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A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

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Re: A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

#21
post #6

Super cool! Here is how to tie a bow in under 1 second in case anyone wants something that looks a bit cleaner but is less functional: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Q5qZpQe_4EA

Hard to tell if that's the same as the Ian Knot: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm

Thanks for sharing. That's an awesome site!

I think its the same Knot. I really like Ian's Secure Knot too: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm

Re: A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

#22

just start with a double square knot (or whatever the first step is called) and pull it tight before starting the bow. it won't move while you tie the bow, and it's so much easier than this. if you have particularly slippery substrate, start with a triple instead

A reef knot (or square knot) cannot be adjusted or tied under load. When you tie the second crossing, the first one always loosens a bit. The lapp knot in the video can be tensioned properly after tying, which is pretty slick.

Re: A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

#25
post #17

Amazing, I love learning about knots! Is there a better shoelace knot? Not faster, but better

Yes, there is my friend. https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm I've learned it a month ago and couldn't be happier.

I love how new people keep discovering Ian's website (cf the xkcd 1053). It's a really well made website, the pictures and animations are very well chosen to explain knots and lacing.

Re: A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

#27
post #14
post #7

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.

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

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

Re: A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

#28
post #15
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

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.

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).

Re: A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

#29
post #7

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.

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.

Re: A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

#30

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!

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).

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