A Practical Guide to Tying Knots

This book shows you how to tie 75 bends, hitches, knots, bindings, loops, mats, plaits, rings and slings in over 500 step-by-step photographs. It is an essential handbook explaining how to tie a wide variety of knots, with advice on how each one can be used. It includes guidance and information on materials, types of rope, breaking strengths, terms and techniques. You can learn how to master knots such as the sheet bend, the rolling hitch, the square knot, the clove hitch tied in a bight, the double munter friction hitch, the sheepshank, the Alpine butterfly and the Spanish bowline. Each knot is accompanied by fascinating historical details. Knots have been around since our Neolithic ancestors first tied reef knots and clove hitches thousands of years ago. This book is a practical guide to tying 75 knots, from the simple overhand or thumb knot and the single hitch to the more challenging double constrictor knot and alternate ring hitching. Each knot is identified by category - general purpose, angling and fishing, boating and sailing, caving and climbing, and outdoor pursuits. Different cords and ropes are discussed, and advice is included on cutting and sealing ropes, tools and materials, and rope care. Whether you are an eager beginner or a lifelong devotee of the art of knot tying, this book will prove an indispensable guide.