How many knots do you know/use?

[Mick Dempsey]

Just now, Mark J said:

Excellent hitch, when I was shown it it seemed like witchcraft.

Yes, I know! It just falls apart when you’re done with it.

[Mick Dempsey]

8 minutes ago, Doug Tait said:

 

Monkey's fist. You can have it loose so it unravels or tuck the last bit back through the rest to keep it locked together so it stays as a fist after you've thrown it.

Here’s how it was shown to me.

[peds]

Yeah, that's a handbag. Monkey fist is a tight little ball, not sure what applications it had in other arenas, but for mountaineers you'd lob it up the cliff towards a suitable looking crack or V, hoping it would stick fast, and you could hand over hand (or prusik, etc) up the rope to make progress.

 

Not one you'd want to unravel on you.

 

It's also used in various sizes in a part of Germany with very soft sandstone rock as protection, instead of nuts, cams, hexes, as they would wear the rock down too quickly.

 

 

Edit: I'd like a video of your magic mechanical advantage knot, please.

 

Edited May 5 by peds

[Doug Tait]

11 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Here’s how it was shown to me.

 

That's a lot looser than I know it. For me it's much like your pic but tighter, fist size or a little bigger. If you fold the bit you're holding over the loops it doesn't unravel and you can use it as a weight.

 

The truckers hitch was probably the first proper knot I learned from dad for tying stuff on the trailer. Used it to great effect on bale trailers on the farm, don't think we had ratchet straps then.

[Mick Dempsey]

10 minutes ago, peds said:

Yeah, that's a handbag. Monkey fist is a tight little ball, not sure what applications it had in other arenas, but for mountaineers you'd lob it up the cliff towards a suitable looking crack or V, hoping it would stick fast, and you could hand over hand (or prusik, etc) up the rope to make progress.

 

Not one you'd want to unravel on you.

 

It's also used in various sizes in a part of Germany with very soft sandstone rock as protection, instead of nuts, cams, hexes, as they would wear the rock down too quickly.

 

 

Edit: I'd like a video of your magic mechanical advantage knot, please.

 

You make a loop, lay it on the rope.

make a turn round the loop, then (and this is the key) make a second turn INSIDE the first one.

just shake to undo.

 

10 minutes ago, peds said:

[sime42]

Monkey's Fist Knot | How to tie a Monkey's Fist Knot using Step-by-Step Animations | Animated Knots by Grog

WWW.ANIMATEDKNOTS.COM

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The Monkey's Fist is used both as a decorative knot and to weight the end of a heaving line.

 

 

Very satisfying to make. Definitely doesn't undue by itself so more of a decorative, or permanent throwing knot.

I read somewhere that it was used to make a Bolas.

[Bolt]

Always done a truckers hitch with double loops.

 

 

using the bottom loop to provide the 2:1 advantage.

 

 

 

 

[Doug Tait]

4 minutes ago, sime42 said:

Monkey's Fist Knot | How to tie a Monkey's Fist Knot using Step-by-Step Animations | Animated Knots by Grog

WWW.ANIMATEDKNOTS.COM

---

The Monkey's Fist is used both as a decorative knot and to weight the end of a heaving line.

 

 

Very satisfying to make. Definitely doesn't undue by itself so more of a decorative, or permanent throwing knot.

I read somewhere that it was used to make a Bolas.

 

 

More complicated than the way I was shown.

[daltontrees]

11 hours ago, Con said:

Properties of a good knot.

Easy to tie.

Easy to untie.

Doesn't damage the rope.

Serves its purpose. 

That's what I was taught, anyway

One additional property I think of is that a good knot is one where you can immediately see if it's wrong. A few knots have dangerous fake versions if you don't tie them right. Good to be able to check visually if it looks wrong.

[AHPP]

Educated Climber on youtube is the man for nifty, git-er-done ropework.