Customer Reviews

The Morrow Guide to Knots: for Sailing, Fishing, Camping, Climbing

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The fastest way for a crewman on a sailboat to demonstrate his or her skills to a new skipper, or to fellow crew members onboard a yacht is to teach them the correct way to tie a knot or to teach them a useful new knot. Nothing builds credibility faster onboard a boat. Long ago I decided to be better at knots than anyone else I knew. It paid big dividends. This was my first choice for a knot book. It is the book I recommend to every one of my sailing students. You will need two 6' pieces of rope, of different thicknesses, a 20' or longer section for practice coiling line. Practice knots in front of your TV set during commercials. It won't take any time out of your life and you will improve. I still carry my original practice line--a 35' piece of 6 mm line, in my life jacket, which is always useful onboard. So, learn how to tie these knots consistently, and quickly--even with your eyes closed. While you do it keep in mind anything you tie should be easy to untie. The only thing I did not like was author's method for coiling and crowning line. It is pretty, but too cumbersome to untie.

Just as there is no perfect knot, there is no perfect knot book. All have deficiencies of one sort or another. One common deficiency seems to be misleading or just plain wrong directions for tying a knot. Another deficiency is a failure to tell the reader when to use a particular, or more important, when not to use it. All the books suffer these deficiencies to one degree or another.

Another deficiency is too many knots! But how could this be a deficiency, one might ask. Isn't more better? The answer is that the beginner needs to know the most useful knots that have the widest application. If the book contains knots that don't have wide application but doesn't tell the reader which ones are widely used and which ones aren't, how is the reader to know which ones to learn? Therefore, for a beginner, careful selection by the author is essential.

Budworth, The Complete Book of Knots

Of all the books, this is my pick as the best for a beginner.

What I like about this book is that it contains large, clear line drawings, and for the most part, the layout is pleasing to the eye. Drawings are superior, in my opinion, to photographs. One drawback of drawings is that the cordage you're trying to knot never lies as smoothly and gracefully as the one in the drawings. (This tends to be true of photographs, too, however.) But if you view the drawings more as a blueprint, then you get a conceptual understanding of how the knot is to be tied, and drawings allow a clearer conceptual understanding than photographs in most cases.

Another plus to this book is that most of the knots Budworth picked for inclusion are useful and often "best of breed" knots. On pages 6 and 7, there is a "directory of knots" that shows the best or most popular use of each knot. In addition, for each knot, there is a summary called "applications," and occasionally a warning when not to use a knot.

A minus is that some of the drawings are wrong or misleading. For example, in the drawing for the double bowline (figure 8 on page 37), the arrow to show how the working end is rove (threaded) through the loops would have the working end going from the top of the loops to the bottom when it should be the reverse. After some frustration and referring to other sources, I was able to tie the knot. (Google is your friend.)

A bigger minus is the terseness of the descriptions. In a number of instances, the author assumes you should be able to figure out the process from fewer drawings than I think necessary. I would like it if each and every step in tying the knots were shown. With some effort, I was able to figure out each knot that I tried to tie even though some drawings included several steps in one drawing. But why make the reader work? A book for beginners should make it easy.

When I was starting with this book, I thought that it would be helpful if the author included pictures of the finished knot. After about a week, I realized that he did! But they are murky pictures that are either in a small space at the top of the page, above the name of the knot, or serve as a background for the entire page. There is no excuse for such bad pictures, which mar an otherwise excellent layout. Instead of putting some trivia about the history of the knot in a circle on each page, a clear monochromatic photo in the circle would serve the reader better.

The book does not include decorative knots (Budworth having written a separate book on decorative knots).

Because of the terseness of the descriptions, the lack of clear photographs of the finished knots, and the occasional errors, I downgraded this book from five stars to four.

Pawson, Handbook of Knots (expanded edition)

This book contains very clear color photographs, and the layout is quite pleasing to the eye. The problem with photographs is that it can be hard sometimes to discern when one cord is on top of another or below, and sometimes the hand can be hiding some important information. Compounding this is the fact that the book is small in format, and when you have four or five photographs on one page, each photograph ends up being small (say, 1.5" by 2.5"), too small sometimes.

Although the book is soft-cover, the binding is stitched, and the book can be opened flat without breaking the binding. I found that it would stay open without much difficulty.

