The Right Knot for Any Job
When you open up a drawer or box of tools, it is immediately obvious that some of them are right and some of them are wrong for the job you have in mind. When you have a job to do with rope, the knots you know will serve you as your toolbox. Just as you would not have much use for a toolbox with just one tool in it, you would not want to do different jobs with rope or string with just one knot. You will want to learn a few different types of knots and learn to use the right one for your application.
Matching a Knot to a Rope Application
The main categories of rope use are joining one rope to another, making a loop, binding, and tying off to an object. Identifying the function that the knot must serve is an important step in choosing one. Some knots are like a multitool in that they can serve a variety of functions, and some are very limited in what they do. A fixed loop can serve a variety of different functions, but a knot like the Reef or Square Knot is unreliable when not used as a binding knot. Once you understand the function of the knot you learn, you will know whether it will work in any particular application.
ALERT!
Don't be quick to assume that a knot you like and trust in one application will behave reliably in another. Many knots that are very good for one application can quickly untie or slip when used in only a slightly different manner. Just as you wouldn't use a good pair of pliers to drive a nail through wood, you need to discriminate between appropriate and inappropriate knots for each application.
Other Considerations
The more you learn about knots, the more factors you will be able to take into account as you choose the right one for a particular application. Everything from the cordage material used to how the knot is tied, untied, and subjected to stress are important factors in knot choice.
No attempt is made in this book to tell you what rope material to use for every application. That is because only you will know both what application you have and what cordage you have available to do it. That leaves you to decide what knots to use based on the rope's properties, such as its size and how slippery it is. There are many questions to ask yourself when choosing a knot for a given application:
Will the rope be under steady or changing strain?
Will it need to be untied?
Will it need to be tied or untied quickly?
What knots do I know?
How secure does it need to be?
Will others need to tie or untie it?
Will the tension in the rope need to be adjusted later?
Will others have to use it?
Is damaging the rope a concern?
These and many other questions can come into play when you choose a knot. You will, of course, need to limit your choices to which knots you know, just as you must choose from your toolbox only tools that are in it. This leads us to another question you may have been wondering about: “Which knots should I learn?”
FACT
Even if you read that it is good to use ¼-inch-diameter rope for securing loads on the back of a pickup, you will probably still find yourself getting ready to haul purchases away from a lumber yard with thin and slippery tomato twine to secure it. For situations like these, it is good to have knowledge of different knots to get the job done with a variety of materials.
Choosing Which Knots to Learn
Many people are quite intimidated by the thought of learning more than just a couple of knots, or think that it is difficult or time-consuming. So here are some things to ponder when deciding which ones you want to learn.
The first thing you may wonder about is how many knots you will need to know or what is the smallest number that you can get by on. The number is up to you and may vary depending on your needs. Here is a possible progression you might consider: A loop knot like the Bowline or Overhand Loop can serve a number of different applications, and thus gets you the most mileage from a single knot. Next you should consider learning other knots from different categories, like bends, hitches, and binding knots, so that you can apply them to many situations. It is better still to learn a couple of knots from each category. You might try experimenting with a number of knots within a given category, and settle on the ones you want to remember and use.
Many knots are similar in structure, which means that the more different kinds of knots you learn to make, the easier it'll be to add new knots to your stock. Because of this, you may decide to choose knots from different categories that have similar structure — you'll be able to remember them more easily. For example, the multiple overhand structure appears in many knots throughout this book, and so do knots that make use of combinations of Half Hitches.
ESSENTIAL
There is a lot of room in knot tying for personal preference. You can decide to pay extra attention to knots that are adjustable, knots that allow leverage, knots that untie very easily after being under heavy strain, knots that are very secure, or even knots that are decorative as well as functional. Some people enjoy exploring and learning knots that exhibit these or other particular properties.
Taking time to learn tips for learning knots, especially learning the terminology, is key to success at learning new knots. Not only does practice help in tying knots, but it helps in following diagrams and in learning knots more easily. With a little work, you will have no trouble both tying and teaching many of the different knots in this book. The chapters that follow include many types of knots, and even tips on teaching them and exploring the subject further.
