The King of Knots! Most important knot you should know.

[Clark W. Griswold]

Are you sure an 8 won't bind under load? Seems like I've had to cut some that bit into themselves so tight you could hardly see there was a knot. A bowline will never do this.

The only thing I see an 8 has over the bowline is its easier to tie.

Figure 8 will not bind. You may have to work it a bit, but it will come undone. Never used a figure 8 to tow a car but I would imagine any knot put under enough strain that it becomes difficult to tell its a knot would have to get cut out. May depend on the rope as well. The cheap ropes from Home Depot that stretch make any knot that's had a load on it a bear to untie.

You're right, a bowline won't bind either. I was thinking of the fact that the sharp bend it puts on the rope is not good for the strength of the rope and can cause failure under heavy load.

 

[FMD]

Bowline, square and clove. I would also add a vote for the Figure 8.

 

[Minuteman]

Some knots are not to be used with certain kinda ropes....and all knots have one of the three basic elements that make up a knot.... BITE, LOOP and a ROUND TURN

Very good point. There are so many different types of ropes and materials; are there any easy to remember guidelines? Here's a sampling of very common and popular ropes: http://www.knotandrope.com/Store/pc/home.asp

I don't know the names of all the ones I use particularly for fly-fishing, e.g. to join backing to fly line and fly line to leaders(which I taper and tie myself) but surgeon's loop, trilene knot, palomar knot and nail knot are among them. I meant to watch "Knot Wars" to determine if mine needed updating based on scientific evidence but never got around to it. I guess I should add the sheep shank but only learned that one from watching Jaws and have never actually needed to use it.

Never heard of 'Knot Wars', just saw an episode. Appears it's fishing specific? Last years 2013 winner was the Modified Albright Knot. Very specific application, certain type of fishing line and leader. YouTube: H_t8uHFhiJE

 

[shaddydan]

I was always taught the bowline was the most important knot to tie well.

We didn't get into fishing knots.....I literally have volumes on those!

 

[Boondock Saint]

What I know about knots largely ends at tying my shoes and ties, unfortunately.

Been working with the bowline knot a little since the thread started, pretty sure I've got it down now. Thanks.

 

[Minuteman]

What I know about knots largely ends at tying my shoes and ties, unfortunately.

Been working with the bowline knot a little since the thread started, pretty sure I've got it down now. Thanks.

Mission accomplished!

One more important point about knots, although the bowline can do most knot chores adequately (so can a figure 8); the perfect knot truly depends on the task at hand.

Here's a more complete list of the best knot depending on your needs:

Ways to Make a Loop in a Rope
- Tie a loop in the end of a rope - Bowline, Yosemite Bowline, Figure Eight, Slippery Eight Loop
- Make a loop in the middle of a rope - Butterfly Knot, Bowline On A Bight
- Make a lasso - Honda Knot
- Make a sliding loop - Running Bowline, Slip Knot
- Make a double loop - Bowline On A Bight

How To Join Two Ropes
- Tie two similar ropes together - Double Fisherman’s, Zeppelin Bend
- Join lines of unequal diameter - Sheet Bend
- Join strings to tie a package - Square Knot
- Join two ends of webbing - Water Knot
- Join two large lines or hawsers - Carrick Bend
- Tie your shoe laces - Better Bow Knot

Tie a Knot at the End of a Rope
- Tie a stopper knot - Figure Eight, Dbl Overhand Stopper, Ashley's Stopper
- Tie a bulky stopper knot - Ashley’s Stopper
- Tie a knot for weighting the end - Heaving Line Knot, Monkey's Fist
- Whip the ends of rope - Common Whipping, French Whipping

How to Tie Ropes to Objects
- Tie a line to any object - Figure Eight Follow Through, Buntline Hitch
- Attach a rope to a post - Clove Hitch, Pile Hitch, Cow Hitch, Rolling Hitch
- Attach a line to a cleat - Cleat Hitch
- Attach an anchor to a rope - Anchor Bend
- Attach a rope to a barrel or drum for hoisting - Barrel Hitch
- Temporarily attach a rope to a post - Mooring Hitch, Slipped Buntline, Highwayman's Hitch
- Tie an adjustable tension knot to an object - Tautline Hitch
- Tie webbing loop to a rope or post - Girth Hitch
- Tie a sliding rope to another rope Blake's Hitch, Klemheist Knot, Prusik Hitch, Munter Hitch, Valdotain Tresse, Tautline Hitch to Rope, Distel Hitch, Schwabisch Hitch, Bachmann Knot
- Tie a load down on a car or truck - Trucker’s Hitch
- Tie a shackle to the end of a rope - Buntline Hitch, Two Half Hitches
- Tie up a bundle of sticks - Constrictor Knot
- Lash two tent poles together - Transom Knot
- Tie a rope to a log - Timber Hitch, Rolling Bend, Marl
- Emergency rappel down a rope - Munter Hitch
- Haul on a line with another rope - Rolling Hitch

 

[bunnielab]

Not a lot of love for the Butterfly Loop. It is a great knot and comes in handy all the time.

