List of knots facts for kids

A knot is a special way to tie a rope or string so it holds tight. People have been using knots for thousands of years for all sorts of tasks, like sailing, climbing, fishing, and even just tying your shoes! There are many different kinds of knots, and each one is designed for a specific job. For example, the overhand knot is also called the thumb knot, and the figure-eight knot can be known as the Savoy knot. This list will help you discover some of the most common and interesting knots out there!

Knots for Joining Ropes

These knots are used to connect two separate ropes or lines together.

Bends: Connecting Two Ropes

• Ashley's bend – A strong knot used to securely join the ends of two ropes.
• Butterfly bend – This knot connects two ends of rope, often used in climbing.
• Carrick bend – Great for joining two heavy ropes or cables.
• Double carrick bend – A stronger version of the Carrick bend for joining two lines.
• Flemish bend – Also known as the double figure-eight bend, it joins two ropes of similar size.
• Fisherman's knot – A simple, symmetrical knot for joining two lines, often used by anglers.
• Double fisherman's knot – A very secure version of the fisherman's knot, also called the grapevine knot.
• Hunter's bend – Also known as the rigger's bend, it joins two lines securely.
• One-sided overhand bend – This knot joins two ropes together.
• Overhand bend – A simple way to join two ropes.
• Racking bend – Used to join two ropes, even if they have different thicknesses.
• Reef knot – A basic knot for securing a rope around an object or joining two ends.
• Reever Knot – A strong and neat knot for joining two lines.
• Sheet bend – A good knot for joining two ropes, especially if they are different sizes.
• Double sheet bend – A more secure version of the sheet bend.
• Simple Simon over – Used for joining two lines.
• Simple Simon under – A more secure way to join two lines than the Simple Simon over.
• Surgeon's knot – A modified reef knot often used in surgery or fishing for its extra grip.
• Tape knot – Also called the water knot, it's often used in climbing to join two pieces of webbing.
• Triple fisherman's knot – An even stronger version of the fisherman's knot for joining ropes.
• True lover's knot – A name given to many different knots used for joining.
• Zeppelin bend – A very secure knot that's easy to untie, even after being pulled tight.

Knots for Making Loops

These knots create a fixed or adjustable loop in a rope.

Fixed Loops: Loops That Don't Change Size

• Angler's loop – Forms a fixed loop, great for slippery lines or bungee cords.
• Bowline – A classic knot that forms a fixed loop at the end of a rope.
• Bowline on a bight – Creates two fixed loops in the middle of a rope.
• Butterfly loop – Also known as an Alpine butterfly, it forms a fixed loop in the middle of a rope, popular with climbers.
• Carrick bend loop – Used to make a loop at the end of a rope.
• Directional figure eight – A loop knot made in the middle of a rope.
• Double figure-eight loop – Creates two parallel loops.
• Dropper loop – Forms a loop that sticks out to the side of the main line, useful in fishing.
• Eskimo bowline – Puts a loop at the end of a rope.
• Figure-eight loop – A basic loop knot, often used as a stopper or for creating a loop.
• Figure-of-nine loop – Forms a fixed loop in a rope, a bit bigger than a figure-eight loop.
• Friendship knot loop – A decorative knot used to tie a loop at the end of a rope.
• Honda knot – Also known as a lariat loop, commonly used in a lasso.
• Karash double loop – Used to make leg loops for a temporary harness.
• Overhand loop – Forms a simple fixed loop in a rope.
• Portuguese bowline – A variation of the bowline with two adjustable loops.
• Rigid double splayed loop in the bight – A knot with two parallel loops that don't jam.
• Running bowline – A loop that can tighten around an object.
• Slippery eight loop – An adjustable loop knot.
• Span loop – A loop that doesn't jam, tied in the middle of a rope.
• Spanish bowline – A double loop knot.
• Surgeon's loop – Similar to the surgeon's knot but creates a double-strand loop.
• Trident loop – A fixed loop knot.
• Triple bowline – Creates three loops on one knot at the same time.
• Zeppelin loop – A secure loop at the end of a rope that resists jamming.
• Yosemite bowline – A medium-security loop knot.

