[quibono]

Gosh I need to learn more about knots. I've been thinking about this recently: if I wanted to maximise utility and could only learn 5 knots, what would they be.

Or alternatively, what are the "better" alternatives to the classics everyone knows.

[JR1427]

Depends what you're doing.

My favourite knot is the bowline. Non-slip loop, very strong, easy to tie, easy to undo. Can be used for tying two ropes together, ropes to things.

Other useful ones (especially for sailing)

* Clove hitch * Reef knot * Rolling hitch * Sheet bend

[JR1427]

Knowing common knots is not just useful because they are handy, but they also represent a common toolkit - when sailing with someone, if I see they tie a certain thing with a specific knot, I can do likewise. When I see a knot I recognise, I immediately know how to untie and re-tie it.

[3form]

Generally the same point about having a common vocabulary in tech work. Sometimes it's about stuff that's obvious to both parties in one way or another - but the name is what ties it together (heh).

[dd8601fn]

I overuse the bowline. Never seizes, and it can be tied with one hand around your body (or anything else) very quickly.

I think that method was originally taught to me in scouts as an emergency body lift thing, though it would not actually be ideal for that.

[senderista]

The bowline works well in rope that isn't too stiff, but in kernmantle rope it can self-upset, which is why climbers long ago standardized on the double figure-eight loop for tie-in.

[washbasin]

Tying a bowline is one of my fidgets. Also famously has a part in Jaws (1975), though not mentioned by name. ("Hey! I got it!")

[derwiki]

I’d add tautline hitch, great to have an adjustable-but-holds-well knot to the repertoire!

[seanw444]

Taut line is great, but I'm finding the Farrimond friction hitch is much more secure, and is already on a bite for quick release as an added bonus.

[derwiki]

Oooh thank you! It is an excellent hitch!

[mprovost]

The bowline is great because you can tie it one handed.

[derwiki]

And figure 8 retrace, a staple climbing knot

[JR1427]

I used to use that a lot, but now would favour bowline, for ease of tying and untying. Less beginner-friendly, though.

[istjohn]

Bowline isn't great for safety-critical applications, especially when not under constant load.

[master-lincoln]

The Farrimond Hitch is my favorite knot. Useful to tie a line to another line and have it adjustable, but strong under load and a single pull to undo it. Easy to remember, it's like a prusik knot.

https://www.animatedknots.com/farrimond-friction-hitch-knot

(overhand and double 8 are probably used more often by me, but not that versatile)

[teeray]

The marlinspike hitch is the best bang-for-your-buck. The author of this video shows it in quite a few of his other videos. Depending on what you do with the tag end, you can quickly collapse it into a bowline for a fixed loop (and subsequently apply any bowline finishing you might like), or you can end up with an Ashley stopper (which provides triple the diameter of the rope, so is an excellent stopper). Using it actually as a marlinspike hitch gives you a really nice handle to pull in tension on a trucker’s hitch. The knot also does not jam, so you can easily pull it out just by completely tightening it. This same property makes it an excellent choice for the loop in a trucker’s hitch… provided you get the directionality right so the force of pulling in tension counteracts its desire to collapse. When you’re done, the loop can just collapse out when you untie it—no dealing with a jammed alpine butterfly.

[fylham]

Bowline, truckee’s hitch (the better alternative to a truckers hitch), prussick come to mind

[kordlessagain]

The bowline has two variants, one being the cowboy version, which has the working bitter end on the outside of the loop, the "normal" bowline will have it on the inside of the loop.

To tie a bowline, make a loop in the working bitter end up about 2x the desired circumference of the loop you want to make. Your line is now segmented into the bitter end, and the standing line section.

Look at the loop. You want to put the bitter end through the same side of the hole where the bitter end overlaps the line/rope on the other side of the loop (standing section). If you use your right hand to twist the loop, and do so clockwise, you will insert the bitter end from the top. If you turn it counter-clockwise, then you will insert it from the bottom.

In this orientation, if you go around behind the right side of the standing part, you will form a normal bowline. If you go around behind on the left, this will form a "cowboy" bowline. Either works, but the cowboy one allows the bitter end to hang loose, which increases the odds of it getting caught up in other lines.

Finish by inserting the bitter end into the same hole from the other direction (obviously).

If you find the knot comes undone, you are putting it through the wrong side of the hole at the start. Just insert it in the other side and this particular problem solves itself. If you are on a boat, other problems may now be selected for attack. :P

[seanhunter]

When I was young I learned this cool trick to tie a bowline one-handed. Can’t remember who taught it to me but the idea is if you are hanging from a rope by your left hand, you can actually (with a bit of practise that you hopefully do beforehand) tie a loop around yourself with a bowline using your other hand. Moot in my case because there’s no way I could hold my weight using my left hand even if my life depended on it, but it’s a fun trick.

https://youtu.be/tHVjMWTPx-A?is=dftRVkzz67Il1I-Q

[dgacmu]

Strongly agreed, and thank you - TIL about the truckee hitch, I've always been using trucker's hitches and now I'm going to go try to reprogram myself.

