Customer Reviews

Knot Craft

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Written by a professional ropeworker of 25 years experience, and the co-founder of the International Guild of Knot Tyers, Des Pawson's Knot Craft is a step-by-step breakdown of how to apply knots, materials, and hands-on skill to create bellropes, key fobs, mats, doorstops, kinfe lanyards, belts, and more. Extensive black-and-white illustrations by Ann Norman deftly walk the reader through the basic steps of each project. It should be stressed that Des Pawson's Knot Craft is primarily a craft and creation book; though the novice knot-worker receives instruction in many basic ways to tie, it is not specifically an instruction manual for the myriad nuances of seaman's knots. A superb and unique craft guide packed with ideas for inexpensive homemade gift projects.

First of all, I don't understand "D. Hill's" review of this book, as it is my favorite (and I have ALL the well known books on the subject of knots, from the great Ashley Book of Knots to Stuart Grainger's books, Hervey Garrett Smith's, Geoffrey Budworth's,etc., etc.) and full of "recipes" for different decorative and useful objects instead of just how to tie particular knots (which this book also does). I even used it as a guide to make all my Christmas presents last year! From front door mats to key fob stocking stuffers to fenders for a friend's boat. I turned the binocular strap into an eyeglass holder for my grandmother (as well as for it's intended purpose for a friend), made the square knot belt for my brother, made the bell rope for a light pull cord for myself, a set of place mats, glass coasters and napkin rings out of the ocean plait mat and some turk's heads and covered my niece's car steering wheel with French whipping!

ALL of the projects were easy to follow with the instructions as well as the superb drawings that made the knots more clear than even Hervey Garrett Smith's excellent artwork (and anyone who has The Marlinspike Sailor in their library knows what a statement THAT is!).

I highly recommend this book and hope that Des produces another that comes even half as good as this one is.

This is an excellent handbook of fancy knot work, from mats to coverings, fenders, fancy lanyards and utility rope work with a decorative flair. It also goes into making the tools required, and is well illustrated and it makes it easy to understand even complex projects.

Very well done, and I highly recommend this book as an inspiration for your creative projects.

Des Pawson sure is a master of his craft. I expected the book to be more clear when giving instructions on how to make the knots, specially since they are so complex.
As a book it's also more on the manual side then on the art book side. Black and white only, cheap paper and very small in size.
It does talk about tools and materials to use at the beginning and it is generally informative.
I don't have any other books from Des so I cannot compare but I figure if you want to know more about his work this is a good book. On the other hand if you are looking for a good book with clear instructions on how to make some complex knots you might be better off looking elsewhere.

The projects in this book seem very nice and Pawson is very clear about what knots to use when but swiftly glosses over how to tie them. There are illustrations, but they are more reminders for experienced knot tiers than useful as instructions.

This book is useful if you already know hot to tie some basic knots. Mr Pawson just shows you how to put those knots together into 28 different projects. These are an assortment of mats, coverings, lanyards and pulls. It's a great book to get you started on making your own creations with knots.

This handy little pocket size paperback is not so much a detailed knot-tying book as it is a project guide and jumping off point for your own takes and projects. I thought it might be more knot detailed, but it is more project detailed. But the key knots are illustrated and explained. They are not the most step-detailed illustrations as some are brief and I needed additional reference or practice maybe, and they are black & white, but this book as a reference or accompaniment to your other knot-tying books is well worth it. It is what it says, Knot Craft. It is all making useful and pretty things from rope. From lanyards, to bellropes, to two types of boatfenders, to lots of other nautical related, and other ways applied, projects it is truly a nice addition, if just for creative purposes and some history. I have already made a great deal of the projects and am very pleased learned the fancy/decorative knots the book does show. I truly gained alot of knowledge and insight from the knots, projects, splicing, rope types, ropework tool synopsis/review (fids, marlinspikes, serving mallets, etc,) and his words/advice. Des Pawson is truly a master knot-tyer and ropeworker and his projects and the text and stories accompanying them speak that truth. It is a nice little read and perfect for a ropework kit, when you need something for reference or inspiration. I keep it on hand in my bag with my ropework tools with several other books and it is great. I like I can even easily take it with me if I am on the go.

Don't waste your money unless you can tie knots by reading descriptions of how to tie them. This book was one of the biggest disappointments I've ever seen in the entire literary world.