[inanutshellus]

I lived several decades knowing only the standard set of knots (square, granny) that every six-year-old knows.

Recently, due to Scouts, learned more and I can't believe how often I use them.

    "Dryer's busted! My DIY laundry line sags! What to do?!"

    "If only I could make a loop that won't move in the middle of this rope!"

... and... this knot is new to me. I'm stoked to add it to the brainbox. Way to go, OP!

[__MatrixMan__]

Ever since I was a scout in the 90s I've been considering how to get in contact with them about discouraging use of the square knot.

The way that loading it crosswise causes it to shift into a double half hitch, turning from a "hold fast" knot to a slipknot... That's funky behavior and should disqualify it from being among the first few knots people learn. If you're using it for its advertised purpose, it's downright dangerous, and the square/granny confusion is just needless pain to discourage a newbie.

If you wanna tie two ropes together and have a less finicky experience, use a fisherman's knot. Which is basically a pair of overhands, each around the other rope.

It's a much more reliable knot for trying two ropes together, lacks the annoying gotchas of the square knot, and for a long list of reasons I won't bore you with here it is a better foundation for learning other knots. (It's no good for drawstrings though, too reliable, no quick release).

[SAI_Peregrinus]

The reef knot (square knot in Scouts lingo) is a good binding knot. It's a terrible bend. Scouts teach it as a bend, for some idiotic reason.

Reefing a sail or tying a parcel, a reef knot the role will fulfill. But joining two ends one should only use bends, And a reef knot's a sure way to kill.

⸻Stuart Grainger, ex-Master Mariner, 1985. Referenced from "The Complete Book of Knots" by Geoffrey Budworth.

[__MatrixMan__]

Oh good find. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has had this thought.

But since modern sailboats don't require knots for reefing, and modern parcels don't require tying, I think the use cases for a square knot are now pretty narrow.

Some times I use them to finish off some lashing because they can be easily tied while keeping tension, but that's about it. It's just not qualified for to be the first knot we teach a tenderfoot.

[SAI_Peregrinus]

The double-slipped reef knot is a pretty nice shoelace knot. I prefer a more secure variant (a different tying method of the Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot/Turquoise Turtle that's a bit easier for me), but pretty much every kid should learn the double-slipped reef first. Scouts should already know it before they join!

[__MatrixMan__]

Oh touche. Never been a fan of shoelaces myself but that's a good point.