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.
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
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.
Per the video description, this is a Lapp Knot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapp_knot , sadly not animated by Grog.
Here’s an animated version: https://knots3d.com/en/lapp-knot
This.
The ampersand method in the OP video (and the sibling slipped-lapp-knot comment) is needlessly complicated. Just follow this super simple animation instead (except pass a bight in the last step to make it quick-release).
The Lapp knot (aka. lapp bend) is my favourite of all the knots and very underrated. It's so versatile and simple, even simpler to tie than a square knot. As shown in the OP, it can be tightened and loosened and explodes when you pull the tag rather than leaving the half-knot behind. It is my default way to tie two ropes together.
I did this for a while after seeing that video, but after some of my shorts ended up tightening into a knot that I couldn't get loose easily, I gave up on it. I instead just use the "Ian Knot" that I use to tie my shoes. It's very quick, I already use it all the time anyhow, and it rarely goes wrong. (Sometimes, I think I end up with an end through a loop accidentally, and have to fix it.) Learning this extra knot di…
It really depends on the cordage for this one. I have a pair of gym shorts with a flat, thin band (I think it’s nylon, it’s got some slipperiness to it), and this knot works great for it. I’ve had nothing but problems trying this one on thicker, rounded cordage with more friction involved.
Life is too short to make simple things more complicated.
The more you know and practice with knots, the definition of “simple” shifts. I stopped using bungee cords in my car since I got really good at lashing stuff down with paracord.
I did this for a while after seeing that video, but after some of my shorts ended up tightening into a knot that I couldn't get loose easily, I gave up on it. I instead just use the "Ian Knot" that I use to tie my shoes. It's very quick, I already use it all the time anyhow, and it rarely goes wrong. (Sometimes, I think I end up with an end through a loop accidentally, and have to fix it.) Learning this extra knot di…
A bit off topic, but I hate that Ian just slapped his name on a knot and people call it that. He even has a little link on there saying "Yes I'm the inventor," which, if you click on it, amounts to "trust me bro." That knot was how my father learned to tie his shoes in the 60s, so Ian must have time-traveled back after "inventing" it in '82.
Hack to untie a knot using an ordinary fork: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YCBD8l7Sg3M
So the hack is to stab the knot? I'm gonna need a video on how to open a drawer to retrieve the fork first.... Real knot untying hack - hit it with a hammer, or otherwise smash it. It will undo itself enough that you can then do whatever is most obvious, like using a thin piece of metal.
What are the likelihoods of having a fork nearby vs. a hammer? [asking for a friend]
I did this for a while after seeing that video, but after some of my shorts ended up tightening into a knot that I couldn't get loose easily, I gave up on it. I instead just use the "Ian Knot" that I use to tie my shoes. It's very quick, I already use it all the time anyhow, and it rarely goes wrong. (Sometimes, I think I end up with an end through a loop accidentally, and have to fix it.) Learning this extra knot di…
A bit off topic, but I hate that Ian just slapped his name on a knot and people call it that. He even has a little link on there saying "Yes I'm the inventor," which, if you click on it, amounts to "trust me bro." That knot was how my father learned to tie his shoes in the 60s, so Ian must have time-traveled back after "inventing" it in '82.
It never ceases to amaze me how reliably someone always appears to “well, actually” this issue whenever Ian comes up. Despite the fact that he has merely published all this info freely on the web for like 20+ years and never attempted to monopolize knot information, nor force anyone else to acknowledge him in any way. Like, if you want to, you could call it the “Ian Sucks” knot. Why care if he calls it ‘Ian Knot’? If you liked your hotdogs a certain way and you call that an “Arijun Dog,” should people be mad at you if technically it’s a style first prepared 50 years prior in Nashville by a guy named John?
I did this for a while after seeing that video, but after some of my shorts ended up tightening into a knot that I couldn't get loose easily, I gave up on it. I instead just use the "Ian Knot" that I use to tie my shoes. It's very quick, I already use it all the time anyhow, and it rarely goes wrong. (Sometimes, I think I end up with an end through a loop accidentally, and have to fix it.) Learning this extra knot di…
I did this for a while after seeing that video, but after some of my shorts ended up tightening into a knot that I couldn't get loose easily, I gave up on it. I instead just use the "Ian Knot" that I use to tie my shoes. It's very quick, I already use it all the time anyhow, and it rarely goes wrong. (Sometimes, I think I end up with an end through a loop accidentally, and have to fix it.) Learning this extra knot di…
A bit off topic, but I hate that Ian just slapped his name on a knot and people call it that. He even has a little link on there saying "Yes I'm the inventor," which, if you click on it, amounts to "trust me bro." That knot was how my father learned to tie his shoes in the 60s, so Ian must have time-traveled back after "inventing" it in '82.
He surely invented "Ian's Knot" (the term for it). Even if there already existed a knot tied the same way, if people didn't know it by a name, surely there's some benefit to having a name for it?
I did this for a while after seeing that video, but after some of my shorts ended up tightening into a knot that I couldn't get loose easily, I gave up on it. I instead just use the "Ian Knot" that I use to tie my shoes. It's very quick, I already use it all the time anyhow, and it rarely goes wrong. (Sometimes, I think I end up with an end through a loop accidentally, and have to fix it.) Learning this extra knot di…
It really depends on the cordage for this one. I have a pair of gym shorts with a flat, thin band (I think it’s nylon, it’s got some slipperiness to it), and this knot works great for it. I’ve had nothing but problems trying this one on thicker, rounded cordage with more friction involved.
My results were the exact opposite with the two different types of cordage. This is definitely a finicky knot.