something I always wanted to see, but never bothered to buy... until I found that PDF. Scrolling through it finally convinced me to buy a hardcopy. It's one of my favorite books to just flip through. There's more than just the knots: the history and the anecdotes are a fascinating window into the past.
blacksmith_tb 39 days ago [-]
The ABK is a wonderful artifact, but a very poor guide for learning to tie the knots in its pages. I highly recommend any of the clearly illustrated books from International Knot Tiers' Guild[1] members like Geoffery Budworth, Des Pawson and John Shaw.
>The ABK is a wonderful artifact, but a very poor guide for learning to tie the knots in its pages.
I disagree. The Ashley Book does not give in-depth step-by-step details, but it gives enough. You may have to train your brain a bit, but it's not all that difficult. It seems like I reference my copy every week or so for one thing or another.
If there is a complaint about the Ashley book, it's that it was written at a time before synthetic fibers. Some knots may require modifications, and all splices should be increased in length to account for the differences.
For a single reference book, it covers so much quite well, and the index is a marvel. It deserves a place on your shelf.
pmoriarty 39 days ago [-]
The Ashley Book of Knots is fantastic.
You could probably find it at your local library.
LgWoodenBadger 39 days ago [-]
The Ashley Book of Knots is probably the only book I’ve ever returned, and I did so even though I didn’t get a full refund.
Most of the knots in it are either decorative, useless, or just a renamed version of a different knot.
moeris 39 days ago [-]
Decorative? The knots are literally categorized by application in traditional fields. That's why many of them are listed more than once: they have different applications in different fields, and go by different names.
Maybe you're thinking of a different book?
Enk1du 38 days ago [-]
Perhaps the Badger was looking at #2184 - "An old method to sling a gun or cannon", and not finding it very useful, having cleared out the last of the family cannons years ago. The criticisms are _somewhat_ valid. The monkey's paw is decorative, unless you need a heaving line, and a number of entries are explicitly how to use the previous knot in a different way.
I've had mine for near 20 years now and only ever bothered learning one knot out of it, #599 The Chinese Button knot, which I find relaxing. I wouldn't recommend it as the first book you buy on the subject, but maybe as the third or final book, when you have a feel for tying. The instructions are there for the best way of tying a bowline #1010, but a beginner would struggle.
Nevertheless, it remains in the category of Far More Than You Ever Wanted To Know.
I’ll share an image of my order history if you want
throwxxxaway 39 days ago [-]
I've also bought this app on Playstore, a couple of years ago, but for me it's sort of useless.
Yes, you can try to follow the picture, but that's usually not how you tie the knot.
I wish this app would show how to tie the knots efficiently with your hands, like in this video [1]
I just installed the app and I can switch the view horizontally and vertically, rotate the view 360 degrees and change the speed. I can also incrementally step forward and backward through every step of the knot tying process by swiping my finger up and down. I could not ask for a more thorough example of how to tie a knot.
stouset 39 days ago [-]
The app doesn't actually show the knot tying process for many knots. Yes, any knot can be created by carefully weaving one open end through the entire process (what is shown). But that's not how many (most?) knots are actually tied in practice. And for many knots it would be impractically difficult to tie it this way.
gilleain 39 days ago [-]
I think I understand what you mean, but what would that 'extra context' look like?
For example, could 'practical' knot tying be modelled as a sequence of states? So one state would be 'untied' and then the next might be 'looped under', then 'end passed through loop' and so on?
If i think about the enormous pain i had when first tying a bow-tie... then realistically there are all sorts of details like which hand you hold which part with :/
cityzen 39 days ago [-]
do you have any examples of knot tying process? I am honestly not 100% sure what you mean but curious to learn more.
blacksmith_tb 39 days ago [-]
Here's an example[1] at random from YT. Many knots can be tied multiple ways (that still result in the same knot), and many knots can be tied with slight variations (for example lots of things can be slipped by finishing the knot with a doubled-over bight instead of just the single line, allowing you to pull the 'tail' and quickly untie them).
I know not everyone has (or supports) instagram, but this account is nothing but hands tying knots in different ways, and I love it: https://www.instagram.com/knotsandcues/
masukomi 39 days ago [-]
i had it already installed too. took a look at it and it now includes a 3d animation showing how you tie the knot. It's pretty good.
bjt 39 days ago [-]
This is my brother-in-law's app. Wild to see it on the front page of HN. It's been a side project of his for a very long time.
windexh8er 39 days ago [-]
I purchased this app almost 10 years ago. The app is still being updated and the author has kept it straightforward and has never tried to upsell or do a version change. It's one of the best values I've gotten out of an app over time and have recommended it to many people over the years. I wish more apps were developed and maintained like this. I wish there was a donate option for the developer as I feel I've gotten more value than the $10 I've paid.