I'd add a butterfly loop to this list for those times you need to add a tie-in point to the middle of a rope for whatever reason.

[pluralmonad]

Buntline hitch is my personal favorite. Works well with synthetic line.

[jotux]

Love this "auto" truckers hitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J8MuOWO0Qs

Edit: Same knot, with an explanation before showing what I knew as the classic trucker hitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKM5gaYJWN0

[scelerat]

Super useful knot for when you don't have a ratchet tie-down. Learned and used this knot all the time hauling around dirt bikes.

[bluGill]

There is a reason scouts require you to tie so many knots. Not that any scout remembers their knots longer than needed pass that requirement, but it is still important and once in a while they do need them.

[SAI_Peregrinus]

The scouts require a bunch of utterly terrible knots. They include the Granny Knot which you never actually want to tie, only to avoid tying by accident. They include the Sheepshank, which is quite possibly the worst way to shorten a line ever invented. Etc.

[seanw444]

And, in my time in scouts, they did a poor job of demonstrating the actual use cases for the knots in a practical manner. If I had seen how many situations knots come in handy for, I'd have memorized them much more intently.

[bccdee]

There are (I'd contend) four basic types of knot: Bends, hitches, bindings, and loops. Bends tie two cords together, hitches tie cords to objects, bindings wrap & grip objects together, and loops are loops.

You only really need one bend. I suggest the zeppelin bend, but they're all pretty similar. Hitches can benefit from a bit more variety, but a round-turn with two half-hitches will serve you well in most situations, along with its more secure variant, the anchor hitch. There's a trade-off between how secure a knot is and how easy it is to untie, which is why the less-secure variant is useful.

The best loop is the angler's loop, which will even hold in bungee cord. The alpine butterfly is also good to know because you can tie it "in the bight" (without access to either end of the rope), which is very handy.

Bindings are (I think) the most commonly-used family of knots for most people. Lashing a load into a truck so it won't move, tying a bag shut, and even tying shoes are all situations for bindings. For large loads, I'd suggest a trucker's hitch, which is good for (e.g.) tightly strapping a load into a truck bed, hence the name. For smaller situations, like cinching a bag shut, try the jam hitch—an underappreciated favourite of mine. It works like a zip tie, tightening around an object and not loosening. (Make sure the knot itself is tied tightly before you zip it. After you zip it, you can tie the ends together for extra security.)

Zeppelin bend: https://www.animatedknots.com/zeppelin-bend-knot

Anchor hitch: https://www.animatedknots.com/anchor-hitch-knot; round turn & two half-hitches: https://www.animatedknots.com/round-turn-two-half-hitches-kn...

Angler's loop (sometimes called "perfection loop"): https://www.animatedknots.com/perfection-loop-knot; alpine butterfly: https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-loop-knot.

Trucker's hitch (feat. alpine butterfly): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o3BcaoPXK5Q; jam hitch (aka "rolling hitch zip tie" or "reverse midshipman's hitch"): https://www.reddit.com/r/knots/comments/12vsuk1/how_to_tie_a.... (Though these have "hitch" in the name, I'd argue they're better described as bindings, because they preserve tension.)

If nothing else, learn the round turn & two half hitches, the alpine butterfly, and the trucker's hitch. Some combination of these will serve you well in most situations.

One final tip, while I'm talking about knots. You may be tying your shoelaces wrong: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/grannyknot.htm.

[SAI_Peregrinus]

IMO it's important to start with what possible uses of knots there are, and then learn a knot for each use. I'll exclude decorative knots, because those are subjective & very diverse.

Stopper knots prevent rope from passing through a hole & keep the end from unraveling. The Overhand knot is the simplest. The Double Overhand is a very simple addition to an overhand. The Figure-8 is slightly bigger, and useful to know.

Single loop knots create a single fixed loop in a line. The Butterfly (aka Alpine Butterfly) can be tied mid-line (without access to the end) or with the end of a rope, and is two overhand knots interlocked in a particular manner.

A noose is any loop that tightens when a load is applied. I like the Scaffold Knot, it's a double overhand around the standing part of the rope. Its biggest disadvantage is it can be difficult to undo. Any fixed loop can also be made into a noose by tying it around the standing part, forming a "Running <name of fixed loop>".

Bends join the ends of two ropes. The Fisherman's knot (also has lots of other names) is two overhand knots, one with each rope, tied around the standing part of the other rope. It's strong, secure, but difficult to untie. The Double Fisherman's uses double overhands. The Butterfly Bend is a Butterfly tied as a bend, it's strong, secure, and much easier to untie. The Butterfly Bend is tied the same way the Butterfly Loop is when tying with the end.

