On the usefulness of knots

How is your knowledge of knots?<br>Despite being an Eagle Scout, I would have to answer: very poor.<br>I’m confident that just about everyone knows the Overhand knot, the Reef knot (or Square knot), a shoelace knot (or more), and a Slip knot.<br>As a Boy Scout, I could also throw a Bowline into that mix.

And yet, if I was tasked to tie a knot outside the context of a shoe, a garbage bag, or a bread bag, that needed to be secure and reliable, my confidence would plummet.

I suspect that outside of a few professions/hobbies like rock climbing or sailing, which come with an outsized knowledge of knots, many people would be similar to me.

For example, here are a few common scenarios I’ve found myself in.<br>Would you have a good answer?

I need to attach a cord/string/rope to something with a small circumference (e.g., a bar, a bag opening, a bundle of cables, a chicken drumstick bone), as securely as possible.<br>Maybe if I had a zip tie, I’d use that, but I only have my cord/string/rope.<br>What knot would you use?

I have two pieces of cord/string/rope and need to attach them together very securely. Maybe to make a longer rope.<br>What knot would you use?

I need to cinch down something, say, on a truck bed or maybe a tent strap.<br>But, I ran out of cinching hardware.<br>I only have rope.<br>What knot would you use?

I wouldn’t be surprised if many people reached for a Reef knot in all of these instances, simply because that’s the only one that came to mind.

Me too, until I spent $6 on a simple knots reference application (Knots 3D).<br>Why an app?<br>Offline reference is important, because half the time I actually want to look at this, I’m somewhere remote with no internet.

Now, I’d recommend a Constrictor knot for scenario (1), or a Double Constrictor if you’re getting really serious.<br>Or, depending on the exact case, perhaps a Woodland Zip-tie Knot or Canadian Jam Knot.<br>I’d use a Zeppelin bend for (2).<br>I’d use an Adjustable Grip hitch, or a Trucker’s hitch for (3), depending on the exact scenario.

In fact, even knots I believed to be very secure, like the Bowline, have better variants.<br>For example, anytime you want a Bowline, you’re better off with Scott’s Locked Bowline instead, which inhibits the knot from shaking loose.<br>Frankly, there are a bunch of cool loops you should check out, like the double dragon knot or a Kalmyk Loop.

Even things like tying a drawstring have better alternatives, like the one below:

A better way to tie your gym shorts. (Or any drawstring) by FIRST CLASS AMATEUR

As a programmer, learning these knots feels a lot like discovering some mature, well-established CLI tool that solves your particular problem very effectively.

With a knots reference handy, you can chuck a roll of paracord (for its absurd versatility and strength) in your bag or car, and you’d be surprised how many times you can solve a problem with a good knot.

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