Customer Reviews

Knots & Splices

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

 

 

Fits in your pocket, unlike Ashleys which would make you lopsided if you had a pocket big enough. I have used it to teach Cub Scouts how to tie knots very sucessfully.

Good reference without a lot of text or complexity. Illustrations cover the work quite well. A good, alternate reference that's affordable, too. A good book for any nautical library, or the outdoor enthusiast.

I wasn't a Boy Scout growing up, nor did I do anything that required more than basic "tie your shoe" knowledge. But I've always been impressed when I watch sailors quickly and intuitively tie intricate knots that have specific uses. When I ran across the book Knots & Splices by Steve Judkins and Tim Davison, I wondered if it was possible to become somewhat more coordinated in this area. The answer is, yes I can!

Contents:

Terms; Tools of the trade; Choosing a rope

Ten Knots Everyone Should Know: Round turn & two half hitches; Clove hitch; Figure of eight; Reef knot; Bowline; Bowline on a bight; Sheet bend; Double sheet bend; Fisherman's bend/Anchor hitch; Rolling hitch

Other Useful Knots: Carrick bend; Sheepshank; Constrictor knot; Buntline hitch; Surgeon's knot; Alpine butterfly bend; Fisherman's knot/Englishman's knot; Cow hitch; Cow hitch round turn and Prusik knot; Timber hitch; Marlinespike hitch; Man harness knot/Artillery loop; Trucker's hitch/Dolly knot; Marling hitches; Coiling a rope; Turk's head

Splices & Whipping: Eye splice; Short splice; Eye in braid-on-braid rope; Eye in braid-on-3-strand rope; Common whipping; Sailmaker's whipping; Eat sealing the end of a synthetic rope

This is a really small book (64 pages), but the illustrations are clear and easy to follow. For single rope knots, the illustrations are big enough to follow the trail of the rope through each step. And on two-rope knots, the authors use different colored rope drawings to make it very easy to see what parts belong to which ropes. There are also small side notes that let the reader know which knots are easy or hard to undo, as well as which knots might fail under certain conditions. Using that information, you should be equipped with everything you need to decide whether or not a bowline would be a better choice than a rolling hitch for your particular needs.

An excellent little book, perfectly designed to address the topic...

This is such a cool book -- and not just for sailors. Illustrations and instructions are crystal clear, format and size is great, and I love the "caution" points (denoted with skull-and-crossbones symbol). I have little if any use for tying knots, but I bought this book anyway because it's a fun and enjoyable 'how to' book.

Knots is Splices is an excellent introduction to the subject of tying knots. The pictures do a pretty good job of guiding you through the tying and the accompanying text gives you a fair idea of what the knot is useful for. If you are like me and you use some of these knots but only very occasionally this book will give you enough information to relearn the knot in an instant with just a glance at the correct page and picture. Doesn't include all the knots needed for an specific sport like climbing, fishing, or sailing but it does include a fair sampling of knots used in many sports and outdoor activities. Keep in mind there are several later editions of this book which may be even better.

If you know nothin' about knots and don't want to become a knot nut, then this is the book for you. Covers a good basic set of knots. The illustrations are quite clear. The book is also inexpensive and small enough to be easily packable.

Steve