An interactive field guide
Knot Atlas
Every knot here is a 3D rope you can turn in your hand and tie one step at a time. The over and under tags come from the model itself, so they always agree with the drawing.
All knots
75 knots
-
Stopper knots
Overhand Knot✓
The simplest knot there is, and the first move of many others.
●○○ Easy -
Stopper knots
Figure-Eight Knot✓
The standard stopper.
●○○ Easy -
Binding knots
Square Knot✓
A flat binding knot for tying the two ends of one cord round something: a parcel, a bandage, a reefed sail.
●○○ Easy -
Binding knots
Clove Hitch✓
Two turns round a post with the second crossing over the first.
●○○ Easy -
Binding knots
Constrictor Knot✓
A clove hitch with an extra tuck, which locks the two ends under the crossing turn.
●●○ Intermediate -
Bends
Sheet Bend✓
The everyday knot for joining two ropes, including ropes of different thickness.
●○○ Easy -
Bends
Double Fisherman’s Knot✓
Each rope ties a double overhand round the other.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Rolling Hitch✓
A hitch that holds against a pull along a pole or another rope, not just across it.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Round Turn and Two Half Hitches✓
A round turn on a ring or post takes the load while you finish with two half hitches round the standing part.
●○○ Easy -
Hitches
Prusik Knot✓
A loop of thinner cord wrapped round a rope.
●●○ Intermediate -
Loops
Bowline✓
The classic fixed loop.
●○○ Easy -
Loops
Figure-Eight Loop✓
A Figure-Eight Knot tied in a doubled rope.
●○○ Easy -
Stopper knots
Slipped Overhand Knot✓
An overhand knot finished with a bight instead of the end, so one pull on the short end releases it.
●○○ Easy -
Stopper knots
Double Overhand Knot✓
An overhand knot with one extra turn.
●○○ Easy -
Stopper knots
Multiple Overhand Knot✓
An overhand knot with four or more turns.
●●○ Intermediate -
Stopper knots
Slipped Figure-Eight Knot✓
A figure-eight finished with a bight, so a pull on the short end releases it.
●○○ Easy -
Stopper knots
Stevedore Knot✓
A figure-eight with one more turn round the standing part.
●○○ Easy -
Binding knots
Granny Knot✓
The square knot tied wrong: both halves twisted the same way.
●○○ Easy -
Binding knots
Thief Knot✓
It looks almost exactly like a square knot, but the two short ends come out diagonally opposite each other.
●○○ Easy -
Binding knots
Slipped Square Knot✓
A square knot with one end pulled through as a bight.
●○○ Easy -
Binding knots
Bow Knot✓
The knot on your shoes: a square knot with both ends slipped.
●○○ Easy -
Loops
Overhand Loop✓
An overhand knot tied in a doubled rope.
●○○ Easy -
Loops
Threaded Figure-Eight Loop✓
The Figure-Eight Loop tied round something you cannot drop a loop over, such as a harness, a tree or a ring: tie a single figure-eight, pass the end round, and trace it back through the knot..
●●○ Intermediate -
Loops
Englishman’s Loop✓
A fixed loop made of two overhand knots, one in the end round the standing part and one in the standing part round the end.
●●○ Intermediate -
Loops
Double Englishman’s Loop✓
The Englishman’s Loop tied with double overhands.
●●○ Intermediate -
Loops
Double Overhand Noose✓
A running loop held by a double overhand tied round the standing part.
●○○ Easy -
Hitches
Cow Hitch✓
A bight of rope dropped round a rail with both legs pulled through it.
●○○ Easy -
Loops
Round Turn Bowline✓
A bowline with the small loop taken twice round.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Half Hitch✓
The simplest hitch: the end goes round the standing part and across itself.
●○○ Easy -
Hitches
Two Half Hitches✓
A turn through a ring or round a post, then two half hitches round the standing part, both the same way.
●○○ Easy -
Hitches
Buntline Hitch✓
Two half hitches tied back toward the ring instead of away from it, so the second hitch is trapped inside the first.
●●○ Intermediate -
Binding knots
Timber Hitch✓
A noose that grips a log, a pole or a bundle: the end goes round the standing part and is twisted back round its own turn.
●○○ Easy -
Bends
Fisherman’s Knot✓
Each end ties an overhand knot round the other rope.
●○○ Easy -
Bends
Water Knot✓
An overhand knot in one end, followed back through in reverse by the other end.
●○○ Easy -
Bends
Blood Knot✓
The angler’s join for two lines of similar size: each end twists round the other line about five times and comes back through the gap in the middle.
●●○ Intermediate -
Bends
Flat Overhand Bend✓
The two ends held together and tied as one in an overhand knot.
●○○ Easy -
Lashings
Sheer Lashing✓
Lashes two poles side by side, to lengthen a pole or to make sheer legs (an A-frame).
●●○ Intermediate -
Lashings
Square Lashing✓
Lashes two poles that cross at right angles, for frames, tables, gates and trellises.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Clinch Knot✓
The classic way to tie line to a hook, lure or swivel: through the eye, five twists round the line, then back through the small loop by the eye..
●○○ Easy -
Hitches
Improved Clinch Knot✓
A clinch knot with one extra tuck: after going through the small loop by the eye, the end goes back through the big loop it has just made.