Hitches tie a rope to a rigid object. They can attach a rope to something where you have access to an end of the object like a bollard, or where you don't like tying into a fixed ring. They can be for lengthwise pulls, or for right-angle pulls. Adjustable loops are hitches tied around the standing part of the rope. For right-angle pull, the scaffold knot works well (again). It can be tied without access to the end of an object, so it works for rings and bollards. For lengthwise pull, the rolling hitch is nice, and the Rolling Hitch Ziptie is a use of the rolling hitch which works as an adjustable loop and a binding knot.

Binding knots hold only when tied around an object. The Double-Slipped Reef Knot is a common shoelace knot. The Turquoise Turtle or "Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot" are different methods of tying a structurally identical resulting knot that's a bit more secure. Worth knowing at least one of these three, or you'll only wear slip-ons or Velcro closure shoes. Also the Rolling Hitch Ziptie is worth knowing.

There are also some systems of knots called "trucker's hitch"es, which are all ways to use loop knots as improvised pulleys with a final hitch to secure a load in place. IMO they're not independent knots. Handy to know at least one sort though in case you don't have ratchet straps or snatch blocks. The Versatackle is nice, self-locking, and tied with just Alpine Butterflies and any hitch.

So, a list of 5:

1: Overhand knot. 2: Butterfly loop (mid-line). 3: Butterfly loop (with the end). 3 (used differently): Running Butterfly. 3 (used differently): Butterfly bend. 4: Scaffold knot. 5: Rolling Hitch. 5 (used differently): Rolling Hitch Ziptie. 5 (used differently): two opposed Rolling Hitches for tying your shoelaces together works, with difficulty. 2+5: Versatackle trucker's hitch formed from two Butterfly loops and a Rolling Hitch.

All except the Rolling Hitch are based on the Overhand knot. If you're willing to add a sixth knot, pick something better to tie your shoes.

[turbocon]

I've spent waaay to much time thinking about this over the past few years and have really gotten into knots.

Personally I'd say you need to classify the type of knots you want to learn and pick one knot from each. The classics in my opinion are

1. End loop

2. Mid loop

3. Hitch (opposite of an end loop)

4. adjustable loop

5. Bend (rope to rope)

My suggestions in order are

# End Loop

1a. Bowline (snap variant) - This is a knot that's super easy to tie, remember, and untie. There are a bunch of variants to expand it's usefulness (double, water, slip, yosemite, etc)

1b. Zeppelin Loop - this is my personal favorite, it's a little tricky to tie but I've never seen it slip and it unties easily after it's all done.

# Mid Loop

2a. Alpine Butterfly - learn the butterfly method and this is an easy to tie knot that can be easily sized. It also doesn't bind so it unties easily and can be loaded in any direction (on of the only midline knots this is true for)

2b. Bowline on a Bight - Super satisfying knot to tie, a little wonky to learn just because of the structure but easy to tie once you get it.

# Hitch

3a. Tensionless Hitch - (this is probably the most overlooked 'knot' just look at a diagram you can learn it and never forget it after seeing the diagram once. It's the strongest knot there is if you have the rope for it. (I wouldn't really count this at one of your 5 but it's good to keep in mind)

3b. Buntline Hitch - dead simple and you can usually untie it after a heavy load 3c. Siberian Hitch - This is effectively a slipped noose but I use it all the time, it's my personal go to.

3c. Poachers knot - If you have a carabiner or know you're never going to need to untie this knot it's hard to beat

# Adjustable Loop / Friction Hitch

4a. Adjustable Grip Hitch - Easy to learn and holds better than the Midshipman's

4b. Midshipman - it's a little more complicated but this was Ashley's favorite because it can be tied under tension

# Bend

(Bends and fixed loops usually have the same structure so you might not need this one)

5a. Zeppelin Bend - seriously just learn this one, sixty nine method is the easiest for me. Knot is easy to tie, doesn't slip, and is easy to untie.

5b. Sheet Bend - this knot... is fine but you already know it if you learned the bowline above as it's the same structure

Bonus Section

1. Trucker/Truckee - probably one of the most useful knots around, learn the method that uses a slip knot for the mid loop and it'll make even easier

2. Canadian Jam Knot - Useful for bundling things, it's a knot I find myself using a lot

3. Voodoo Hitch - You can use it in place of a ratchet strap if you have a couple of carabiners

4. Icicle Hitch - Ever wanted to tie a rope to a butter metal pole and keep it from slipping? This is the knot, it cinches and grips things with so much friction you can tie a rope to about anything vaguely cylindrical

[bccdee]

An aficionado! Have you heard of the jam hitch (ABOK #1727)? Grossly underdiscussed IMO—I only discovered it earlier this year. It tightens like a zip tie, and (in kitchen twine at least) I've found the string will snap before the loop slips open again. It's quickly become my most-used knot, day to day. I like to tie it with the second turn inside the first (like #1855 as opposed to #1856).

https://www.reddit.com/r/knots/comments/12vsuk1/how_to_tie_a...

[turbocon]

O that's really interesting, I've been using a constructor knot for this use case, but that does require more string than this method. Really clever reversal of a midshipmens knot