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Animated Knots: Learn how to tie knots with step-by-step animation

437 points by wilsonfiifi 7y ago

vorpalhex 7y ago
This is the kind of frame-by-frame guide that really helps me learn knots. For a while there, I was carrying a few feet of paracord in my work bag and would practice knots.
- JustSomeNobody 7y ago
  Ha! I still do. Well, technically, I work from home, but my paracord is always next to me. If I'm stuck on a problem, I'll tie a few knots and then go back to work. It's really helpful in several ways.
Angostura 7y ago
This looks very nice - I use the rather lovely Knots 3D on iOS - an app that I've had installed for about 10 years or so? Handy if you are out on the road and lets you use a scrubber bar to see the construction of the knot and rotate it around 3 axes.
hprotagonist 7y ago
grog knots is also a nice app from the same folks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animated-knots-by-grog/id376302649 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animated-knots-by-grog/id376... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.animatedknots.knots&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.animatedkn... It’s worth having a hardcopy version of Ashley’s Book Of Knots if you’re really into this sort of thing... but for (my) practical purposes, i prefer John Long’s “Climbing Anchors”.
- sandworm101 7y ago
  Long's books are definitive in the world of climbing, but the knots he teaches are limited by the needs of climbers. He isn't big on slip knots or knots that require tension (sheepshank) because those aren't safe for climbing. Knots for lashing and knots designed for natural fiber rope are similarly absent. Many a climber thinks they know knots until asked to lash a pair of ladders together. Ironically the most common knot in all climbing, the one used by virtually every climber every day, isn't in Long's books. He doesn't teach how to lace and tie your climbing shoes. There are right and wrong ways. I have seen a climber injured by incorrectly tied boots. They hurt their foot and couldn't remove the boot quickly because the laces were all wrong. https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/caf-combat-boot-lacing.htm https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/caf-combat-boot-lacing.htm
  - hprotagonist 7y ago
    i’m a 5.10 moccasym convert :) as generalist all-day cragging shoes go, they’re very hard to beat.
cheerlessbog 7y ago
There's a link to the site that describes the one step shoelace knot. [1] It's saved me 5 seconds a day for 15 years, that's 8 hours I got back, plus it's neat to demonstrate and spread the word. [1] https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm
- mjstone 7y ago
  I'm also a convert to this. It's even more efficient if combined with Ukranian Lacing: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ukrainianlacing.htm https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ukrainianlacing.htm
  - cheerlessbog 7y ago
    Wow I hadn't seen that. I will learn it, thanks!
ch 7y ago
Great looking site. I just grabbed the app because I've been using the "What Knot to Do" app forever now, but find these animated single page descriptions more concise!
sunsetMurk 7y ago
Awesome that this is here on HN - By chance, used this site last week when setting up some fishing gear and commented to some friends how great the site was. The site does an amazing job at a visual step-by-step guide that's easy to understand w/o always asking.. "did I skip a step?".. "How does that move that way?" .. The makers seem to have separated their steps in just the right way which is always a challenge. The pictures are high-quality too. Kudos! Glad to see it get more eyeballs!
JimBrimble35 7y ago
I love how clean and professional looking this is, and how difficult it is to tell that it's being monetized. Content like this is why the internet exists! I can definitely see the value in having this app on my phone too.
jamesrcole 7y ago
Random thought: a VR app that gave you "hands on" guidance and experience tieing knots would be an interesting way to learn them.
- folli 7y ago
  This would need some kind of force feedback mechanism, I can't imagine tieing a knot without resistance of the rope.
  - jamesrcole 7y ago
    I feel it could still help people learn, by letting people step through the movements involved, and seeing it from a more natural visual perspective. Resources like this post's website (obviously) don't involve resistance but are still useful.
sizzzzlerz 7y ago
I love learning how to tie new knots. My problem is that, unless I use them regularly, I tend to forget how to tie the more complicated ones. My go-to knots are the bowline, sheetbend, tenter's hitch, the alpine butterfly, and the bloodknot, for joining fishing line. Great site!
rraval 7y ago
Incidentally, my favourite knot of all time is also listed first: the adjustable grip hitch, https://www.animatedknots.com/adjustable-grip-hitch-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/adjustable-grip-hitch-knot Take 5 minutes out of your day, find a small piece of rope (or CAT5, headphone wire, USB cable), and actually tie the knot with your hands. It's super easy to pre-visualize the knot forming and you can learn to tie the knot in any orientation after just a couple tries. Being able to adjust the tension on the line after tying the knot pops up in all manner of practical situations. This was my gateway drug to the wonderful world of knots. --- EDIT: to encourage people to actually tie the damn thing, here's a picture of my computer mouse cable around the handle of my coffee cup: https://i.imgur.com/ZN4WXoB.jpg https://i.imgur.com/ZN4WXoB.jpg (in the "right handed down" orientation, as opposed the the "right handed up" direction from the instructions).
- JshWright 7y ago
