How to tie and when to use more than ten of the most commonly used traditional and effective knots. And several variations (including some left handed versions) shown to demonstrate how simple knots and hitches are the building blocks for more complex knots.
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Alright so today on Repairs101 I’m going to kick off this first episode of our fifth year on YouTube with a top ten list of knots you want to know. Alright. Cue the fireworks guy.
Square knot
So you know this knot wasn’t even supposed to be in the lesson But I thought I’d include it. It’s the square knot and it’s one of the knots that everybody needs to know. Make sure you’re subscribed to catch all my videos on these knots and many more to come. It’s just left over right, right over left and you’re done.
OK so while ostensibly this video is a top ten list of the knots that I consider to be the most essential ones to know, in reality it’s a lesson about how simple knots are really building blocks for more complex knots.
Overhand knot / half hitch
So the difference between an overhand knot and a half hitch is that the half hitch is belayed to something. Here it’s a ring but it can be a rail or a pole or a piece of rope or whatever. It’s pretty easy to tie and I just include it because it’s a building block for other knots.
Round turn & 2 half hitches
Point in case is a knot called the round turn and two half hitches. And, you pretty much tie it just the same way you say it. Keep the tail passing around in the same direction when you make your half hitches so that together they form a clove hitch. Now if you’re worried about this knot slipping you can always lock it up with an overhand stopper knot.
Let me know in the comments section if you call any of these knots by different names. I’d be very interested. But keep in mind that words are just words and talk is cheap. It’s what you do in life that counts.
You could use it to secure your boat to a cleat. If you hadn’t seen the rest of this video already and well.. uh… I don’t know. What is that? A chopstick?
Clove hitch
OK so the next building block I want you to know is the clove hitch. It’s simple to tie. You belay it to something like a bar or a cleat or a ring and it’s a reasonably secure knot. Again, especially if you lock it down with an overhand stopper. You can also add a half hitch alongside to create this travelling hitch.
Slippery hitch
Another great variation of the clove hitch that’s good for if you need to tie up your horse or your dog is the slippery hitch. Because it’s quick release.
Painter hitch
But you know, honestly the best knot for leads and leashes is another quick release knot called the painter hitch. Otherwise known as the highwayman’s hitch. So have a look at my painter hitch video for a comprehensive lesson in how to tie it.
Come on buddy! (WHISTLES) C’mon get in the car, we’re going downtown.
You’ll notice that as long as you keep the tail passing around in the same direction when you’re making your half hitches, that the half hitches actually create a clove hitch. Which because they’re on a piece of line that they can run on, becomes a buntline hitch.
Cleat hitch
Now no matter what size boat you’re talking about this is the preferred knot for tying down to a horn cleat and securing your vessel. Now what’s really interesting about the cleat hitch is that if you deconstruct the knot a little bit and you put it into a different context you can see that it’s clearly just a clove hitch.
Sheet bend
A sheet bend can be used to join two pieces of unequal rope by making an eye in the larger rope and then passing the smaller one through the eye, around and then under itself. When both tails are on the same side of the knot it’s called a right handed sheet bend and it is the preferred version of this knot. Wrap the tail one more time and pass it under itself again and you’ve got a double sheet bend.
Bowline
OK so you make a crossing turn to create a hole. And then the snake goes out of the hole, around the tree and then back bown the hole again. And that’s a standard bowline. Which will look like this and look fairly familiar to you. Tie your bowline the other way to get a left handed or classic / cowboy bowline. And so if we compare the bowline to the sheet bend we discover they’re pretty much the same knot.
Carrick bend
OK now the carrick is another one that I’ve already done a comprehensive “how to” on. So have a look at that video and you can learn how to tie this ancient superior bend. It’s used as a decorative flat knot on like a rope belt or something like that. And it can be pulled tight to become a very, very secure connection between two lines.
Alpine Butterfly
If you ever have reason to install a loop in a line where it may take a great strain in any one of three directions you want to use the alpine butterfly. Make a crossing turn. Turn it again and then turn it over itself for a pretzel shape. Hollow out the center of the pretzel and then pass it behind everything and through the hollow.
Timber hitch
Another ancient knot used for say hauling lumber behind your horse is the timber hitch. Tied by passing around the timber. Choking the standing part of the line, and then simply tucking the line in under itsel.
One, two, three times. Here you can see I used timber hitches to secure the nylonstrings on this classical guitar. Now a more evolved version of the same knot involves adding a half hitch further up the timber to create what’s called a killick hitch.
Truckers’ hitch
OK I’m giving up the number two postion to the most requested knot – it’s the people’s favorite – the truckers’ hitch. Now I made a video demonstrating three variations of the truckers’ hitch and their different uses. So please have a look at that video and hold onto your socks because here comes number one.
Backhand hitch
OK if you’ve seen enough of my show you already know what my number one choice is. And that’s the backhand hitch and that’s because it’s easy to tie. It’s easy to untie. Strong. Versatile, it has a very high breaking point. You can use it in wire, rope string, polypropylene, shoelaces, thread or dental floss. Or you know cotton, braid rope, laid rope…
Alright so thanks for watching and if you liked todays video share it with your friends. And if you’re not already – don’t forget to subscribe!
Ok so Repairs101 it’s about me sharing what I’ve learned over the years. Mostly practical stuff, you know. Things you can do around the house, your car, at work , um you know, in the garden. Things you can use to help yourself save money and get things done. (BLOWS) Probably should have dusted this first.
Knots in this video
Find the Backhand Hitch in these videos