Pawson, like Budworth, is a founding member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. But his choice of knots puzzles me. For example, he has a number of stopper knots but does not include Ashley's stopper knot, which many consider the most important stopper knot. He also does not include any grip-and-hold knot (such as the midshipman's hitch, taut-line hitch, or the Tarbuck knot). This is peculiar in that a grip-and-hold knot can be quite useful. I almost had the feeling that Pawson had decided that he would avoid (when he could) duplicating what Budworth had done. Quite gentlemanly, but not what I want in a book for beginners.

On the plus side, Pawson includes a number of lashings, plaits and sennits, and splices, which Budworth does not.

For what it's worth, I was unable to tie the Turquoise Turtle knot following Pawson's description until I watched a video on the internet.

Based on the fact that this book uses photographs instead of drawings (particularly in a small format book), the sometimes odd choice of knots, and lack of warnings about certain knot uses, I downgraded this book from five stars to three.

The Morrow Guide to Knots

This book contains very clear color photographs, and the pictures are larger than in the Pawson book which is helpful. But layout is off-putting. There are typically several pictures on a page, but the picture on the top of the page is not the starting picture; it's the one on the bottom of the page to the left.

Like the Pawson book, the book is soft-cover, the binding is stitched, and the book can be opened flat without breaking the binding. I found that it would stay open without much difficulty.

I found the choice of knots to be satisfactory in that most of the basic knots are covered. A plus is that several ways of tying a knot is shown for several of the knots. That is always helpful. Another plus is that it covers decorative knots, such as plaits and sennits.

This book's depiction of the climber's method of tying the bowline knot took me an hour to figure out because two steps were (inexcusably) combined into one picture without an explanation.

A minus is that the book is outdated. This comment would have come as a surprise to me before I started studying knots inasmuch as many knots are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. But a number of improvements in knots have been made in the last twenty years, and these improved knots can't be found in a book published in 1981. Moreover, for the Tarbuck knot, the book states that the knot is used by climbers, but climbers have avoided this knot for decades because it tends to damage the kernmantel type of rope used in climbing.

Another minus is the paucity of information about the use and misuse of knots.

Based on the fact that this book uses photographs instead of drawings (particularly in a small format book), the odd layout, the lack of warnings about knot uses, and the dated nature of the information, I downgraded this book from five stars to three.

Budworth, The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework

This book contains very clear color photographs, and the layout is quite pleasing to the eye.

Of all the books that use photographs to depict the tying of knots, this is my pick as the best. Although the pictures are small, it's much more step-by-step than the others. In particular, it doesn't suffer from the terseness of Budworth's The Complete Book of Knots, and it shows a large picture of the finished knot. (It also correctly depicts the double bowline.)

An important plus of this book, given its claim to encyclopedic coverage, is the inclusion of decorative knots. There are far more knots in this book than any beginner would need, and there is a paucity of information about the use and misuse of knots.

My copy has an update date of 2002, making it the most recent edition of all my knot books.

This book coupled with Budworth's The Complete Book of Knots would make a complete library for any beginner. But this book is too much, in my opinion, for the ordinary reader who just wants to learn a few useful knots.

The fact that this book uses photographs would normally make me downgrade it, but number of step-by-step pictures for each knot offset that. Based on the fact that this book is intended as an encyclopedia and it fulfills that function very well, I give this book five stars. If this book were intended for a beginner, however, I would downgrade it to four stars because of the sheer number of knots, the lack of guidance to beginners as to which ones to learn, and the lack of warnings about knot uses (and misuses). The number of ste-by-step pictures keeps it from going to three stars.

The Ashley Book of Knots

As an encyclopedic work, The Ashley Book of Knots is not suitable for beginners. For knot aficionados, it's a must-have.

Based on the fact that this book is intended as an encyclopedia and it is in fact the standard reference work for knots, I give it five stars. If this book were intended for a beginner, however, I would downgrade it to three stars because of the sheer number of knots and the fact that it was published in 1944, which means that it does not satisfactorily address modern synthetic ropes.

Conclusion

For the beginner, that is, for the reader who simply wants to learn a few of the most useful knots, my pick is Budworth, The Complete Book of Knots. For an encyclopedia of knots, my pick is Budworth, The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework. For the knot hobbyist or public library, The Ashley Book of Knots is a must-have.

Like many people, I just want to learn to tie a dozen or so knots that will be useful to know in particular situations. I do a lot of hiking and I own horses, so getting to know some good knots beside the "double granny" would be a useful thing. I first checked my university library and checked out several books including Ashley and Eric Fry among others. Ashley is a great book but a bit too much information and not the book for learning HOW to tie knots. Fry's book is similar to the format of this book, but a good majority of the "knots" are actually splices and eyes (unwinding fiber rope to form an eye onto itself or splicing 2 lines together) and decorative-type knots for macrame - neither thing I need to know right now.