I love running across the occasional person who pays just enough attention to me using the Ian Knot to realize that it was way too fast, and getting that delayed "... wait WHAT" reaction.
That's how you know you've caught a new convert.
jqgatsby 39 days ago [-]
what do you think of the Ian knot versus the Ian secure knot?
GuB-42 38 days ago [-]
Both great. The secure knot is the best, secure but doesn't jam, looks good too, but Ian knot ties much faster.
I usually go with Ian knot by default but switch to the secure one if it comes undone.
mewse-hn 39 days ago [-]
I'm going fishing soon for the first time this year, and was reminding myself of the one knot I learned while I was a fishing guide one summer.
I found it on this page - apparently it's called the "palomar knot". I'm very fond of it because you can easily tie it with cold, wet hands in the rain and it won't lose fish. Works with braided and monofilament.
ofrzeta 38 days ago [-]
I am using a half blood knot but seeing the palomar knot makes me want to try this because it seems a lot easier than threading the line through the loop five times (or did I thread it five times already?).
warmwaffles 39 days ago [-]
I've forgotten all the knots I learned in Boy Scouts. This is a great time for me to spend some time relearning.
hathawsh 39 days ago [-]
This site makes the Trucker's Hitch look very simple. You just start with an Alpine Butterfly, pull a loose end through a ring and then the butterfly loop, then secure the loose end around the rope.
The trucker's hitch is one ofy favorites. I use it (with some Paracord) to tie stuff done to my bike. A piece of cord is just so much more durable and more compact than those elastic bands with hooks. I prefer taking the extra 30 seconds rather than risking a rubber cord snapping somewhere near my face.
bitexploder 39 days ago [-]
The alpine butterfly is one of my favorite and most used knots in my workshop. Very easy to remember, very strong and useful.
genericone 39 days ago [-]
Bought it on playstore 8 years ago, havent opened it in 3 years, don't regret it one bit. Would purchase again.
m3adow 39 days ago [-]
Got it for free 5+ years ago, used it less than a dozen times. It's still one of the first apps I install on each device, the different knots are just so cool
Karawebnetwork 39 days ago [-]
A small paracord on my desk is a great way to keep my hands busy during long meetings where I would otherwise start to fidget and lose focus. It takes a while to get good enough to do it without thinking, but once you get there it's a great way to focus if you need to.
lkxijlewlf 39 days ago [-]
Came here to say I have about a 3 meter length next to me. I started doing this to help curb snacking, but it also helps me problem solve and focus.
albertzeyer 39 days ago [-]
Knots are a fascinating topic, and a recurring one on HN, for example:
Many years ago, I learned about Ian's secure knot (https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm), a shoelace knot, which I have used since then. It just never accidently opens but still is simple to tie and also simple to open on intention.
gffrd 39 days ago [-]
I have to ask: what is HN's interest in knots?
Regularly (and dependably!), posts about knots make their way to the front page, often to the top … it's nearly in the same mold as "articles warning about lending/housing behavior".
macksd 39 days ago [-]
If one has a hacker mindset that extends outside of startups and technology, knots are pretty dang useful. I use them all the time in DIY projects, camping, etc.
gilleain 39 days ago [-]
Perhaps because it relates (vaguely) to
- Topology
- Combinatorics?
- Practical stuff like tying up boats?
I like knots because of the relationship to protein folds, but hey ymmv.
tomc1985 39 days ago [-]
It's good for attracting a partner that's into shibari
andrewflnr 38 days ago [-]
Knots take a nearly 1-dimensional object and generate a 3d structure that is both durable and potentially useful, sometimes bordering on life-changing. That's super cool.
I think a lot of us also have a bit of a primitivist streak, and knots are a low technology that can replace a lot of higher tech and still get a lot done (compare to HN's enduring fascination with Forth).
lkxijlewlf 39 days ago [-]
Knots are generally a solution to a problem. I think that's why they fit.
Question is, why don't we see as many about saws?
gffrd 39 days ago [-]
Exactly! Or … I don't know, fans?
I suspect it has to do with that knots are universal, transform something simple into an incredibly useful tool, and has limitless applications.
