Tied A Dozen Different Types Of Knots
May 21, 2011 Filed in: Crafts
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
--Thomas Jefferson
Today was a special day. It was not the end of the world. It was our friend Chanelle’s wedding day. I usually enjoy weddings. Wait, let me rephrase that: I usually enjoy wedding food. Just kidding.
Watching two people join their lives in this way is something I take seriously. It’s special and it’s wonderful. So, what did I have planned for such a day as this?
Since Chanelle was tying the knot, I decided I was going to be tying knots as well. I wanted to tie about a dozen different ones. Some I have learned in Boy Scouts or just in general, but a lot of the ones I learned about were new to me and finding out the different applications for these knots was a really interesting learning experience for me.
I started with this single piece of rope.
The first knot I tied was a very basic overhand knot. This is a quick stopper knot, although a double overhand is even more useful.
The second knot was a half hitch knot. It’s useful when you want to quickly tie a rope around an object. The half hitch is usually followed by a second half hitch.
The next knot I did is called a half knot, and it’s usually the first thing you do when you tie your shoe laces. It’s the first movement in a square (or reef) knot.
Speaking of square knots, the next knot was a square knot. It’s a very common knot that we use all the time. We tie our shoes with it (usually with a bow), but I just found out that it’s not that secure, but it does use the half hitch I did earlier.
Another way to join two ropes is with a sheet bend. It’s useful for ropes of differing sizes, but it will become loose if it’s not under a load.
A figure 8 knot is a quick and convenient stopper like the overhand, except that it can be undone easily (which can either be an advantage or a vice).
A slip knot is a very easily undone stopper knot. This is meant to be temporary.
A noose knot is not the same as a hangman’s knot. It actually has more in common with the slip knot. It’s often used in knitting as the first loop.
The Albright knot is useful fishing knot for joining two types of line together.
A double fisherman’s bend (or grapevine knot) is great and reliable way to join two climbing ropes together.
For securing loads and tarps, a trucker’s hitch is a common knot.
Another common climbing knot is the figure 8 bend. It’s a safe and easy way to join two ropes, and it’s relatively easy to remember how to tie and check. I see people at Planet Granite use this one all the time.
This was fun. The most complicated rope tie I’d ever done before was a sheepshank, so this was cool to see the usefulness and construction of these knots. They’re solutions for different problems. Now when a situation arrises where I might need one, I’ll know which one to use.
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