The Morrow book is a good, general knot book for climbing, camping and sailing. Often there are several different ways shown to tie the same knot depending on the situation (line under strain, two handed, one handed, around a post, dropped on a post) or differently by another method. Illustrations are step-by-step and easy to follow with color coded rope. Inexplicably, some knots are shown tied with green and red rope, so color-blind people beware. Also, upon preliminary examination I noted that the tautline hitch (invaluable to keep a tent guyline taut) is missing. But between this book and some web resources, you will be all set. So, grab about 10 ft of a couple different diameter 6mm or smaller scraps (if no scraps, they are about a buck each) from your local outdoor store, keep them handy, and practice, practice, practice!

This is very instructive book that shows with clear photographs and concise but clear explanations how to tie mostly basic but useful knots. The sections are divided in utility knots, knots for the fisherman and decorative and applied knots. Particularly practical is the section of knots for the fisherman, with knots that will solve any fisherman emergency from knots for eye hooks to knots used to join two pieces of line.

Beginning with an explanation of how to take care of the ropes and some interesting behavioral facts about knots like: that a knot uniting two ropes reduces the strength of the unit to about half that of the weaker rope. The authors present each knot with a short description and practical recommendations for their use.

The instructive value of this book is shown in the simple fact that when for tying a knot there is more than one rope involved each rope has a different color avoiding in this way any possible confusion.

I really enjoyed the book, without any doubt this book would be of invaluable help and necessary reference for any camper, fisherman or sailing enthusiast. So just practice, and become an expert in those four or five knots that will let you overcome any emergency, remembering that a knot must be an element of safety rather than a dangerous complication.

I have seen many different knot books over the years and I have not seen a book that covers so many different kinds of knots with such complete descriptions of how to tie the knots. The pictures are very clear, the step by step instructions are helpful and easy to follow and there is an interesting description of the use of and history behind each knot. Most other books lack one or more of these aspects and takes away a great deal from what the book is trying to help you accomplish.

I recommend this book for anyone that is interested or involved in sailing, fishing, camping, climbing or scouting. I have found The Morrow Guide to Knots to be the helpful, comprehensive and interesting. Whether you are looking for a book to help guide you through knots you need to know, or you just want to learn how to tie new knots, this book will be with you every step of the way.

This book makes an excellent selection of knots. Four stopper knots, including ways of making them in series; eight hitches, including very thorough coverage of various ways to tie the clove hitch including under tension; eight loops; four running knots; eight bends; seven knots for eye hooks; five knots for flatted hooks; two bends and a stopper knot for fishing line; two fishing line loops; two swivel hitches, and quite a few decorative knots.

So this is not 70 knots for the sailor, since quite a few are for fishing, but it's a really solid core of knots for sailing. I'm not well able to judge its broadness for the fisherman but it certainly seems to cover the bases.

The pictures are good, the instructions are good... you really couldn't want anything more except for the book to stay open more easily. But, there's no way they could have accomplished that while giving you so many pages (254) in a compact book you can easily take with you. This book is an excellent buy.

This is the best book on knots I have seen. Convenient in size, 4in. x 6in., it is easily stowed on board. There are several pictures of each knot as you are guided through the intricacies of tying it. Outstanding color photographs, with two colors utilized when the book illustrates the uniting of two different lines. Wonderful for teaching youngsters, and an excellent reference work for the experienced sailor. Makes a special trophy award for the boat race winner. I own a lot of books on knots, but this is absolutely the best.

Mario Bigon and Guido Regazzoni have put together one of the finest collections of knots in print. The many color photos, and use of different colored ropes illustrating the methods used to tie the knots are impressive. Overall, I would classify this book as one of the most comprehensive books on Knots anywhere!

This is a great book for those learning knots or looking for instructions on how to make many different knots. Each knot has several pictures with text to help you learn the knot. It is a very handy book for the Scoutmaster.

My only wish was that the book would have been spiral bound so that it would lay flat. So I took the book and had a spiral binding put on it!

I bought this book after reading the reviews, and seeing that it is well rated, but am very disappointed. It really doesn't have that many knots. there are a lot of pages wasted on many different ways to tie the same knot, like the bowline. there are also a lot of wasted pages ( to me ) on decorative knots, which I will never use. I was hoping to see a lot more useful knots for camping and climbing, but they're just not there, like a sliding knot for tent ropes to adjust them, and a sliding knot to use like an ascender. Very disappointing, would never have bought it if I could have looked through it first.