I'm now trying to thing of other things that fit this description beyond raw materials.
Lich 39 days ago [-]
For me it's fishing and camping.
Gigachad 39 days ago [-]
It’s something else to feel smug about. “Ah, I know more knots than the average person. I truely am a hacker and more enlightened”
kriro 39 days ago [-]
It seems like in my daily life I use only three knots and then very rarely I use a couple more. My guess is most people spend all their life on <5 knots. It's a pretty fascinating topic and I like this resource. I use one knot that my life depends on (double 8 for climbing, weekly), the "normal" (double) knot for shoe laces (often) and the small knot for ties (thankfully, not so often). every now and then I go fishing and have to look up some extra knots :P
I'd be interested in recommendations for better shoe-binding knots (other than the old TED talk advice of doing it in reverse).
As an aside...my brain is really bad at doing knots. I have an old book and it's almost impossible for me to work from graphics+text only.
Does anyone have any suggestions for any good knots that can be used to tie coiled tubing together? I want to be able to easily tie the hose tightly and at the same time have a knot that can be easy to untie.
My problem is that when tightening the cord around the coiled hose, once I try to tie then the cord gets looser around the coiled hose and the coil gets "sloppy".
I saw a person do a good knot for this once, but unfortunately I didn't see how he did exactly because he did it so fast. When he first tightened it around the coiled hose, it stayed tightened and then he could easily finish the knot so it became permanent and it was easy to untie.
Any suggestions on any knot name I can look at that could be suitable? Thanks
andrewflnr 38 days ago [-]
Any of the variations on the trucker's hitch or taut-line/midshipman's hitch mentioned in this thread can probably be made to work. Or maybe even just a clove hitch secured with a shoe knot or whatever else you're using now might hold together long enough to stay tight. I've used a constrictor knot for similar jobs before, but it's honestly not great; having space between the poles/cords under the knot turns it from extremely difficult to untie into somewhat insecure.
subpixel 39 days ago [-]
I have this app but I'm still looking for the right knot to tie a boat to a float where another line has been strung between two cleats (to allow more small boats to tie up than would at two cleats).
As I type this my boat is tied with what looked like a child's shoelace.
cudgy 39 days ago [-]
Maybe put several knots within the line leaving a loop for the boats to tie onto.
39 days ago [-]
bluefirebrand 39 days ago [-]
Missed opportunity for a "knots for fun" category.
bitlax 39 days ago [-]
Doesn't hurt to learn the one-handed bowline as well.
bredren 39 days ago [-]
This seems like a great candidate for an AR app.
scyzoryk_xyz 39 days ago [-]
It really is.
Though thread/knot simulation is a very difficult problem. I’m involved in a VR project for surgery that simulates knots for surgical suturing. We have two full time physics phds on it and they’re delivering some promising results but it’s far from good enough to teach IRL knots.
bredren 39 days ago [-]
How far along is your work? Is it academic or commercial? Are you targeting any particular platforms?
gilleain 39 days ago [-]
Do different sutures require different knots?
scyzoryk_xyz 39 days ago [-]
Yes - we work with simulation of laparoscopic surgery, where several types of knots must be made on stiff inarticulate instruments in constrained spaces at difficult angles. It is quite an incredible skill.
swader999 39 days ago [-]
Different wounds and incisions require different sutures and different suturing techniques. So yes!
Students practise on poultry, cadavers and the real thing. And yeah VR too perhaps.
scyzoryk_xyz 39 days ago [-]
Yes, though the traditional surgical approach requires little more than rope and string to understand. Maybe training with some instruments and fruit/cadavers. The VR is overkill for this purpose imho.
I was a sceptic initially about it, but from my time with the topic of simulation training, I’m finding that there is a shortage of people who want to be doctors. And many of those that do want to go down that path are good at all sorts of things but this whole knot tying can be very challenging. Some people just have a really hard time with it.
39 days ago [-]
shkkmo 39 days ago [-]
One thing I don't see mentioned in this all this discussion of neat knots is the impact of the different knots on the load capacity of the rope you are tying.
For example while a bowline knot is easier to untie after having a heavy load placed on it, it weakens the rope more than a figure 8 knot.
LinuxBender 39 days ago [-]
Very nice! For completeness sake the Highwayman's knot is also referred to as the "Robbers Knot" [1] in some parts of the US.
