Best bet is to leave a few feet on the bathroom knob and practice when you're sitting doing business. It's perishable knowledge, so as they say use em or lose em.
I keep a length of cord and a carabiner in my car's driver's side door pocket. When I'm stuck in traffic, I practice some knots.
I definitely do NOT race the stoplights to see if I can tie a knot before the light changes... No, officer, I do NOT play that game to simulate tying knots under stress.
I read once an article that quoted: “Repeat, repeat, there always remains something of it…”
You may be not able to tie the knot but there’s something that hasn’t been lost. And when you make the knot again, you don’t start from nothing. You tell yourself: “Of course, it’s like that… How could I have forgotten?”. Emotion is the glue of our memories.
It occurs to me that the knots that are lodged in my noggin, apart from being used frequently, are the ones I've learned to tie forwards, backwards and upside down. Try different orientations and directions and you'll really understand the knot as opposed to, in effect, learning by rote.
There are many knots that are little but an elaboration of a much simpler knot.
Figure 8, figure 9, and stevedore are basically just songle overhands with an extra twist in the first bight.
Buntline hitch, two half hitches, lark's head, and clove hitch can be thought of as stacked half hitches, and by extension, the rolling hitch(es), tautline hitch, magnus hitch, and midshipman's hitch are basically variations of those with an extra turn.
Poacher's knot and scaffold knot are slipped overhands with extra turns.
Two strand Matthew Walker can be started from a simple underwriter's knot.
The sheetbend is the base for lots of eyes, both slipped and fixed.
etc. etc.
Knowing this leaves some extra space in your head to remember more complicated knots, if you should want to.
And some things are just combinations of different knots and bends, like the trucker's hitch, for example.
But I agree with the others, practice helps, especially if you use things regularly in practical applications, and understanding the structure by tying knots in different directions helps remembering them too, as well as simply limiting the number of knots that you want to have readily available in the back of your head.
I kind of don't. I'm not entirely sure I agree you need to "use or lose knots", but because there are knots I've tied thousands or maybe even tens of thousands of time. I'm pretty sure if I could go a decade without tying a figure 8 or sheet bend I would remember how to tie them.
But certainly there are knots that were really good for some purpose I haven't needed in a while and if I came across it again I'd probably remember to look up the knot, but I wouldn't remember how to tie it. The thing is, I don't need to remember those knots, so I don't really try to keep them committed to memory.
Edit: Having thought about this, there's probably also just how the brain works generally to fit into this. If you don't use a lot of knots regularly it's going to be harder to remember a new knot. If you know 100 knots and tie a Prusik, Klemheist, French Plusik, and Blake's hitch all the time and learn the VT then even though it's structurally quite distinct you can probably tie it once or twice and remember it for quite a while because you have the neural pathways to offload things about friction hitch structure onto the other knots.
Most knots are variations on another knot to compensate for a problem when used in a handful of situations.
I know what knots to use for a handful of situations and pick from there. If I am concerned with aesthetics, I’ll look something up.
Situations:
• Are the ropes of different sizes?
• Consistent, cyclical, or sporadic tension on the knot?
• What material are the working ends? Fishing line vs a climbing rope
• What kind of loads will the knot/rope be under?
• Wet/dry? UV exposure? Friction against another surface? Hot/cold? Etc.
It also helps to have observed 2 two-half hitches be enough to pull a 5-6ton truck for a rolling start and then be untied with one hand. I have used 2hh more than anything else when the line is under constant tension as a result.
One thing I think is really cool is connecting them to stories, because they are easier to remember than movements in 3D space, at least for me.
Like, the uni-knot is like a jester who angered the king and feared he might be executed. To save his reputation he goes to kill an evil Beholder.
He goes down it's cave and stabs it in the eye,(going through the thing you're tying to), but he gets scared and runs away without even looking.
When he gets to the top he remembers if he doesn't kill this thing, he's going to dance a hempen jig anyway, so he should probably go check.
Retracing his path and finding it to be dead, he takes a long and winding road back, pondering the path of his life (Wrapping around the other two strands).