  I rarely find situations where I want to use this knot over a trucker's hitch (which trades some ease of adjustment for significant mechanical advantage when tensioning). I have combined the two from time to time (using the adjustable hitch to secure the working end)
  - rraval 7y ago
    That's fair, I too use a trucker's hitch for the ridgeline of a tarp. However, I'll use adjustable grip hitches for the guylines. That lets me freely adjust how my tarp is placed and holds up the tension reasonably (from experience, the friction hitch on paracord could do with tightening every 1.5 days or so). It's also quicker to tie and uses less cordage, so that's a plus. Combining the two straight up never occurred to me. Will definitely give that a shot :)
    - bacon_waffle 7y ago
      Clove hitch on a bight is great for guylines too.
  - SAI_Peregrinus 7y ago
peterwwillis 7y ago
If you're going for one mostly-perfect bend or knot, make it the Zeppelin Bend[1] and the Zeppelin Loop[2]. Secure, fixed, easy, jam-resistant. It's not well known, so don't use it when other people need to understand your knots, but it's hard to beat for overall utility. If you need other people to understand it, use the Alpine Butterfly Bend[3]/Loop[4]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_bend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_bend [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_loop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_loop [3] https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-bend-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-bend-knot [4] https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-loop-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-loop-knot
floatrock 7y ago
If you're not handsome, at least be handy ;) Got into knots partly as a hobby, partly because they actually come in handy when camping or when the license plate holder of your car gets knocked off from a low curb and you need a quick way of reattaching it. You know, good life skills. If you want to experiment, there's really only three knots that will solve 80% of your common needs: 1) Bowline: https://www.animatedknots.com/bowline-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/bowline-knot -- secure loop that doesn't slide, easy to undo (mnemonic: "rabbit comes out of the hole, goes around the tree, and runs back down the hole") 2) Midshipman's Hitch: https://www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans-hitch-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans-hitch-knot -- sliding adjustable-tension knot for tying down gear or guy lines 3) Square Knot: https://www.animatedknots.com/square-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/square-knot For quick tying of two ropes together. Fun fact: the square knot is also how you already tie your shoelaces! You're just using a loop (a "bight") instead of the end of the rope because bights are commonly added to quickly undo knots (see, you're already using advanced techniques!). And funner fact: if you understand how you accidentally reverse the square knot to make it weaker, you can understand how NOT to tie your shoelaces in the way that makes them come undone easily! Bonus Points: the Trucker's Hitch for tying down gear. It's basically any number of fixed-loop knots like the bowline to create a "pully" (mechanical advantage), fixed by any number of adjustable tension knots like the midshipman's to hold it down.
- LgWoodenBadger 7y ago
  You really should never use the square knot as a bend (joining two lines together) as it can spill/capsize. "But under no circumstances should it ever be tied as a bend, for if tied with two ends of unequal size, or if one end is stiffer or smoother than the other, the knot is almost bound to spill. Except for its true purpose of binding it is a knot to be shunned." To quote from Ashley. Others refer to it as the most dangerous knot because of the number of people killed by relying on it as a bend.
  - hprotagonist 7y ago
    i strongly prefer the EDK, despite the name. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_death-knot https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_death-knot
pmoriarty 7y ago
As useful as sites like these are, there is still no substitute for the encyclopedic Ashley Book of Knots[1][2], which contains every knot under the sun and then some (up to the time it was written -- and, to be fair, quite a few knots have been invented since then, but it's still an impressive tome). [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashley_Book_of_Knots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashley_Book_of_Knots [2] - https://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Book-Knots-Clifford-W/dp/0385040253 https://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Book-Knots-Clifford-W/dp/03850...
- blacksmith_tb 7y ago
  I have mixed feelings about Ashley - there's no doubt it's a very cool book for its sweeping scope, but I would never recommend it as a guide for learning tie knots. There are many good choices from Budworth[1], Pawson[2], Toss[3] and more. 1: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1069046.The_Complete_Book_of_Knots https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1069046.The_Complete_Boo... 2: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220058.Handbook_of_Knots https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220058.Handbook_of_Knots 3: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1476184.Knots https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1476184.Knots
  - LgWoodenBadger 7y ago
    FWIW, I agree. The Ashley Book of Knots is the only book I've ever returned to Amazon. It's expensive for what amounts to a coffee-table book of old drawings and a history of many superfluous, duplicate, or decorative knots. A lot of the information is outdated with respect to newer materials and/or the "knot" industry.
throw7 7y ago
