Andy's Most Useful Knots: Index
Before we start, here is an index of the knots you will find in this multi-page series. Including variations, you'll find detailed descriptions and pictorials of over fifty knots—but don't worry about getting lost, as you can start with the page for the very "most useful knots". On the right side of the page, please notice the links to the other pages in the series.
The Most Useful Knots
Bowline with Two Turns
Simple Bowline
Alpine Butterfly
Double Overhand Sliding Loop
Adjustable Grip Hitch
Double Sheet Bend
Double Fisherman's Knot
Square Knot
Surgeon's Knot
Sofia Constrictor Method
Constrictor Knot
Double Overhand Knot
Truckie's Knot
Strong Lashing
Clove Hitch
Zigzag Turns (Backtracking)
Other "Best Knots"
Threaded Figure-Eight
Figure Eight in the Bight
Three-Turn Tautline
Alpine Butterfly Bend
Adjustable Bend
Constrictor in the Hand
Ashley Stopper
Permanent Truckie's Hitch
Tripod Knot
Prusik Knot
Munter Hitch
Alpine Butterfly with Two Loops
Alpine Butterfly with Three Loops
Karash Double Loop
Bowline with Two Loops
Great Knots You Probably Don't Need to Know
Double Dragon
True Lovers' Knot
Japanese Square Knot
Heaving Line Knot
Zeppelin Bend
Braid Knot
Marlingspike Hitch
Handcuff Knot
Highway Man's Hitch
Ultra-Fast way of tying a Bowline (Lightning method)
Bowline from an Overhand Knot
Ultra-Fast way of tying a Round-Turn Bowline
One-handed Bowline
Yosemite Bowline
Boa Knot
Myrtle Hitch
Psychedelic Bowlines
Pulley System (Tackle)
(More to come)
Navigation
This "Best Knots" presentation has several pages (notice the links on the top right). Among those, the page for the "most useful knots" lists the set of "essential knots" that I would recommend learning no matter what. They constitute your "Swiss Army knife of knots". There are less than twenty.The page for "optional knots" contains other knots that I also classify among the most useful. Some of them give you a second option for the functions filled by the knots on this page. Most serve a slightly different purpose.
I hope you enjoy your visit!
Smiles,
Andy
ps: If you have enjoyed this page, I would be immensely grateful if you would link to it, bookmark it or share it. You can also comment using the form below.
Guys, it'll be great if you can reuploade it mine rearranged book. I posted this invaluable book on ifile.it server
The Ashley book of knots by Charles Warren Ashley
1st edition printed in 1944. It's 12 reprint 1993
Pass: englishtips.org
The link is: http://ifile.it/a7l8znq or you can go to
http://englishtips.org/index.php?newsid=1150815533
Pioneering Knots and Lashings from Scoutmaster's blog
1.76MB http://ifile.it/gwylk5j
The Klutz Book of Knots - a step-by-step manual by John Cassidy 1.15MB http://ifile.it/ptly68q
Handbook of Knots and Splices by Charles Gibson 2.96MB http://ifile.it/gwylk5j
An Interactive System for Knot Design by Puripant Ruchikachorn 11MB http://ifile.it/nmq7rxf
All files are password protected and pass is: englishtips.org
Getting older, I find my poor knotting skills increasingly embarrassing.
Thanks to this website, I've learnt a few things about knotting. And that's not nothing.
Patrice
I'm sure there is an advantage to the Truckers Knot that you show over a Truckers knot where the loop is made with just a simple slip knot, but I cannot figure out what it could be.
Can you tell me, please.
Thank you.
Alex
Hi Alex! I would think that the benefit is speed: You make the double twist with one hand while the other hand prepares the bight that will go through it. Surely possible to make a slip knot with one hand, but less easy. Can't speak for that method though, as I'm programmed for the double twist 
Wishing you a fun day,
Andy
Hi, I just wanted to share my new blog on macrame in case others are looking for more knotting resources.
www.macramelovers.com/blog
thanks!
Hi Melissa, Thanks for your message, your blog looks great, the link adds a different kind of knotting resource. If you find a spot for it, I'd appreciate a link back. Best wishes, -Andy
Since I learned the constrictor, I pretty much dropped the clove hitch (still has uses, but for me they do not come up much). I call the constrictor "the clove hitch that actually works". The only downside is the untying (without cutting). Hence the slipped version, which I can tie. And now, thanks to you (and Sofia), I can tie much faster.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comment, I really appreciate it.
"The clove hitch that works"... LOL
Yeah, like you, not a big user of clove hitches, but hooked to the constrictor.
Wishing you a fun day,
Andy
Nice site, but the images don't print for me (Chrome browswer, Windows 7) in pdf or on my hardcopy printer. The words print just fine.
Hi Eric,
Thanks for alerting me! I had no idea that the image were not printing.
I fixed the problem. (For the web techies in the audience, it was a line in the CSS code: #content img { display: none; } )
Thanks again and
Wishing you a fun day
Andy