Adjustable Loops: Loops That Can Change Size

• Adjustable bend – Can be easily made longer or shorter.
• Adjustable grip hitch – A simple hitch that can be moved up and down a rope when it's loose.
• Fireman's chair knot – A knot tied in the middle of a rope that forms two adjustable loops.
• Handcuff knot – Tied in the middle of a rope, creating two adjustable loops facing opposite directions.
• Noose – A loop at the end of a rope where the knot slides to make the loop tighter.
• Overhand knot with draw-loop – A knot where the load's weight keeps the loop in place.
• Running knot – Also known as a slip knot, it tightens when pulled.
• Slipped half hitch – A temporary way to attach a rope to an object, easy to release.
• Taut-line hitch – An adjustable loop knot used on ropes that are under tension, like tent lines.

Knots for Securing Objects

These knots are used to attach a rope to an object, pole, or another rope.

Hitches: Attaching to Objects

• Anchor bend – Used to attach a rope to a ring or similar object.
• Axle hitch – Used to tie a hitch in a hard-to-reach spot.
• Bale sling hitch – A loop of strap used to lift or lower objects.
• Barrel hitch – Used to hang or lift an object like a barrel.
• Blackwall hitch – A temporary way to attach a rope to a hook.
• Boom hitch – Used to attach a line to a fixed object like a pipe.
• Buntline hitch – Used to attach a rope to an object.
• Cat's paw – Connects a rope to an object.
• Cleat hitch – Used to secure a rope to a cleat (a fitting with two horns).
• Clove hitch – Two simple half-hitches around an object, good for temporary ties.
• Cow hitch – A basic hitch knot used to attach a rope to an object.
• Double pile hitch – Attaches a rope to a pole or other structure.
• Garda hitch – A climbing knot that allows rope to move in only one direction.
• Girth hitch – Another name for a cow hitch.
• Ground-line hitch – Attaches a rope to an object.
• Half hitch – A very simple knot where the working end goes over and under the standing part.
• Halter hitch – Connects a rope to an object, often used for animals.
• Halyard bend – Attaches a rope at a right angle to a cylindrical object.
• Highpoint hitch – Used to attach a rope to an object.
• Highwayman's hitch – An insecure, quick-release hitch for very temporary use.
• Icicle hitch – Great for connecting to a post when weight is applied parallel to the post.
• Killick hitch – Used to attach a rope to oddly shaped objects.
• Knute hitch – A type of hitch.
• Lark's foot – Another name for a cow hitch, used to attach a rope to an object.
• Lobster buoy hitch – Similar to the buntline hitch, but uses a cow hitch.
• Marlinespike hitch – A temporary knot to attach a rod to a rope, creating a handle.
• Midshipman's hitch – Similar to the taut-line hitch, an adjustable loop for tensioned lines.
• Ossel hitch – Used to attach a rope or line to an object.
• Pile hitch – Used for attaching rope to a pole or other structure.
• Pipe hitch – A hitch used to secure pipes or poles.
• Rolling hitch – Used to attach a rope to a rod, pole, or another rope.
• Round turn and two half-hitches – Used to secure a rope end to a fixed object.
• Sailor's hitch – A secure hitch that won't jam.
• Siberian hitch – Used to attach a rope to an object.
• Single hitch – An overhand knot tied around or through an object.
• Slipped buntline hitch – Used for attaching a rope to an object, easy to release.
• Slippery hitch – Used to attach a line to a rod or bar.
• Snell knot – A fishing knot used to attach an eyed hook to fishing line.
• Snuggle hitch – A variation of the clove hitch.
• Sling knot – Used to create a handle for a container with a narrow neck.
• Swing hitch – A type of hitch.
• Tensionless hitch – An anchor knot used in climbing or rescue, where the rope wraps around an object multiple times.
• Timber hitch – Used to attach a single rope to a cylindrical object, like a log.
• Tugboat hitch – Great for heavy towing or tying to a post or winch.
• Turle knot – Used in fishing to tie a hook or fly to a leader.
• Tumble hitch – A type of hitch.
• Two half-hitches – An overhand knot tied around a post, followed by another half-hitch.
• Vibration-proof hitch – Used for fastening a line or rope to a solid object.
• Wagoner's hitch – A compound knot used for securing loads on trucks or trailers.