Can someone explain the difference between a "bight" and a "loop"? https://home.army.mil/wood/application/files/8915/3868/3675/knots.pdf https://home.army.mil/wood/application/files/8915/3868/3675/... In the linked pdf, a bight is bend/curve of rope that doesn't cross itself; however, they show a "double bight" which seems to cross itself. They say that the "strands" don't cross... errr ok?, I'm not understanding how the "double bight" is not a "loop"... the rope is crossing itself!
- JshWright 7y ago
  A "bight" is simply a curved section in the middle of a line. There's no hard and fast definition of "how curved". Some folks would say a "bight" can't be any more than a semi-circle, others would say it can loop around as many times as you want.
- butisaidsudo 7y ago
  You "make" a loop but "take" a bight, as unhelpful as that may be. A loop is a step in making a knot, where as a bight is just a handful of rope somewhere in the middle of it. You can tie a regular bowline, or a bowline on a bight. The same knot will need a different technique for tying on a bight, since you can't pass the ends through. When you tie a bowline on a bight, first you take a bight, then you make a loop.
bradford 7y ago
This information is useful, but I'm often disappointed at the super-granular focus of information offered by knot-tying manuals, and this guide is no different. For example, take the truckers hitch (https://www.animatedknots.com/truckers-hitch-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/truckers-hitch-knot). I could give this to someone and I'm sure they could tie the knot, but I would have great doubt about their ability to actually secure a load on a rooftop rack. There's a big gap between the mechanics of knot-tying and the application of the knot to a larger scenario. I wish a guide came out that was more scenario based, covering things like: How to secure a tarp so it doesn't blow away, how to secure a load on a car, how to lash together a back-country field-table/stool, etc.
- stronglikedan 7y ago
  How to secure a tarp so it doesn't blow away, how to secure a load on a car, how to lash together a back-country field-table/stool, etc. I'm pretty sure the answer to all of those is duct tape.
somada141 7y ago
This is just wonderful, love it when I see a site on HN with well-structured and displayed information on a physical skill. Gives me a reason to move away from the screen for a while :).
g_sch 7y ago
I was pretty interested in why someone would create such a rich and detailed resource without any clear monetary incentive (yes, capitalism makes me cynical), so I checked out the "Grog Story" section, and wow, I highly recommend it: https://www.animatedknots.com/grog-story https://www.animatedknots.com/grog-story The site is the years-long passion project of an anesthesiologist from South Carolina who happens to love making websites, along with his two sons. He's also an avid sailor, holds patents on medical devices, and creator of a bunch of other similarly niche sites devoted to subjects like stereo art, napkin folding, and magic squares. What a guy!
tzs 7y ago
That's a pretty cool sight, although some of the classifications confused me. For example, suppose I've got two ropes that I want to join together near the ends. I need a splice, right? And there is a "splicing" category...but the "splicing" category only contains one knot for joining two ropes end to end. All the rest are for joining a rope to a non-rope, or joining two non-ropes via a rope, leading me to wonder if I misunderstand what "splice" means. There are plenty of splices on the site for joining two ropes near their ends, but they aren't in "splicing". There is the Double Fisherman's knot, which is described as being for securely joining two ropes of similar size, which is listed under "climbing" and "scouting". There are similar cases of splices in "fishing" and "boating" and some other categories.
- butisaidsudo 7y ago
  I think you may be looking for a "bend" rather than a "splice". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bend_knots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bend_knots
- mtreis86 7y ago
  Splicing refers to interweaving the strands of the rope
X6S1x6Okd1st 7y ago
Seeing the amount of tail left for the bends that are listed as alpine worried me. They should really all be able to take one knot inversion without capsizing. As someone who climbs I'm surprised that the EDK is not high up there.
zwww 7y ago
I'm pretty ignorant about knots, but is there any specific reason the hangman's knot isn't listed? Perhaps I'm just unable to find it? In case its not included at all - I realize the knot has macabre associations, but a site aiming to be an encyclopedia of knots should in my opinion include every knot there is, good or bad alike.
- williamscales 7y ago
  I believe this knot is similar, but not quite the same: https://www.animatedknots.com/uni-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/uni-knot. The site also has the noose knot which can be extended to create a hangman's knot: https://www.animatedknots.com/noose-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/noose-knot There is some discussion on the noose knot page that indicates the hangman's knot is deliberately not included in the encyclopedia. The site doesn't give a reason for not including it. I agree it should be included in an encyclopedia of knots. Any knot can be dangerous if you put it around your neck.
ChuckMcM 7y ago
This is pretty cool, it helps to see things moving. I've got an app for the iPad that does this for a zillion knots. Of course it isn't as funny as the Ylvis youtube video on the trucker's hitch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUHgGK-tImY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUHgGK-tImY) :-)
silly_yote 7y ago
The Trucker's hitch is all I need to know. 🇸🇯
- silly_yote 7y ago
  So HN app swallowed the music note emoji I put in as a clue for those who don't know the song.

