Berndt Sundsten - My First Book of Knots

These basic knots are simple to tie and easy to undo.

Overhand knot

To prevent the end of a rope from unraveling, its easiest to make an overhand knot. It is also used to make a stopper in a line.

Follow the illustration. Make a loop and poke the rope end through the eye. Now youve made the simplest and perhaps most common of all knots.

The figure-eight knot

This is an easy and effective knot that can be used, for example, to prevent a rope from gliding through the hole in a tarp.

How to tie it:

Multiple overhand knot

This knot makes a neat roll and can be used, for example, to create a better grip on a rope.

The square knot

(reef knot) is a classic knot. It has been used by sailors throughout history to hold bundles and packages together. The square knot is probably the most common and well-known knot. Tie it so that the rope ends exit each bight where they entered it, and the two ends come out on the same side of the knot.

According to one story, sailors made a thief knot (a variation of the square knot in which the ends come out on different sides of the knot) around their sailors sacks. Anyone opening the sack would, out of habit, make a square knot to close it again. This was how a sailor could see if someone had been looking in his sack.

A much better (sturdier) knot than the square knot is the sheet bend , which is one of the oldest known knots. It is particularly good if you want to join two lines with different diameters. Youll find it on page 16.

The granny knot (below) is essentially an improperly tied square knot (see the illustration). In the granny knot the rope ends do not exit where they entered their respective bights. Also, it is not as sturdy as the square knot.

Hitches of different kinds are good for attaching a rope to an object, or tying things together. They also work well with other knots.

The clove hitch (above) is a great knot when you need to fasten a line to a pole or other somewhat thicker object.

Half hitch

This is the simplest knot to use for fastening a line around an object. It works well as a temporary knot.

Two half hitches

This knot will hold even if the standing part varies between taut and loose.

Begin by laying a bight around the object.

Next, make a loop around the standing part with the rope end, which should come up through the bight.

Make another loop in the same direction around the standing part, and let the end come out between the two half loops.

Tighten the hitch by pulling on the standing part while holding your other hand around the two half hitches.

Round turn and two half hitches

This combination is very sturdy when, for example, you want to fasten a line around an object. This knot is quite easy to undo.

Bowline
With his basic knot you can make a strong, reliable noose of any size. The bowline is a knot that wont slip, and it can even be tied with one hand. This knot is also called the rescue knot.

Bowline

How to tie it:

Begin by making a loop in the line with the working end over the standing part, as shown in the illustration. Make the loop counterclockwise.

Next, poke the end through the loop from below.

Continue to wrap the end counterclockwise around the standing part and then poke it through the loop from above.

Now pull it tight...

... and the bowline is finished.

To remember how to make the bowline you can use this mnemonic: A field mouse comes out of its hole, runs around the tree, and then goes back into its hole. Youll know just how to make a bowline.

The hole is the loop you make in the rope, the tree is the standing part of the rope, and the working end of the rope is the field mouse.

Bowline on a bight

The bowline on a bight is used, for example, to lift or lower someone during a rescue action. In such cases, the thickest line possible should be used.

One of the loops should go under the persons rear end, and the other behind the back and under the armpits. The knot itself should be above the persons head. You can see how to make the knot at the bottom of the page.

If you want to make a swing you can do the following: Drill four holes in a piece of wood. Thread the rope through one of the holes from above, and through the other hole at the same end of the board from below. Fasten the rope end with a bowline. Do the same for the other end of the board.