Business opportunity: Start selling small pieces of rope to use for practice on the same site
Vladimof 39 days ago [-]
I like these 4 knots:
Bowline Knot
Truckers hitch Knot
Half Hitch Knot
Uni-Knot (fishing)
Vladimof 39 days ago [-]
oops didn't realize until it was too late to edit that the layout got messed up...
Bowline Knot
Truckers hitch Knot
Half Hitch Knot
Uni-Knot (fishing)
loudthing 39 days ago [-]
This is a very valuable resource. My only constructive criticism would be maybe providing multiple point of views for each step because it's not always obvious what the step requires to the laymen when showing 2d images.
askvictor 39 days ago [-]
I keep this app on my phone for that occasion every year or two where I need a knot; it's the perfect type of approach for those skills where you aren't going to practice often enough for it to stay in your memory.
That's the Trucker's Hitch, using a simple overhand knot for the loops. You can use any knot to create a loop, my preferred one is the alpine butterfly because it can be tied in the middle of any rope without needing access to the running ends (like the overhand knot in the video does)
39 days ago [-]
cudgy 39 days ago [-]
I use an app called “WhatKnotToDo” (great name) from Columbia that appears to be no longer available. It is very useful and breaks down knots by function which helped me greatly.
sbf501 39 days ago [-]
No Sommerville Bowline? It's the go-to knot for rope tops. :)
thrwaybdsm 39 days ago [-]
Somerville Bowline¹, one 'm'.
Named after the place Topologist was at when he discovered that very useful knot.
Worth mentioning, some knots work well with hemp or other vegetable fiber ropes, but not nylon, because it is too smooth to hold them.
tiahura 39 days ago [-]
Just started sailing and this looks handy.
jesterpm 39 days ago [-]
The book I learned knots from said that there are ~5 categories of knots and knowing one of each will cover you for most things. The categories were fixed loop, running loop, stopper knot, hitch (rope to object), and bend (joining two ropes).
I have about 4-5 knots memorized for each of those category, but sailing I typically only use a cleat hitch, bowline, and clove hitch (in order of frequency).
mkoryak 39 days ago [-]
This app is not available for your device.
Too bad so sad, and I was ready to give them 6 bucks.
aheze 39 days ago [-]
Is it interactive 3D or just a video? The app size is 215mb too
sphars 39 days ago [-]
It is indeed interactive. You can pause the animation, rotate, zoom and proceed step by step. Well worth the price and disk space.
Jarmsy 39 days ago [-]
I was expecting interactive simulation. For just a rotatable pausable animation I'd prefer it to be a website.
MetroWind 32 days ago [-]
I just look at Ashley
amelius 39 days ago [-]
Are there any knots useful for electrical wiring?
sgillen 39 days ago [-]
Usually you don't want your electrical wires to be taking any serious mechanical load, so that disqualifies most knots who's entire purpose is to take some sort of load.
It's simple and fast to tie (with a little practice for muscle memory), and with an extra turn has exceptional friction preventing loop collapse in some situations where even a bowline would have an issue. However, by relieving tension on one side of the knot, like a taut-line hitch it can slide.
I use it for its common application of tensioning, but I also find it useful for cinching. It can go anywhere a cord lock might have been useful in but a few seconds.
If anyone knows the 'proper' name for this knot I would greatly appreciate it.
[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMITtV80xpY
My most useful knot is the trucker's hitch. It's so handy for tying down loads, I don't know how I ever lived without it: https://www.animatedknots.com/truckers-hitch-knot
It's really strange to me though, and it's probably a culture thing, because for this use case literally everybody I know would use a bowline knot (https://www.animatedknots.com/bowling-knot), possibly with an extra lock to make sure it does not untie if there's no tension. This observation comes from a French sailing background, hence the probable cultural bias.
Could you educate me as of where the trucker's hitch is better? (to me the bowtie feels simpler, no possible slippage and easy to untie after a load)
The first part, up to step 6, is just a slip knot. That part could be replaced by a bowline. But the slip knot can be thrown in one-handed in the middle of the line without needing to pull the end through like a bowline. And when you're done you give it a yank and the slip knot pops out.
Step 7 is the real point of the whole thing. You're using the loop and the hook (in this example) to create a pulley system to crank your load down tight. Then the rest of the steps are a hitch to keep it in place.
This is more secure than the version than I typically see used (and would be annoying to untie). I normally don't poke the end through like in step 9, but make another slip knot so the whole thing can be unravelled by pulling on the end of the line like a quick release.
Typically, I'd do a bowline on one end first, and tension it with a trucker's hitch. If you go with two bowlines, you end up with a floppy line, not great way to tie a load down.