Friction Hitches: Gripping and Sliding Knots

• Adjustable grip hitch – A simple hitch that can be easily moved up and down the rope when slack.
• Bachmann knot – A friction hitch useful when you need to quickly adjust or reset the knot.
• Blake's hitch – A friction hitch often used by tree climbers for going up ropes.
• Distel hitch – A secure friction hitch used for rope climbing.
• Farrimond friction hitch – A quick-release adjustable friction hitch for lines under tension.
• Klemheist knot – Also known as the French Machard knot, it grips a rope when weight is applied and moves freely when released.
• Prusik knot – A friction hitch used to put a loop of cord around a rope, common in climbing.

Knots for Binding and Stopping

These knots are used to tie things together or to create a stopper at the end of a rope.

Binding Knots: Tying Things Together

• Bag knot – Also called a miller's knot, used to close a sack or bag.
• Boa knot – A binding knot.
• Constrictor knot – One of the most effective knots for binding things tightly.
• Corned beef knot – A binding knot often used for tying meat while cooking.
• Cross constrictor knot – A variation of the Constrictor knot.
• Double constrictor knot – A very strong binding knot that can be hard to untie.
• Jamming knot – Used for tightening a bundle of objects.
• Miller's knot – A binding knot used to secure the opening of a sack or bag.
• Packer's knot – A binding knot that's easy to pull tight and lock in place.
• Strangle knot – A simple binding knot.

Stopper Knots: Preventing Fraying or Slipping

• Ashley's stopper knot – A decorative stopper knot at the end of a rope.
• Double overhand knot – A stronger version of the overhand knot.
• Figure-eight knot – A basic knot often used as a stopper at the end of a rope.
• Matthew Walker knot – A decorative knot that keeps the end of a rope from fraying.
• Monkey's fist – A decorative knot that looks like a small fist, often used as a weight for throwing lines.
• Overhand knot – Also known as the thumb knot, it's a very basic knot that forms the base of many others.
• Stevedore knot – A bulky stopper knot often tied near the end of a rope.
• Wall knot – A knot used at the end of ropes.
• Wall and crown knot – Used at the end of ropes, often on ships.

Knots for Special Uses

These knots have unique purposes or are used in specific fields.

Fishing Knots

• Albright special – Used to tie two fishing lines of different thicknesses together.
• Arbor knot – Attaches fishing line to the spool of a fishing reel.
• Bait loop – Also called a bumper knot, it secures soft or loose bait for fishing.
• Bimini twist – A strong fishing knot used for offshore trolling.
• Blood knot – Joins two sections of fishing line while keeping most of the line's strength.
• Clinch knot – Also known as a half blood knot, it secures fishing line to a lure or swivel.
• Improved clinch knot – A more secure version of the clinch knot for fishing.
• Nail knot – Used in fly fishing to attach the leader to the fly line.
• Palomar knot – A very strong knot for securing fishing line to a lure, snap, or swivel.
• Trilene knot – A multi-purpose fishing knot.
• Uni knot – A fishing knot used to attach line to a reel.

Climbing and Outdoor Knots

• Alpine butterfly – A static loop used by climbers and rappellers for securing a carabiner to a rope.
• Butterfly coil – A way to store and carry a climbing rope.
• Mountaineer's coil – Another method climbers use for carrying a rope.
• Water bowline – A knot designed for use in wet conditions where other knots might slip.

