I've been asked to do a class on knot tying at a BOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman) program at the NRA Whittington Center next month.
I'm planning on teaching basic knots (square,figure 8,bowline,butterfly,fisherman's knot,Prusik knot, anchor & sheet bend,clove,half,lark's head,timber,highwayman's and trucker hitches).
It got me to thinking about how important knots were to our ancestors...and how few people I know can't do more than a "granny" knot.
I wonder which were commonly used by the average person of the 1700-1800s? I figure miller's knots (to close sacks) were common.

I want to give these ladys some good basic knots,bends & hitches, anyone have any recommendations on others I should offer?

I have no historical data, but packing hitches such as diamond, squaw, barrel, basket or similer were probably pretty important to early settlers and hunters. Knowing how to tie up mantee's and other bundles of cargo with half hitches and slip knots would have been useful too. Again I do have any documentation that can verify that they used these knots, but I seriously doubt that they didn't use something similer for hauling stuff on pack horses. Most knots are probably nearly as old as mankind. Sound slike a great class!

Deercop,
Good doin's. Mrs. Stone will be taking several classes here month after next for the Women in the Outdoor's "Becoming an Outdoor Woman" program. Knots isn't one of the categories, but I like the idea.

Here's a 'factoid' for you. At least on fishing line, a simple overhand knot reduces the strength of the line 50%!

I believe another name for that millers knot is called a weavers knot. Same as an overhand knot except over twice the first time? I love that knot for tying sacks for sure.

I'd guess using bowlines is as old as sails on boats and ships.

Sparks

Sparks

Yeah, so many knots....
My goal for the class is to keep it practical. There are so many neat, special purpose knots I'd love to teach them.
I'm also going to teach them how to tie a necktie, and a reef knot for tying scarfs,sashes,etc.
Reef knot in the time of the ancient Greeks was known as the Hercules knot. Men tied their belts with it to make them more virtile. (Hercules supposedly fathered 70 children). I've seen paintings from the 16th-19th centuries of military officers wearing sashes tied with reef knots.

Yeah,surprising how many cultures discovered/used the same knots. I read one statement where examples of the bowline, butterfly, square & reef knots have been found in prehistoric sites.

Deercop. a bit of advice, don't try to teach them to many styles of knots. Pick out maybe four or five knots at the most to actually teach them how to tie, and them tell and show them several more simaler, that can be used for various purposes. Have visual aids if ya can , like a board with a bunch of knots already tied n mounted that they can see. Also something else you can do that helps is have two different colored lenghts of ropes(red n white) for them to use. That way they can see better what you/they are trying to acomplish as you/they tie the knot.It often takes more time then ya think to get a group of newbies to actually tie a new knot and an hour or so goes by quick in a class.One other thing I've noticed is that women like to work in small groups more then alone, pairs or groups of three is a good set up. Paper handouts for the pupils is great too as they can refer to them later when they get home and have forgotten what you taught them hee hee hee

How many knots do they already know??

The bow, for tying shoelaces, probably the half hitch, and (afaiac) the granny is an incorrect square knot, so that would be easy to correct.

I came back from camping today, and used clove hitch, bowline, Sheet bend, and tautline hitch, to lash stuff to the top of the car and the cargo shelf to the rear. Those are about all that I use, except add the figure-8 and I think you'll have a basic set to get them started. Maybe add a fishing knot IF they get the rest down. As the previous post mentioned, keep the list small. The only other knot that I sometimes use, but it's seldom is the timber hitch.

LD

Thanks.
I've been given 3 2 and a half hour blocks. My class size will be 8-10.
LD, The ladies sign up for classes depending on their interests. I'll have no idea what they already know.
Looks like you have a pretty good repertoire of knots. Only one I would add would be a loop knot for the middle of a rope. My favorite is the alpine butterfly. One of the few I didn't learn from my grandpa. Was taught it at a mountaineering school back when I was 16 years old....yeah, a long,long time ago....

