The link shows a loop knot, not a bend.
standingwave probably meant the Flemish or Figure 8 bend that CMC linked to.
I have never heard that a Granny knot was in anyway superior to a square/reef knot. Wiki doesn’t think so either but doesn’t cite its source. In what way do you think that the Granny is superior? Personally, I wouldn’t use either for anything more critical than tying a package with twine.
Again from ABoK, re the Granny Knot as a bend:
The Reef Knot is a good choice for a binding knot that is quick & easy to both tie and untie - yank on one of the free ends and it spills and falls apart.
Thanks. I have The Ultimate Book of Everyday Knots which reference the ABoK frequently. I guess I’ll have to break down and get a copy. I just wish it wasn’t $50 (or more).
That is correct.
Figure 8 follow through for me as well. One of the few knots I can tie with gloves on, as well.
The only knot I really remember is the square knot, so probably that one. I might try doubling it to give more failure points if I’m worried. And I always check to make sure I didn’t accidentally make a granny knot. I’m not sure what a thief’s not is, but since I check it by seeing if it comes undone, I assume I check for that, too.
People say it’s insecure, but they don’t say why. And I don’t really do anything that needs all that much security. If I’m making a knot, I want to be able to undo it without cutting it.
I also use a modified square knot to tie my shoes. The only difference is the loops.
I trust it for my shoes, too. Still…
Caution: This picture demonstrates how even a “Stack” of Square Knots can capsize and pull undone. These photographs were created by pulling on the ends of the red rope. ** “There have probably been more lives lost as a result of using a Square Knot as a bend (to tie two ropes together) than from the failure of any other half dozen knots combined.” **(ABOKpage 258). Never use it for critical loads.
A thief knot looks exactly like a square knot but the short ends are on opposite sides of the knot.
I have to say that the Animated Knots website may be just about a big of a time sucker as TV Tropes!
Will a knot pass through a block or pulley?
For $4.99, you can download the app.
No. For that you’d use a long splice. Even the standard short splice will usually have problems passing through a block or a pulley.
Security refers to a knot’s tendency to stay intact while in service (usually, while under load). It’s not the same as whether the knot is easy to untie.
The aforementioned Carrick bend is one example of a very secure knot that is also reliably easy to untie. In contrast, a Granny is a knot that’s insecure (it can slip under load) but also can be hard to untie after it’s been loaded.
That’s a binding knot - a role for which a square knot is a good choice.
Personally, I don’t see any need for more bends than the sheet bend (for ropes of different thickness), the fisherman’s or double fisherman’s (for braided or slippery synthetic ropes), the square knot (for temporary joins of ropes of similar thickness) and the short splice (for permanent joins of ropes of similar thickness). If I were climbing, I’d probably be using the double figure eight as well, but I don’t climb.
IMO, if you know the square, the sheet, the double fisherman, the half hitch, the bowline, and the short and eye splice you cover 99.9% of what most people need to know about knots.
Sheet bend works just fine on ropes of similar thickness, is easy to tie and untie, is secure and decently strong.