●○○ Easy -
Binding knots
Turk’s Head (3 lead, 4 bight)✓
A woven band round a pole or rail.
●●○ Intermediate -
Binding knots
Turk’s Head (4 lead, 5 bight)✓
A woven band round a pole or rail.
●●● Advanced -
Binding knots
Turk’s Head (5 lead, 4 bight)✓
A woven band round a pole or rail.
●●● Advanced -
Bends
Carrick Bend✓
A join for heavy rope, woven strictly over-under.
●●○ Intermediate -
Braids & sennits
Carrick Mat✓
The carrick bend’s weave closed into a flat oval and followed round twice.
●●○ Intermediate -
Stopper knots
Monkey’s Fist✓
A woven ball at the end of a line: three sets of turns at right angles to each other, the last set passing inside the first and round the second.
●●● Advanced -
Stopper knots
Crown Knot✓
The strands at the end of a laid rope are folded over each other in turn, so each one passes over the next and under the one before.
●●○ Intermediate -
Stopper knots
Wall Knot✓
A crown upside down: each strand passes under the next and comes up through its bight, so the ends point up out of the top.
●●○ Intermediate -
Braids & sennits
Three-Strand Flat Braid✓
A flat braid of 3 strands.
●○○ Easy -
Braids & sennits
Four-Strand Flat Braid✓
A flat braid of 4 strands.
●○○ Easy -
Braids & sennits
Five-Strand Flat Braid✓
A flat braid of 5 strands.
●●○ Intermediate -
Braids & sennits
Six-Strand Flat Braid✓
A flat braid of 6 strands.
●●○ Intermediate -
Braids & sennits
Seven-Strand Flat Braid✓
A flat braid of 7 strands.
●●○ Intermediate -
Splices & whippings
Back Splice✓
Finishes the end of a three-strand rope without whipping: the strands are crowned, then each is tucked back down the rope against the lay, over one strand and under the next..
●●○ Intermediate -
Splices & whippings
Eye Splice✓
A permanent eye in the end of a three-strand rope: the end is bent back and its strands are tucked into the standing part, against the lay.
●●● Advanced -
Splices & whippings
Short Splice✓
Joins two three-strand ropes end to end: the ends are married so their strands interlock, then each rope’s strands are tucked into the other rope against the lay.
●●● Advanced -
Splices & whippings
Common Whipping✓
Turns of thin twine bound round a rope end to stop it unravelling.
●○○ Easy -
Splices & whippings
Flat Seizing✓
Binds two parts of rope side by side with twine: tight turns round both, then frapping turns between them to draw the turns tight.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Marlinspike Hitch✓
A loop laid over the line with a spike or rod pushed through it: over the loop, under the line, over the loop.
●○○ Easy -
Hitches
Mirrored Rolling Hitch✓
The rolling hitch tied as its mirror image, for a pull coming from the opposite side.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Pedigree Cow Hitch✓
A cow hitch made secure for a pull on one leg only: the free end is tucked back up between the legs and under the bight, so it cannot slide out..
●○○ Easy -
Hitches
Cow Hitch with Toggle✓
A cow hitch through a ring where a wooden toggle takes the place of the ends: the bight is caught round the toggle.
●○○ Easy -
Loops
Bowline with Stopper✓
A bowline with its tail tied in an overhand knot round the leg of the eye beside it, so the bowline cannot shake loose when it is not loaded..
●●○ Intermediate -
Bends
Double Sheet Bend✓
A sheet bend with a second turn of the thinner rope round the bight.
●●○ Intermediate -
Binding knots
Sheepshank✓
Shortens a rope without cutting it: the rope is folded into a Z and each end of the fold is held by a half hitch made in the standing part.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Klemheist Knot✓
A friction hitch tied with a loop of cord or tape.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Italian Hitch✓
A hitch on a carabiner or bar that lets rope run under control.
●●○ Intermediate -
Loops
Blood Dropper Loop✓
A loop standing out from the middle of a line, at right angles to it.
●●● Advanced -
Braids & sennits
Four-Strand Round Sennit✓
Four strands braided into a firm round cord.
●●○ Intermediate -
Braids & sennits
Eight-Strand Square Sennit✓
Eight strands braided into a thick cord with a square section, each strand passing over two and under two.
●●● Advanced -
Binding knots
Surgeon’s Knot✓
A square knot with an extra twist in the first half.
●●○ Intermediate -
Binding knots
Surgeon’s Knot with Second Tuck✓
The surgeon’s knot with the extra twist in both halves.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Highwayman’s Hitch✓
A quick-release hitch on a rail made only of bights: one bight round the rail, a second through it, and a third through the second.
●●○ Intermediate -
Hitches
Palomar Knot✓
A strong knot for tying line to a hook: a bight goes through the eye, an overhand knot is tied with the doubled line, and the bight is passed over the hook so the knot closes round the shank..
●●○ Intermediate -
Loops
Bimini Twist✓
A long, strong doubled loop for fishing line.
●●● Advanced
Being drawn now
Every chapter is open. More knots are being added to each: more stoppers, bends, hitches and loops, sennits, mats and whippings.