437 points by wilsonfiifi 7y ago

This is the kind of frame-by-frame guide that really helps me learn knots. For a while there, I was carrying a few feet of paracord in my work bag and would practice knots.

JustSomeNobody 7y ago
Ha! I still do. Well, technically, I work from home, but my paracord is always next to me. If I'm stuck on a problem, I'll tie a few knots and then go back to work. It's really helpful in several ways.

Angostura 7y ago

This looks very nice - I use the rather lovely Knots 3D on iOS - an app that I've had installed for about 10 years or so? Handy if you are out on the road and lets you use a scrubber bar to see the construction of the knot and rotate it around 3 axes.

hprotagonist 7y ago

grog knots is also a nice app from the same folks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animated-knots-by-grog/id376302649 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animated-knots-by-grog/id376... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.animatedknots.knots&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.animatedkn... It’s worth having a hardcopy version of Ashley’s Book Of Knots if you’re really into this sort of thing... but for (my) practical purposes, i prefer John Long’s “Climbing Anchors”.

sandworm101 7y ago
Long's books are definitive in the world of climbing, but the knots he teaches are limited by the needs of climbers. He isn't big on slip knots or knots that require tension (sheepshank) because those aren't safe for climbing. Knots for lashing and knots designed for natural fiber rope are similarly absent. Many a climber thinks they know knots until asked to lash a pair of ladders together. Ironically the most common knot in all climbing, the one used by virtually every climber every day, isn't in Long's books. He doesn't teach how to lace and tie your climbing shoes. There are right and wrong ways. I have seen a climber injured by incorrectly tied boots. They hurt their foot and couldn't remove the boot quickly because the laces were all wrong. https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/caf-combat-boot-lacing.htm https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/caf-combat-boot-lacing.htm
- hprotagonist 7y ago
  i’m a 5.10 moccasym convert :) as generalist all-day cragging shoes go, they’re very hard to beat.

