On the usefulness of knots

How is your knowledge of knots? Despite being an Eagle Scout, I would have to answer: very poor. I’m confident that just about everyone knows the Overhand knot, the Reef knot (or Square knot), a shoelace knot (or more), and a Slip knot. As a Boy Scout, I could also throw a Bowline into that mix.

And yet, if I was tasked to tie a knot outside the context of a shoe, a garbage bag, or a bread bag, that needed to be secure and reliable, my confidence would plummet.

I suspect that outside of a few professions/hobbies like rock climbing or sailing, which come with an outsized knowledge of knots, many people would be similar to me.

For example, here are a few common scenarios I’ve found myself in. Would you have a good answer?

1. I need to attach a cord/string/rope to something with a small circumference (e.g., a bar, a bag opening, a bundle of cables, a chicken drumstick bone), as securely as possible. Maybe if I had a zip tie, I’d use that, but I only have my cord/string/rope. What knot would you use?

2. I have two pieces of cord/string/rope and need to attach them together very securely. Maybe to make a longer rope. What knot would you use?

3. I need to cinch down something, say, on a truck bed or maybe a tent strap. But, I ran out of cinching hardware. I only have rope. What knot would you use?

I wouldn’t be surprised if many people reached for a Reef knot in all of these instances, simply because that’s the only one that came to mind.

Me too, until I spent $6 on a simple knots reference application (Knots 3D). Why an app? Offline reference is important, because half the time I actually want to look at this, I’m somewhere remote with no internet.

Now, I’d recommend a Constrictor knot for scenario (1), or a Double Constrictor if you’re getting really serious. Or, depending on the exact case, perhaps a Woodland Zip-tie Knot or Canadian Jam Knot. I’d use a Zeppelin bend for (2). I’d use an Adjustable Grip hitch, or a Trucker’s hitch for (3), depending on the exact scenario.

In fact, even knots I believed to be very secure, like the Bowline, have better variants. For example, anytime you want a Bowline, you’re better off with Scott’s Locked Bowline instead, which inhibits the knot from shaking loose. Frankly, there are a bunch of cool loops you should check out, like the double dragon knot or a Kalmyk Loop.

Even things like tying a drawstring have better alternatives, like the slipped Lapp knot:

As a programmer, learning these knots feels a lot like discovering some mature, well-established CLI tool that solves your particular problem very effectively.

With a knots reference handy, you can chuck a roll of paracord (for its absurd versatility and strength) in your bag or car, and you’d be surprised how many times you can solve a problem with a good knot.