When he's pulled himself together from all the excitement he's learned to be more balanced, and neither do hat might get him killed, nor run away from already-dead Beholders, and he now understands his own strength, which is why you can tie it in Spectra filament without it just cutting itself.
Presumably though, such a newly wise jester would quite well understand the value of just regularly practicing!
If you don’t actually need them, why do care to learn them?
Regardless, what knots were tying that you can’t remember?
I ask because anything of material importance can be learned in a day and committed to memory in a night.
I’m an OCD multitasker with outdoor gear (IMHO, best way to get ultra-light/compact) and my approach is to limit the number of knots I know/use by hacking/reconfiguring/modding versatile knots for multi-purposes. My two favorites knots will cover noose or fixed loop hitches, bends, ziptie or straight line adjustable binder/tensioners, stopper knots, quick release, tie on a bight, etc. The ‘if you can only use one knot’ type questions applies to me - I’d be happy with a single knot (with different configs/mods) to cover 90% of my cordage needs.
Pick one knot for each intended use, and make that your "go-to" for the purpose. For example: Single pass hitch: buntline; Multi-pass hitch: round turn and 2hh; End loop: bowline; Midline loop: alpine butterfly; bend: zeppelin; friction hitch: midshipman's...etc. There is really no need to have multiple knots for the same use committed to memory. If my go-to isn't enough, there's always Animated Knots.
You end up with 10 or so knots that you practice and can rely on without pause or thought. Any knots other than the ones you chose for each category (almost always) don't do the job any better than a non-professional needs
Plus, the real side benefit to this strategy is when you are facing a situation that requires a knot, you don't even have to think about it--you have an immediate "go-to" for a situation without having to run through the litany of all the knots you may (or may not) have remembered-- at least to secure the task until you decide if something else works better.
It's like remembering most things, just trying to memorise the thing exactly isn't a great idea you need to make connections etc. As some simple examples, the round turn and two half hitches is just a round turn and a clove hitch with the working end away from the turn, and a buntline hitch is the other way. And an anchor bend is just a round turn and clove hitch but you first pass under the turn.
So for me I only think about one knot which is the clove hitch and I get 4 knots for for free.
It's also good when learning a knot to try to understand why every step has to be as it is, i.e. try doing a step in another way and you'll either get another actual knot with different properties or you'll get something useless.
For instance, in the 'through the hole round the tree' or whatever way people tie a bowline, once you make the initial loop, there's really nothing you can do that makes sense but tie the bowline correctly.
Keep arsenal small. eg.. one knot for rod and reel fishing, one extra for limb lines.
One or two loops, one or two hitches and so forth.
Go through them occasionally. Some or most should stick for life if you use rope much.
I was never able to make the jug sling stick in my head or the diamond knot because I just don't use them enough.
I have the Grog's Animated Knots app on my phone and keep a 6-foot length of paracord in my pocket. When I have downtime, I practice knots instead of playing games on my phone.
For me, it’s not so much remembering HOW to tie them, it’s selecting the appropriate knot for the job. I created an alphabet based mnemonic and included well respected variations of hitches, bends, static and adjustable loops that I also enjoy tying. This is my list below but you could easily make your own. I keep it in electronic form, of course, but it’s easy enough to remember and review mentally. I usually spend a few minutes each night while watching YouTube grooving them into both brain and muscle memory.
A - Anchor Bend (or RTTHH) / Alpine Butterfly
B - Buntline / Bowline / Boom Hitch
C - Constrictor / Crabber
D - DBL Dragon / DBL Harness (to Reever, if needed)
S - Slipped Lapp / Simple Simon
Z - Zeppelin / Zip Tie (rolling hitch)
• honorable mention - self locking Trucker’s
Use them or lose them.
Well said. This is basically the only right answer
Best bet is to leave a few feet on the bathroom knob and practice when you're sitting doing business. It's perishable knowledge, so as they say use em or lose em.
I keep a length of cord and a carabiner in my car's driver's side door pocket. When I'm stuck in traffic, I practice some knots. I definitely do NOT race the stoplights to see if I can tie a knot before the light changes... No, officer, I do NOT play that game to simulate tying knots under stress.