cheerlessbog 7y ago

There's a link to the site that describes the one step shoelace knot. [1] It's saved me 5 seconds a day for 15 years, that's 8 hours I got back, plus it's neat to demonstrate and spread the word. [1] https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm

mjstone 7y ago
I'm also a convert to this. It's even more efficient if combined with Ukranian Lacing: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ukrainianlacing.htm https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ukrainianlacing.htm
- cheerlessbog 7y ago
  Wow I hadn't seen that. I will learn it, thanks!

ch 7y ago

Great looking site. I just grabbed the app because I've been using the "What Knot to Do" app forever now, but find these animated single page descriptions more concise!

sunsetMurk 7y ago

Awesome that this is here on HN - By chance, used this site last week when setting up some fishing gear and commented to some friends how great the site was. The site does an amazing job at a visual step-by-step guide that's easy to understand w/o always asking.. "did I skip a step?".. "How does that move that way?" .. The makers seem to have separated their steps in just the right way which is always a challenge. The pictures are high-quality too. Kudos! Glad to see it get more eyeballs!

JimBrimble35 7y ago

I love how clean and professional looking this is, and how difficult it is to tell that it's being monetized. Content like this is why the internet exists! I can definitely see the value in having this app on my phone too.

jamesrcole 7y ago

Random thought: a VR app that gave you "hands on" guidance and experience tieing knots would be an interesting way to learn them.

folli 7y ago
This would need some kind of force feedback mechanism, I can't imagine tieing a knot without resistance of the rope.
- jamesrcole 7y ago
  I feel it could still help people learn, by letting people step through the movements involved, and seeing it from a more natural visual perspective. Resources like this post's website (obviously) don't involve resistance but are still useful.

sizzzzlerz 7y ago

I love learning how to tie new knots. My problem is that, unless I use them regularly, I tend to forget how to tie the more complicated ones. My go-to knots are the bowline, sheetbend, tenter's hitch, the alpine butterfly, and the bloodknot, for joining fishing line. Great site!

rraval 7y ago

Incidentally, my favourite knot of all time is also listed first: the adjustable grip hitch, https://www.animatedknots.com/adjustable-grip-hitch-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/adjustable-grip-hitch-knot Take 5 minutes out of your day, find a small piece of rope (or CAT5, headphone wire, USB cable), and actually tie the knot with your hands. It's super easy to pre-visualize the knot forming and you can learn to tie the knot in any orientation after just a couple tries. Being able to adjust the tension on the line after tying the knot pops up in all manner of practical situations. This was my gateway drug to the wonderful world of knots. --- EDIT: to encourage people to actually tie the damn thing, here's a picture of my computer mouse cable around the handle of my coffee cup: https://i.imgur.com/ZN4WXoB.jpg https://i.imgur.com/ZN4WXoB.jpg (in the "right handed down" orientation, as opposed the the "right handed up" direction from the instructions).

JshWright 7y ago
I rarely find situations where I want to use this knot over a trucker's hitch (which trades some ease of adjustment for significant mechanical advantage when tensioning). I have combined the two from time to time (using the adjustable hitch to secure the working end)
- rraval 7y ago
  That's fair, I too use a trucker's hitch for the ridgeline of a tarp. However, I'll use adjustable grip hitches for the guylines. That lets me freely adjust how my tarp is placed and holds up the tension reasonably (from experience, the friction hitch on paracord could do with tightening every 1.5 days or so). It's also quicker to tie and uses less cordage, so that's a plus. Combining the two straight up never occurred to me. Will definitely give that a shot :)
  - bacon_waffle 7y ago
    Clove hitch on a bight is great for guylines too.
- SAI_Peregrinus 7y ago

peterwwillis 7y ago

If you're going for one mostly-perfect bend or knot, make it the Zeppelin Bend[1] and the Zeppelin Loop[2]. Secure, fixed, easy, jam-resistant. It's not well known, so don't use it when other people need to understand your knots, but it's hard to beat for overall utility. If you need other people to understand it, use the Alpine Butterfly Bend[3]/Loop[4]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_bend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_bend [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_loop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_loop [3] https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-bend-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-bend-knot [4] https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-loop-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-loop-knot

