7 Essential Knots You Need To Know

Aside from tying shoes, a lot of people don't know, or need a refresher on tying knots. Knowing these knots will get you through most situations you will encounter, and they are the ones I use most often.

The knots covered in this video are:
Square Knot (Reef Knot)
Clove Hitch (Builder's Hitch, Tied in a bight, and at an end)
Sheet Bend (And Double Sheet Bend)
Bowline (Tied two ways)
Figure 8 loop (Tied 3 ways)
Round Turn + Two 1/2 Hitches
Taut-Line Hitch

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[DeathRunner]

0:14 square knot

0:53 clove hitch

2:13 sheet bend

3:13 bowline

4:16 figure 8 loop

5:45 round turn + two 1/2 hitches

6:39 taut-line hitch


hope this helps

[acerpid]

Credit for this man continuing to like and reply to comments after 6 years

[gavindsouza]

posted 4 years ago and he’s still responding, what a legend

[gregbenwell]

I was a boy scout and learning to tie knots was one of those things I still remember fairly well!! My grand daughter (age 12 at the time) would play with my neighbors grand daughter (again too she was 12 years old also) and I was telling the two girls that in boy scouts we learned how to tie knots!! The neighbors gand daughter is kind of a smart ass, and she told me "You couldn't tie me up to that telephone pole over there (in front of her grand parents house) and for about any hour told me "You don't know how to tie knots!" being a little turd about it!! Keep in mind too that I KNOW her grandparents well, I have lived across the street from them for about 16 years now and we are (socially) the type of neighborhood where we all talk and hang out they know me as well as I know them!!

Long story short though after about two hours of her "daring me" to tie her to the telephone pole I finally told her "come here" and I knocked on her grandparents door, I informed her grandfather of WHAT I was doing and why and he looked at her and smiled and said "She's been a handful all day!"!!!! I tied the child to the telephone pole and walked away!! Twenty minutes later her grandfather comes out looks at her and says "Have you had enough yet?" as she struggled to break free!! And final after about a half hour I walked back across the street and untied her setting her free!!

Who knew that it wouldn't end there!! You see after all this now almost ten years later the same kid comes to my house while visiting her grand parents, like usual to visit with my grand daughter when they are both around!! BUT a few times she has come to my home as I am sitting outside just to talk to me and last summer out of the blue she asked me "What knot or knots did you use to tie me to the telephone pole that one time?" and she then tells me she wants to tie up her little as you can guess is now a 12 year old pest that won't just "drop things" when you tell her "NO"!!! LMAO!!

[dothetruffleshuffle]

I used the figure 8 loop you showed. A very simple knot, yet very effective and secure. Knowing just a few of these knots comes in handy. I appreciate the help.

[rcala]

Clove hitch is one of my favorites lately. Ever since I learned them at work, I’ll use them from time to time when I need to and it has saved me a lot of trouble.

[ricpowers]

This guys instruction is really concise, to the point, and perfectly understandable. Great instruction.

[tdd]

This is a good list. These are all knots I used on repeat when I was in the military and now on the farm and in everyday life. (And when hiking, camping, boating, etc.)

I'm always surprised at how so many folks just don't even know the reef knot.

I suppose I would add one of the fishing knots as well, perhaps.

And then there are a lot of refinements, in particular how to cleanly stow the loose end, how to make most knots super secure but easily undone, and applications combining these knots, but all that comes with experience.

[tyleryork]

I have re-visited this video for a refresher so many times, the most clear, concise and visually easy to follow knot tieing video

[romanblanks]

What's the best knot to use to securely tie someone to a chair?
Please let me know quickly - they are about to regain consciousness.





Joking aside, very helpful video, good clear demonstrations. Thankyou.

[aacandme]

Very good demo. The ropes were a good diameter to be able to see where it all went, and the contrasting colors when joining two ropes was helpful. Thank you.

[robin]

This man comes into our pockets when we aren't looking and tie our earbuds. What a madman...

[hogue]

I really appreciate how VISUAL you made these knots. Well done! A top 10 would include a butterfly knot and backhand hitch. Both hold great weight and are easy to undo.

[lemunbalm]

Best instructions I've ever come across on the clove hitch! Thank you!

[susans]

I used the figure 8 loops today. Easy to follow video with the two different colors of cords and quick links to the different knots. Thank you.

[w.d.gaster]

In my personal opinion and situations I’ve had in life, the hangman’s knot is my all time favorite, I’ve used it to make slipknot necklaces, I’ve used it to pull a sunken boat out of the water, I’ve used this one knot my whole life, and for some reason it just, well, works!

Never had a single problem or break with this knot.

[PatrickCoble]

You deserve a gold medal for best YouTube educator.
Bravo!

[mahtoosacks]

Great video demonstration of very useful knots.

I worked on offshore tugboats, and knots are essential for properly securing lines. Only rope on a boat is attached to the horn, everything else is line.

By far, on iron workboats, most important is the bowline, and the clove hitch.

It's essential to know at least 3 or 4 ways to tie a bowline quickly! The way demonstrated is by far the slowest way. You would only use that way for large line of 3" and up, when you don't have time to splice an eye. Another important thing is that the bowline DOES NOT BIND. Only under the highest stresses does one bind, and the line itself must have been put under so much strain that it literally fuses together. Extreme care must be taken when first learning, so that you do not accidentally make a slipknot. You're life could literally be on the line, and it could kill you or someone else if you screw this up. The most extreme case being with: 1. a french bowline (a double loop bowline) used to rescue someone overboard, and 2. the inability to remove the line from what it is tied to, resulting in the inability to allow the vessel to escape a hazard safely. Learn and practice, practice, practice.

Sheet bend is great, quick way to secure a heaving line to a larger line. It is deceptively simple. For very small line(3/8") attaching to very large (4" and up), or pulling long distances (like up the side of a tanker) do everyone a favor and just tie the double sheet. For the love of all that is good, DO NOT TIE AN OVERHAND KNOT. you might get something heavy and metal thrown at you. Note: wear a hard hat :)

The clove hitch is a good one, too. This is great for tying a fender off a hand rail, or securing anything temporarily. Key word temporary. It can be worked loose. Never trust your life to a clove hitch. Also, this is not to be used for side-loading. It will pull apart.

Round turn and 2 half hitch. By far the strongest knot there is! A very important thing to realize is that, by tying ANY "knot" (quotations because some knots aren't knots at all, but are actually called binds), the strength of the line is reduced at the knot. Some knots reduce the line's strength by as much as 50%; another reason overhand knots are the worst ever. The round turn and 2 half hitch it the only one that does not reduce the line's strength at all. It can be side-loaded, as well. I would always throw a reverse half hitch to "lock off", and prevent any possibility to it pulling out. You can trust this knot.

Never really use a figure 8 loop knot, always just went with the regular single overhand variety. you can use this knot as a sort of pulley, to increase the strain on a line. Great for securely tying something down, because you can get it tight tight, especially when used with 2 of these loops. First tie a secure knot using a bowline or round2hh (not a overhand... we seeing a pattern, yet?) then tie a loop somewhere in the middle, then go around something considered strong, then pass the line through the loop and pull down as tight as you need it. secure with 2 half hitches.

I guess I passed the sissy test :)

[RadiantMantra]

"If I turn the rope, this forms a loop"
*Okay*
"Doing it the exact same way a second time forms a second loop"
*Whoa, slow down man!*

[anandarouillier]

Thank you! You don’t know how much time I just spent watching other videos. I don’t do knots and just needed to put up a simple cloths line in my backyard. You solved it in under 2 minutes .