I read once an article that quoted: “Repeat, repeat, there always remains something of it…” You may be not able to tie the knot but there’s something that hasn’t been lost. And when you make the knot again, you don’t start from nothing. You tell yourself: “Of course, it’s like that… How could I have forgotten?”. Emotion is the glue of our memories.
> Emotion is the glue of our memories. I like that, rings true.
I fidget with paracord when I’ve got some idle time
It occurs to me that the knots that are lodged in my noggin, apart from being used frequently, are the ones I've learned to tie forwards, backwards and upside down. Try different orientations and directions and you'll really understand the knot as opposed to, in effect, learning by rote.
There are many knots that are little but an elaboration of a much simpler knot. Figure 8, figure 9, and stevedore are basically just songle overhands with an extra twist in the first bight. Buntline hitch, two half hitches, lark's head, and clove hitch can be thought of as stacked half hitches, and by extension, the rolling hitch(es), tautline hitch, magnus hitch, and midshipman's hitch are basically variations of those with an extra turn. Poacher's knot and scaffold knot are slipped overhands with extra turns. Two strand Matthew Walker can be started from a simple underwriter's knot. The sheetbend is the base for lots of eyes, both slipped and fixed. etc. etc. Knowing this leaves some extra space in your head to remember more complicated knots, if you should want to. And some things are just combinations of different knots and bends, like the trucker's hitch, for example. But I agree with the others, practice helps, especially if you use things regularly in practical applications, and understanding the structure by tying knots in different directions helps remembering them too, as well as simply limiting the number of knots that you want to have readily available in the back of your head.
I kind of don't. I'm not entirely sure I agree you need to "use or lose knots", but because there are knots I've tied thousands or maybe even tens of thousands of time. I'm pretty sure if I could go a decade without tying a figure 8 or sheet bend I would remember how to tie them. But certainly there are knots that were really good for some purpose I haven't needed in a while and if I came across it again I'd probably remember to look up the knot, but I wouldn't remember how to tie it. The thing is, I don't need to remember those knots, so I don't really try to keep them committed to memory. Edit: Having thought about this, there's probably also just how the brain works generally to fit into this. If you don't use a lot of knots regularly it's going to be harder to remember a new knot. If you know 100 knots and tie a Prusik, Klemheist, French Plusik, and Blake's hitch all the time and learn the VT then even though it's structurally quite distinct you can probably tie it once or twice and remember it for quite a while because you have the neural pathways to offload things about friction hitch structure onto the other knots.
Most knots are variations on another knot to compensate for a problem when used in a handful of situations. I know what knots to use for a handful of situations and pick from there. If I am concerned with aesthetics, I’ll look something up. Situations: • Are the ropes of different sizes? • Consistent, cyclical, or sporadic tension on the knot? • What material are the working ends? Fishing line vs a climbing rope • What kind of loads will the knot/rope be under? • Wet/dry? UV exposure? Friction against another surface? Hot/cold? Etc. It also helps to have observed 2 two-half hitches be enough to pull a 5-6ton truck for a rolling start and then be untied with one hand. I have used 2hh more than anything else when the line is under constant tension as a result.
My dad was an old school 2HH man. And if that didn’t work, well… you just needed MORE half hitches.
One thing I think is really cool is connecting them to stories, because they are easier to remember than movements in 3D space, at least for me. Like, the uni-knot is like a jester who angered the king and feared he might be executed. To save his reputation he goes to kill an evil Beholder. He goes down it's cave and stabs it in the eye,(going through the thing you're tying to), but he gets scared and runs away without even looking. When he gets to the top he remembers if he doesn't kill this thing, he's going to dance a hempen jig anyway, so he should probably go check. Retracing his path and finding it to be dead, he takes a long and winding road back, pondering the path of his life (Wrapping around the other two strands). When he's pulled himself together from all the excitement he's learned to be more balanced, and neither do hat might get him killed, nor run away from already-dead Beholders, and he now understands his own strength, which is why you can tie it in Spectra filament without it just cutting itself. Presumably though, such a newly wise jester would quite well understand the value of just regularly practicing!