floatrock 7y ago

If you're not handsome, at least be handy ;) Got into knots partly as a hobby, partly because they actually come in handy when camping or when the license plate holder of your car gets knocked off from a low curb and you need a quick way of reattaching it. You know, good life skills. If you want to experiment, there's really only three knots that will solve 80% of your common needs: 1) Bowline: https://www.animatedknots.com/bowline-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/bowline-knot -- secure loop that doesn't slide, easy to undo (mnemonic: "rabbit comes out of the hole, goes around the tree, and runs back down the hole") 2) Midshipman's Hitch: https://www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans-hitch-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans-hitch-knot -- sliding adjustable-tension knot for tying down gear or guy lines 3) Square Knot: https://www.animatedknots.com/square-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/square-knot For quick tying of two ropes together. Fun fact: the square knot is also how you already tie your shoelaces! You're just using a loop (a "bight") instead of the end of the rope because bights are commonly added to quickly undo knots (see, you're already using advanced techniques!). And funner fact: if you understand how you accidentally reverse the square knot to make it weaker, you can understand how NOT to tie your shoelaces in the way that makes them come undone easily! Bonus Points: the Trucker's Hitch for tying down gear. It's basically any number of fixed-loop knots like the bowline to create a "pully" (mechanical advantage), fixed by any number of adjustable tension knots like the midshipman's to hold it down.

LgWoodenBadger 7y ago
You really should never use the square knot as a bend (joining two lines together) as it can spill/capsize. "But under no circumstances should it ever be tied as a bend, for if tied with two ends of unequal size, or if one end is stiffer or smoother than the other, the knot is almost bound to spill. Except for its true purpose of binding it is a knot to be shunned." To quote from Ashley. Others refer to it as the most dangerous knot because of the number of people killed by relying on it as a bend.
- hprotagonist 7y ago
  i strongly prefer the EDK, despite the name. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_death-knot https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_death-knot

pmoriarty 7y ago

As useful as sites like these are, there is still no substitute for the encyclopedic Ashley Book of Knots[1][2], which contains every knot under the sun and then some (up to the time it was written -- and, to be fair, quite a few knots have been invented since then, but it's still an impressive tome). [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashley_Book_of_Knots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashley_Book_of_Knots [2] - https://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Book-Knots-Clifford-W/dp/0385040253 https://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Book-Knots-Clifford-W/dp/03850...

blacksmith_tb 7y ago
I have mixed feelings about Ashley - there's no doubt it's a very cool book for its sweeping scope, but I would never recommend it as a guide for learning tie knots. There are many good choices from Budworth[1], Pawson[2], Toss[3] and more. 1: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1069046.The_Complete_Book_of_Knots https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1069046.The_Complete_Boo... 2: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220058.Handbook_of_Knots https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220058.Handbook_of_Knots 3: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1476184.Knots https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1476184.Knots
- LgWoodenBadger 7y ago
  FWIW, I agree. The Ashley Book of Knots is the only book I've ever returned to Amazon. It's expensive for what amounts to a coffee-table book of old drawings and a history of many superfluous, duplicate, or decorative knots. A lot of the information is outdated with respect to newer materials and/or the "knot" industry.

throw7 7y ago

Can someone explain the difference between a "bight" and a "loop"? https://home.army.mil/wood/application/files/8915/3868/3675/knots.pdf https://home.army.mil/wood/application/files/8915/3868/3675/... In the linked pdf, a bight is bend/curve of rope that doesn't cross itself; however, they show a "double bight" which seems to cross itself. They say that the "strands" don't cross... errr ok?, I'm not understanding how the "double bight" is not a "loop"... the rope is crossing itself!

