41–50 of 139 posts
My favorite, as many others are sharing here, is the figure 8. For climbing, it's a super versatile knot and there's lots of variations for specific use cases. It's also a great knot for discussing the properties of a good knot. I also have found the trucker's hitch really useful from time to time. It allows you to tie down a load, for example a kayak on top of a car. You tie the initial hitch, and then you get to cr…
The zeppelin has always been my favorite "knot" (the zeppelin is a bend), but one knot is not the "best"... the alpine butterfly they compare it with is a loop. They're used in different contexts. I'm just knot layman, but other knots I like are: the icicle hitch, bowline (+yosemite stopper), trucker's hitch, siberian/evenk/halter hitch, tumble hitch, and the chinese button knot.
For joining two lines, I like the Zeppelin hitch.
My list of favorite knots: 1. Square Knot / Reef Knot -- This is the shoelace tie, and its one of the simplest knots. Learn this knot backwards and forwards you'll use it a lot. Avoid the granny knot (a mistaken reef knot). Beginners will often tie the granny knot instead of the square knot. If you can do a square knot, the "Surgeon Knot" is a useful variant which is more secure. 2. Figure Eight -- Superior to the ov…
Other than aesthetics (and perhaps as a hobby) are there circumstances in which cable lacing would be preferable to cable ties?
Zip ties are more prone to overtightening, but as long as you are aware of the overtightening problem, there's probably no real reason to avoid them.
The main advantage of knowing cable lacing is that it generalizes. There are many long-objects that benefit from the cable-lacing knot. For example, a rope can secure a bunch of 2x4 together using the cable-lacing technique. Any "long lengthwise bundle" of objects can benefit from cable lacing.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You should use an EDK (despite the name sounding scary) if you're anywhere with cracks or areas that a double fisherman's will get caught. The EDK is asymmetric so it's less likely to get stuck, and is generally faster to tie (and untie). Fears of it rolling out are a bit overstated - just leave a solid 6 inches of tail or more.
Or just use the Alpine Butterfly. Stronger, easy to tie, optionally asymmetric, usable as a loop or a bend, quite secure (slightly less so than Ashley's #1452 but still quite good), and non-jamming (unlike the figure 8).
I'd love them to do a break down on common knots as I trust my life to figure 8s and fisherman knots pretty regularly.
Fishermen have worked out good knots for monofilament, but they jam when used with stranded line.
The strength of a knot or bend in stranded line can be predicted without technical analysis by looking at the curvature of the line as it passes through the knot. The tighter the curve, the lower the breaking strength. The strongest bends, like the Zeppelin, have very soft, symmetrical curves. They are also the easiest to untie.
My list of favorite knots: 1. Square Knot / Reef Knot -- This is the shoelace tie, and its one of the simplest knots. Learn this knot backwards and forwards you'll use it a lot. Avoid the granny knot (a mistaken reef knot). Beginners will often tie the granny knot instead of the square knot. If you can do a square knot, the "Surgeon Knot" is a useful variant which is more secure. 2. Figure Eight -- Superior to the ov…
I can think of at least one situation where an overhand knot is better than a figure-eight, where speed and ease is more important than strength.
Practicality is also big one. There are tons, but I've learned bowline over 10 years ago and use it every day when sailing. It's easy to tie and can be taken apart by hands.
The bowline is fine for non-safety-critical uses, but cyclical loading causes it to slip, so I'd suggest anyone who's learning the bowline to learn a "safer" variant and just always use that one (examples are Yosemite Bowline, End Bound Single Bowline, Double Bowline, Bowline on a Bight).
I am surprised to see no one has put in a good word here for the buntline hitch[1], which is very handy for tying a rope to something fixed (and also happens to be a standard necktie knot). 1: https://www.animatedknots.com/buntline-hitch-knot