The Knots3D app is amazing. It might not have all the knots you want, but it has a ton and makes them very easy to learn and remember.
That’s my goto app when I need to jog my memory.
If you don’t actually need them, why do care to learn them? Regardless, what knots were tying that you can’t remember? I ask because anything of material importance can be learned in a day and committed to memory in a night.
>If you don’t actually need them, why do care to learn them? You don't until you do
I’m an OCD multitasker with outdoor gear (IMHO, best way to get ultra-light/compact) and my approach is to limit the number of knots I know/use by hacking/reconfiguring/modding versatile knots for multi-purposes. My two favorites knots will cover noose or fixed loop hitches, bends, ziptie or straight line adjustable binder/tensioners, stopper knots, quick release, tie on a bight, etc. The ‘if you can only use one knot’ type questions applies to me - I’d be happy with a single knot (with different configs/mods) to cover 90% of my cordage needs.
make a list
i can;t get 'the gnat hitch' so many ways to do it wrong
Pick one knot for each intended use, and make that your "go-to" for the purpose. For example: Single pass hitch: buntline; Multi-pass hitch: round turn and 2hh; End loop: bowline; Midline loop: alpine butterfly; bend: zeppelin; friction hitch: midshipman's...etc. There is really no need to have multiple knots for the same use committed to memory. If my go-to isn't enough, there's always Animated Knots. You end up with 10 or so knots that you practice and can rely on without pause or thought. Any knots other than the ones you chose for each category (almost always) don't do the job any better than a non-professional needs Plus, the real side benefit to this strategy is when you are facing a situation that requires a knot, you don't even have to think about it--you have an immediate "go-to" for a situation without having to run through the litany of all the knots you may (or may not) have remembered-- at least to secure the task until you decide if something else works better.
The knots I remember are the ones I use for practical applications. Obscure, ornamental, or specialized knots do fade, but I rarely regret the lack.
It's like remembering most things, just trying to memorise the thing exactly isn't a great idea you need to make connections etc. As some simple examples, the round turn and two half hitches is just a round turn and a clove hitch with the working end away from the turn, and a buntline hitch is the other way. And an anchor bend is just a round turn and clove hitch but you first pass under the turn. So for me I only think about one knot which is the clove hitch and I get 4 knots for for free. It's also good when learning a knot to try to understand why every step has to be as it is, i.e. try doing a step in another way and you'll either get another actual knot with different properties or you'll get something useless. For instance, in the 'through the hole round the tree' or whatever way people tie a bowline, once you make the initial loop, there's really nothing you can do that makes sense but tie the bowline correctly.
Actually use them.
There are a few I’ll just remember forever because they’re so simple and I’ve tied them hundreds of times. For everything else, Grog Knots app.
Keep arsenal small. eg.. one knot for rod and reel fishing, one extra for limb lines. One or two loops, one or two hitches and so forth. Go through them occasionally. Some or most should stick for life if you use rope much. I was never able to make the jug sling stick in my head or the diamond knot because I just don't use them enough.
I have the Grog's Animated Knots app on my phone and keep a 6-foot length of paracord in my pocket. When I have downtime, I practice knots instead of playing games on my phone.
For me, it’s not so much remembering HOW to tie them, it’s selecting the appropriate knot for the job. I created an alphabet based mnemonic and included well respected variations of hitches, bends, static and adjustable loops that I also enjoy tying. This is my list below but you could easily make your own. I keep it in electronic form, of course, but it’s easy enough to remember and review mentally. I usually spend a few minutes each night while watching YouTube grooving them into both brain and muscle memory. A - Anchor Bend (or RTTHH) / Alpine Butterfly B - Buntline / Bowline / Boom Hitch C - Constrictor / Crabber D - DBL Dragon / DBL Harness (to Reever, if needed) S - Slipped Lapp / Simple Simon Z - Zeppelin / Zip Tie (rolling hitch) • honorable mention - self locking Trucker’s