Only had one lost load, due to using the wrong rope (my friend's polypropylene rope rather than my usual climbing rope or yachting halyard rope). Unfortunately, that involved 5 canoe polo kayaks falling off, in the middle of a busy city intersection, in the evening peak hour. Lesson learned: bring your own rope!
This does not disappoint: https://www.animatedknots.com/grog-story
Plus, it's really satisfying the way you can slide and adjust it. There's something so wonderful about getting sophisticated mechanics from things made purely of rope or cord.
Works on the same principle as the taut-line hitch. You can hang your weight in the knot on a vertical rope indefinitely. If you can then find a way to unload the knot, you can slide it up the rope and then put your weight on it again, slightly higher up than before.
So how do you unload the knot? By loading another of the same knots! So you alternate between loading and sliding the two knots, making your way up the rope with comparatively little effort and comparatively high security.
It's quite amazing!
Great example is from the video linked above with the airplane. At the end he's complaining about the tautline. In that instance, I would use (if not the knot he's showing) a truckers to the plane, and the tautline to set the length.
By comparison, the Farrimond Friction hitch is two major steps: wrapping a small underhand loop you can put anywhere on the running end of the rope is faster and more contained motion. After wrapping it, you just tuck a bight through, and you're done. If you crave much more security than what a bight allows, pull the rope through.
If anything took some practice vs the taut line hitch (or the midshipman's variant), it was the fact that the knot is one of those you tend to dress at the end: a taut-line hitch has a distinct and neat look at every step...at the cost of having to thread a rope through one loop (twice), then another once.
Dressing the Farrimond Friction hitch is simple to do, a firm tug on the standing end plus sliding the knot is all you need, but to someone without muscle memory the knot may appear to be controlled chaos in mid-tying. It's a very easy knot to tie without any visual feedback after a bit of practice, you gain a feel for it with your hands.
(If anyone is curious, the carrick bend is the other one I use very often.)
A taut line hitch is a good choice in most cases though.
i learned the trucker's hitch in high school and use it all the time https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trucker's_hitch
Speaking of climbing-related knots, the figure-eight knot is another great knot to know.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure-eight_knot
1. The Klutz Book of Knots (it's a book with holes around the pages so you can practice the knots next to their instructions). I think it's supposed to be a kid's book, but I bought for myself few years ago and was probably the resource I used the most.
2. I find it _much_ easier to learn how to tie a knot by watching someone's hands while they explain what they're doing. KnottingKnots on Youtube is incredible at that: https://www.youtube.com/c/KnottingKnots/
I think the knots I use the most, both in everyday life as well as for hiking are (from most used to least used):
This pandemic I started learning about knots as well but IMHO one end up using a very few selection that works for most cases. I admit sharing small selections may not be that useful because people have different life styles but there are some that are almost always useful.
I'd like to add a few 'quick releases' to your selection like the Painter's Hitch and the Highwayman's Hitch. I personally use the Painter's hitch and the taut line hitch to secure my motorcycle's cover on windy days, pretty fun to use!
And yes, the selection really depends on one's use case. I think that Trucker Hitch was the most life changing for me. Both for securing items in the car but also as a more versatile replacement for taut line hitch when staking down guylines to the ground (Andrew Skurka has a good demonstration of this use case). Though for your use case taut line is probably best as it's easier to adjust and you probably aren't trying to optimize for minimal line length or weird anchor points)
https://andrewskurka.com/guyline-tension-system-backpacking-...
It's used to tie the ends of two ropes together.
It's super easy to tie, super easy to untie (when you want to), and will not untie accidentally.
[1] - https://www.animatedknots.com/zeppelin-bend-knot
[1]: https://www.animatedknots.com/sheet-bend-knot
[1] https://www.animatedknots.com/bowline-knot
You could even say there's something nice about it.
https://www.animatedknots.com/
Someday I'll buy the Ashley Book of Knots, and on that day I'll truly begin my journey into middle age.
The ABoK was something I always wanted to see, but never bothered to buy... until I found that PDF. Scrolling through it finally convinced me to buy a hardcopy. It's one of my favorite books to just flip through. There's more than just the knots: the history and the anecdotes are a fascinating window into the past.
1: https://igkt.net/
I disagree. The Ashley Book does not give in-depth step-by-step details, but it gives enough. You may have to train your brain a bit, but it's not all that difficult. It seems like I reference my copy every week or so for one thing or another.