I used to work as a theatrical rigger and while most everything is motors, chain, and GAC these days I still learned a good bit about rope work doing system installs in buildings with shady power. It was my favorite part of the job and moving huge stuff with just rope and a few shives was a ton of fun.

 

[tomandjerry00]

Where is figure 8? Easier to tie and easier to check then a bowline.

 

[eruby]

I can tie my shoes.

This

I can tie my shoe does that help

I have velcro shoes.

But I can make a noose.

 

[Half-cocked]

The king of knots?

 

[Franklin]

Figure 8 should have been on there. next to a half hitch and bowline I use it just as often. I am always having to use a rope for sumpin in around the house.

 

[cap6888]

If it HAD to be only one knot it would be a Figure 8. All of the variations can do most things.

 

[willy]

Big fan of the handcuff knot, kids love it. Spade end knot is my fly fishing knot. Eskimo bowline and Barrel sling. My 8 year old can tie 13 different knots. I like to try and stump him. He is working on the 3 way sheet bend.

 

[Streetgang]

I'd put the sheet bend above the square knot because the sheet bend won't spill as readily as a square knot. Figure 8 is a good knot but not as strong or easy to untie as a bowline. Both have their place and both do their job's well. If you're interested in knots pick up a copy of The Ashley book of knots. It has more than 3900 knots. One of my hobbies over the years has and continues to be knot tying. I've made my own bosun's lanyards, and monkey fists and a few hundred or so other knots. They say if you can successfully tie a full (double) Matthew Walker knot you have mastered the art of marlinspike seamanship. It is the only knot named after someone.
A bit of my work :

 

[Franklin]

I was wondering what you Fers did on the base all day...

 

[Streetgang]

I was wondering what you Fers did on the base all day...

All tied up with work....

 

[balttigger]

For rope:

Bowline for securing an object tight and long term
Clove Hitch for securing things temporarily (easy to undo)
Figure Eight Follow Thru for making a loop
Square Knot for joining two ropes of equal sizes
Becket Bend for joining two ropes of unequal sizes (Double Becket for vastly different sizes) I see this is also called a Sheet Bend.

I can tie a super fast bowline. You just make a slipknot by forming an overhand loop and pulling the tag end up thru the loop and cinch. Then pass the working end thru the slipknot loop, adjust to desired size and secure the knot. When the cinch of the slipknot flips over the working end line - you have a bowline. Takes seconds.

Also, clove hitches can be made one handed and super fast.

 

[Minuteman]

For rope:

Bowline for securing an object tight and long term
Clove Hitch for securing things temporarily (easy to undo)
Figure Eight Follow Thru for making a loop
Square Knot for joining two ropes of equal sizes
Becket Bend for joining two ropes of unequal sizes (Double Becket for vastly different sizes) I see this is also called a Sheet Bend.

I can tie a super fast bowline. You just make a slipknot by forming an overhand loop and pulling the tag end up thru the loop and cinch. Then pass the working end thru the slipknot loop, adjust to desired size and secure the knot. When the cinch of the slipknot flips over the working end line - you have a bowline. Takes seconds.

Also, clove hitches can be made one handed and super fast.

Excellent. Thank you.

My mistake, I definitely should have had the venerable figure 8 knot on this list.

While researching it, I discovered a huge controversy regarding the Bowline knot; here's an article that tells the story well: http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/Not-the-Knot.html

To summarize, the Bowline knot is great, but according to the article above almost every year a climber gets killed using that knot. The Figure 8 knot is less complicated and apparently a much better knot because it can be more easily double checked that it is correct and is much more secure. The Figure 8 knot is a cinching knot, so it is also much more difficult to take apart.

So if you just need a quick knot to tie a rope around a tree or boulder the Bowline will be easier to remove. The Figure 8 knot is more secure, simpler, but harder to remove.

Refresh...

This was discussed recently, so I had to return to this thread to recall the specifics.

Bottom line - Bowline is best if removing the knot quickly/easily and life is not at stake. Figure 8 - is truly the ultimate knot, when the most secure knot is most important.

 

[Minuteman]

 

[rdc]

Excellent. Thank you.




Refresh...

This was discussed recently, so I had to return to this thread to recall the specifics.

Bottom line - Bowline is best if removing the knot quickly/easily and life is not at stake. Figure 8 - is truly the ultimate knot, when the most secure knot is most important.

I don't know crap about knots except for the figure eight knot. I use a bunch.