JshWright 7y ago
A "bight" is simply a curved section in the middle of a line. There's no hard and fast definition of "how curved". Some folks would say a "bight" can't be any more than a semi-circle, others would say it can loop around as many times as you want.
butisaidsudo 7y ago
You "make" a loop but "take" a bight, as unhelpful as that may be. A loop is a step in making a knot, where as a bight is just a handful of rope somewhere in the middle of it. You can tie a regular bowline, or a bowline on a bight. The same knot will need a different technique for tying on a bight, since you can't pass the ends through. When you tie a bowline on a bight, first you take a bight, then you make a loop.

bradford 7y ago

This information is useful, but I'm often disappointed at the super-granular focus of information offered by knot-tying manuals, and this guide is no different. For example, take the truckers hitch (https://www.animatedknots.com/truckers-hitch-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/truckers-hitch-knot). I could give this to someone and I'm sure they could tie the knot, but I would have great doubt about their ability to actually secure a load on a rooftop rack. There's a big gap between the mechanics of knot-tying and the application of the knot to a larger scenario. I wish a guide came out that was more scenario based, covering things like: How to secure a tarp so it doesn't blow away, how to secure a load on a car, how to lash together a back-country field-table/stool, etc.

stronglikedan 7y ago
How to secure a tarp so it doesn't blow away, how to secure a load on a car, how to lash together a back-country field-table/stool, etc. I'm pretty sure the answer to all of those is duct tape.

somada141 7y ago

This is just wonderful, love it when I see a site on HN with well-structured and displayed information on a physical skill. Gives me a reason to move away from the screen for a while :).

g_sch 7y ago

I was pretty interested in why someone would create such a rich and detailed resource without any clear monetary incentive (yes, capitalism makes me cynical), so I checked out the "Grog Story" section, and wow, I highly recommend it: https://www.animatedknots.com/grog-story https://www.animatedknots.com/grog-story The site is the years-long passion project of an anesthesiologist from South Carolina who happens to love making websites, along with his two sons. He's also an avid sailor, holds patents on medical devices, and creator of a bunch of other similarly niche sites devoted to subjects like stereo art, napkin folding, and magic squares. What a guy!

tzs 7y ago

That's a pretty cool sight, although some of the classifications confused me. For example, suppose I've got two ropes that I want to join together near the ends. I need a splice, right? And there is a "splicing" category...but the "splicing" category only contains one knot for joining two ropes end to end. All the rest are for joining a rope to a non-rope, or joining two non-ropes via a rope, leading me to wonder if I misunderstand what "splice" means. There are plenty of splices on the site for joining two ropes near their ends, but they aren't in "splicing". There is the Double Fisherman's knot, which is described as being for securely joining two ropes of similar size, which is listed under "climbing" and "scouting". There are similar cases of splices in "fishing" and "boating" and some other categories.

butisaidsudo 7y ago
I think you may be looking for a "bend" rather than a "splice". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bend_knots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bend_knots
mtreis86 7y ago
Splicing refers to interweaving the strands of the rope

X6S1x6Okd1st 7y ago

Seeing the amount of tail left for the bends that are listed as alpine worried me. They should really all be able to take one knot inversion without capsizing. As someone who climbs I'm surprised that the EDK is not high up there.

zwww 7y ago

I'm pretty ignorant about knots, but is there any specific reason the hangman's knot isn't listed? Perhaps I'm just unable to find it? In case its not included at all - I realize the knot has macabre associations, but a site aiming to be an encyclopedia of knots should in my opinion include every knot there is, good or bad alike.

williamscales 7y ago
I believe this knot is similar, but not quite the same: https://www.animatedknots.com/uni-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/uni-knot. The site also has the noose knot which can be extended to create a hangman's knot: https://www.animatedknots.com/noose-knot https://www.animatedknots.com/noose-knot There is some discussion on the noose knot page that indicates the hangman's knot is deliberately not included in the encyclopedia. The site doesn't give a reason for not including it. I agree it should be included in an encyclopedia of knots. Any knot can be dangerous if you put it around your neck.

ChuckMcM 7y ago

This is pretty cool, it helps to see things moving. I've got an app for the iPad that does this for a zillion knots. Of course it isn't as funny as the Ylvis youtube video on the trucker's hitch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUHgGK-tImY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUHgGK-tImY) :-)

silly_yote 7y ago

The Trucker's hitch is all I need to know. 🇸🇯

silly_yote 7y ago
So HN app swallowed the music note emoji I put in as a clue for those who don't know the song.