If there is a complaint about the Ashley book, it's that it was written at a time before synthetic fibers. Some knots may require modifications, and all splices should be increased in length to account for the differences.
For a single reference book, it covers so much quite well, and the index is a marvel. It deserves a place on your shelf.
You could probably find it at your local library.
Most of the knots in it are either decorative, useless, or just a renamed version of a different knot.
Maybe you're thinking of a different book?
I've had mine for near 20 years now and only ever bothered learning one knot out of it, #599 The Chinese Button knot, which I find relaxing. I wouldn't recommend it as the first book you buy on the subject, but maybe as the third or final book, when you have a feel for tying. The instructions are there for the best way of tying a bowline #1010, but a beginner would struggle.
Nevertheless, it remains in the category of Far More Than You Ever Wanted To Know.
I’ll share an image of my order history if you want
I wish this app would show how to tie the knots efficiently with your hands, like in this video [1]
1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2aRj8dQPRQ
For example, could 'practical' knot tying be modelled as a sequence of states? So one state would be 'untied' and then the next might be 'looped under', then 'end passed through loop' and so on?
If i think about the enormous pain i had when first tying a bow-tie... then realistically there are all sorts of details like which hand you hold which part with :/
1: https://youtu.be/lvIRHvu2va8?t=162
That's how you know you've caught a new convert.
I usually go with Ian knot by default but switch to the secure one if it comes undone.
I found it on this page - apparently it's called the "palomar knot". I'm very fond of it because you can easily tie it with cold, wet hands in the rain and it won't lose fish. Works with braided and monofilament.
https://knots3d.com/knots/en_us/63/truckers-hitch
Note for the author: the "Note" section on that page has the same text pasted 3 times. Still a great tutorial!
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10200917 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26867300
Many years ago, I learned about Ian's secure knot (https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm), a shoelace knot, which I have used since then. It just never accidently opens but still is simple to tie and also simple to open on intention.
Regularly (and dependably!), posts about knots make their way to the front page, often to the top … it's nearly in the same mold as "articles warning about lending/housing behavior".
- Topology
- Combinatorics?
- Practical stuff like tying up boats?
I like knots because of the relationship to protein folds, but hey ymmv.
I think a lot of us also have a bit of a primitivist streak, and knots are a low technology that can replace a lot of higher tech and still get a lot done (compare to HN's enduring fascination with Forth).
Question is, why don't we see as many about saws?
I suspect it has to do with that knots are universal, transform something simple into an incredibly useful tool, and has limitless applications.
I'm now trying to thing of other things that fit this description beyond raw materials.
I'd be interested in recommendations for better shoe-binding knots (other than the old TED talk advice of doing it in reverse).
As an aside...my brain is really bad at doing knots. I have an old book and it's almost impossible for me to work from graphics+text only.
https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm
https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm
My problem is that when tightening the cord around the coiled hose, once I try to tie then the cord gets looser around the coiled hose and the coil gets "sloppy".
I saw a person do a good knot for this once, but unfortunately I didn't see how he did exactly because he did it so fast. When he first tightened it around the coiled hose, it stayed tightened and then he could easily finish the knot so it became permanent and it was easy to untie.
Any suggestions on any knot name I can look at that could be suitable? Thanks
As I type this my boat is tied with what looked like a child's shoelace.
Though thread/knot simulation is a very difficult problem. I’m involved in a VR project for surgery that simulates knots for surgical suturing. We have two full time physics phds on it and they’re delivering some promising results but it’s far from good enough to teach IRL knots.
Students practise on poultry, cadavers and the real thing. And yeah VR too perhaps.
I was a sceptic initially about it, but from my time with the topic of simulation training, I’m finding that there is a shortage of people who want to be doctors. And many of those that do want to go down that path are good at all sorts of things but this whole knot tying can be very challenging. Some people just have a really hard time with it.
For example while a bowline knot is easier to untie after having a heavy load placed on it, it weakens the rope more than a figure 8 knot.
[1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxR5HBEa76w
Bowline Knot
Truckers hitch Knot
Half Hitch Knot
Uni-Knot (fishing)
Named after the place Topologist was at when he discovered that very useful knot.
1: https://crash-restraint.com/ties/66
I have about 4-5 knots memorized for each of those category, but sailing I typically only use a cleat hitch, bowline, and clove hitch (in order of frequency).
Too bad so sad, and I was ready to give them 6 bucks.
That being said check out the underwriters knot, which is specifically designed for strain relief: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwriter%27s_knot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_lacing