Decorative and Historical Knots

• Basket weave knot – A family of knots with a regular, woven pattern.
• Bourchier knot – A type of heraldic knot (used in coats of arms).
• Bowen knot – A decorative knot that looks like a square with loops at the corners.
• Carrick mat – A flat, woven decorative knot that can be used as a mat.
• Celtic button knot – A round, decorative knot.
• Chinese button knot – A decorative knot from China.
• Diamond knot – Used for making a decorative loop on the end of a cord, like a knife lanyard.
• Fiador knot – A decorative, symmetrical knot used with horses.
• Friendship knot – A decorative square knot used for neckerchiefs and in Chinese knotting.
• Good luck knot – A decorative knot.
• Gordian knot – A mythical, very complicated knot that Alexander the Great famously cut with a sword.
• Knot of isis – An ancient Egyptian symbol, similar to knots used on clothing of Egyptian gods.
• Pan Chang knot – A decorative knot.
• Plafond knot – A decorative knot.
• Rose knot – A decorative stopper knot.
• Savoy knot – A decorative, heraldic knot, also known as the figure-eight knot.
• Shoelace knot – The common knot used for tying shoelaces and bow-ties.
• Square Turk's head – A decorative knot with interwoven strands forming a closed loop.
• Twined Turk's head – Another decorative knot with interwoven strands.
• Trefoil knot – The simplest example of a non-trivial knot in mathematics, often used decoratively.

Other Useful Knots

• Artillery loop – A knot with a loop in the middle of a rope for non-critical uses.
• Bottle sling – Used to create a handle for a container with a narrow neck.
• Chain sinnet – A way to shorten a rope or cable.
• Chain stitch – A sewing and embroidery technique that forms a chain-like pattern.
• Common whipping – A series of knots to stop a rope from unraveling.
• Continuous ring hitching – A series of identical hitches made around a ring.
• Diagonal lashing – Used to bind poles together to prevent them from moving sideways.
• Diamond hitch – A lashing technique used to secure objects on pack animals.
• Dogshank – A variation of the sheepshank where the ends of the rope pass through the loops.
• Donkey’s bane – A variation of the diamond knot.
• Grief knot – A knot that combines features of the granny knot and thief knot.
• Granny knot – A simple knot for securing a rope around an object, but not very strong.
• Gripping sailor's hitch – Used to tie one rope to another, or to a pole, when the pull is along the object.
• Half-Windsor knot – A knot used for tying neckties.
• Hangman's noose – A well-known knot, historically used for hanging.
• Harness bend – Used to join two ropes together.
• Heaving line knot – A knot used to add weight to the end of a throwing line.
• Heaving line bend – Used to attach playing strings to silk eyes.
• Hitching tie – A simple knot for drawstring bags that allows quick access.
• Hoxton knot – A method of arranging a scarf around the neck.
• Jury mast knot – Used for setting up a temporary mast on a sailboat.
• Knotless knot – A knot often used in carp fishing.
• Lapp knot – A type of knot.
• Lighterman's hitch – Ideal for heavy towing or tying to a post.
• Lissajous knot – A knot described by mathematical equations.
• Poldo tackle – A mechanism in rope for applying and releasing tension quickly.
• Pratt knot – A method of tying a necktie.
• Pretzel link knot – In math, a special kind of link.
• Quick-release knot – A knot that can be untied very quickly.
• Round lashing – Used to bind poles together.
• Round turn – A simple turn of a rope around an object.
• Sheepshank – Used to shorten a rope without cutting it.
• Shroud knot – A multi-strand knot for joining two twisted ropes.
• Simple knot – Also known as the four-in-hand knot, a method of tying a necktie.
• Slip knot – A knot that tightens when tension is applied.
• Square lashing – Used to bind poles together at right angles.
• Thief knot – Resembles the reef knot but has its ends on opposite sides.
• Tom fool's knot – A good knot to start a fancy sheepshank.
• Transom knot – To secure two objects, like poles, at right angles.
• Trucker's hitch – Used for securing loads on trucks or trailers.
• Underwriter's knot – A type of knot.
• Versatackle knot – Simulates a block and tackle without actual pulleys.
• Windsor knot – A symmetrical knot used for tying neckties.

More Knotty Lists

If you want to learn even more about knots, check out these lists that group knots by their type:

• List of bend knots
• List of binding knots
• List of climbing knots
• List of coil knots
• List of decorative knots
• List of hitch knots
• List of friction hitch knots
• List of loop knots
• List of slip knots
• List of splices
• List of stopper knots
• List of trick knots

See Also

• List of knot terminology
• List of mathematical knots and links
• The Ashley Book of Knots