Deercop as you pointed out,tailoring the knots to the interest of the class.If their fishing they will use different knots than mountain climbing.Fishers have very little use for a Bachmann or Klemheist.The list in your initial posting will cover most knots that we use.When I went through my fire training we had to learn all different knots and I found if I dont use/practice then I forget or it takes to much time to remember and tie, I revert back to the old stand bys. Different colored rope is a great idea,our instructor said,"NO,you wont have different colors on the fire/rescue,learn,fail or maybe die" However when we practice at our training sessions we use different colored rope then do it without colors.
You might teach the different parts of the rope,working end( tag end for fisherman),standing part,elbow,loop,bight,standing end that way the elbow doesnt become that "twistie thingamajig"
As Sparks pointed out some knot will/can reduce to strength of the line it is tied in,for instance when you splice a rope you lose 10% of the strength.Some knots have no loss. And you might even cover how to properly make up the rope/cordage for storing,nothing more madening than a 100' coil of rope all tangled,especially in an emergency.
Different ropes have very different applications and deteriorate under different conditions/applications. The Clove hitch is a fun knot,easy to tie and can be use as a millers knot and made into handcuffs,quick tie a hitching line to post/picket livestock.
If your looking/need a great book for your own referance and the class "The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropeworks" by Geoffery Budworth ISBN 1-84309-138-0.Great for fancy to practical with history thrown in for good reading. Good luck with your class.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Walking Crow,

Thanks Walking Crow.
I've got a great book that belonged to my grandpa, and I expect it's long out of print called Ashley's Book of Knots. It's my "go to" book when I need to look up a knot.

The ladies will also have the opportunity to take rock climbing, basic fishing, and fly fishing classes, so I'm trying to avoid redundancy by not teaching knots that are likely to be taught in those classes.

Besides the archery, basic rifle skills, handgun shooting and shotgun for beginners, there are also classes in muzzleloader rifle & pistol, so our interests will be represented too!

Your "Women in the Outdoors" courses sound like more fun than the ones locally. There will be archery, shotgunning and fly fishing, but no handgun, rifle or muzzleloader courses.
Sparks

I would say that my knots are quite few, compared to those very specific for certain sports such as rock climbing. However, they have a wide range of applications, and since your class is Becomingan Outdoors Woman, the basic Boy Scout knots (where I got mine) would be a good foundation for them (imho) as it has been for some many decades of scouts.

Since you never know how soon they will need them, I'd say teach them the basic ones, and then let them specialize in the future. So perhaps make your choices based on soonest practical application. Tying stuff down on a car, making an emergency shelter, going out the 2nd story window of a burning house using bedsheets, etc.

Remember, they will only remember the knots they continue to use..., so anything esoteric will be a waste of time for you and for them.

LD

I'm siding with LD on this one. There are about 9 or 10 basic knots that will get a person through outdoor living quite nicely. I leave out climbing knots as far too specialized for a first time course. Find a 1960 or earlier Boy Scout book, the useful knots will be in it.

I practically live in the outdoors now and spent 30 years in boat yards in my working life. I use, (if I can dig 'em out of my brain), overhand knot, clove hitch, slip knot, square or reef knot, bowline, half hitch, timber hitch, trucker's hitch, tautline hitch, and cleat hitch.

Actually I don't consider bending a line to a cleat a knot, but that's just me. There's still a correct way to do it so it won't fail but is easily undone. Too many people simply buld a huge bird's nest on the cleat until they run out of line, and call it good. I call that the "If You Can't Tie A Knot, Tie A Lot" theory.

Learn the tautline hitch, and throw away those clever but butt ugly "dogbones" people use to snug up the guys on their tents.

Three Hawks

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Hey folks here is a site that has animated views of the knots to be tied. Really cool, and if ya was interested in that odd knot that's just the thing, it's probably here.

(inter) Netknots.com

Here is an English Society dedicated to knots...,

International Guild of Knot Tyers

LD

Loyalist Dave names a few of the knots most likely to be used often a few more to that list would be sufficient I would think, this post caused me to start thinking(always hazardous) and I grabbed a chunk 1/2" rope and tied somew knots, I did quite a few but could not remember but two or three names