Favorite Knot?

I like the bowline, it's cool, I partied with a figure of eight, drunk as shit on a ledge once. But my favorite by far is the simple adaptation to the water knot, the mighty "Beer Knot":

Tie an overhand knot in a piece of 1" tubular webbing-

that beer knot looks cool, but it sketches me out to not be able to see the other tail.

One of my all time favorite knots is the midshipmen's hitch.

followed by-

the jug sling

or

the alpine butterfly

ooh, and the zepplin bend. so sexy.

The alpine butterfly.

Not the most common knot, but one of the easiest to tie and most versatile.

The monkey fist is fun to tie, but if you're not in the Czech Republic, it's of limited usefulness in climbing.

+1 for the alpine butterfly. Easy, fast, and versatile.

Zeppelin bend? That's a new one for me, and you're right, it IS sexy, if a knot can be. Something about how those legs wrap around each other...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppe…

Do you trust it enough to rap off it?

yeah, the zepplin bend is a super secure way to bend lines together. And it doesn't reduce the breaking strength of the line as much as other bends.

I should add it's more of a sailing knot though. I've used it to bend a couple lines together and belay myself down 100' masts on sail boats, but those were three strand ropes. I'm not sure if the kernmantle construction would affect it's ability to not come untied. My gut says it would be secure but I'd have to look into it some more. I definitely trust my life to it and have before, but I don't know the final word on it.

it's a sick knot though, and super useful for all rope uses not just climbing.

+1 for the zepplin bend! I think I'd rap off that for sure, after tying it a few times. I do tree work, and am always futzing around with knots, and I think its interesting how anal/redundant climbers are with knots, where in tree work I frequently tie in with a double bowline clipped with a biner to my harness (I learned that way from an old schooler). Of course, I generally and functionally have to deal with untying them after a sustained, heavy load. Sailors always have the dope on good knots too.

It's all about the double fishermans. I've always thought that knot was awesome. The butterfly and clove hitch are pretty sweet too. The clove hitch took me FOREVER to understand though...

Try the Munter... very cool, but kinks the holy dogshit out of ropes.

Just looked at the zepplin knot and it's pretty sweet, does anyone know the % strength for the zepplin knot?

Trucker's hitch, hands down.

The Purcell Prussik is also pretty cool, but I've never been able to make it work for me.

Jon H wrote:Trucker's hitch, hands down.

Lovin' the truckers hitch. Yeah, the tucked end of the Beer Knot seemed a little sketch to me at first. But, after two plus years of looping my webbing this way I haven't had a knot slip an inch. The tails don't seem to move at all if you load it good right after tying. A simple pinch between the fingers, and you can feel the tag end that was tucked, to check for slippage. Rap off this any day! Keep em' commin'! Jim

clove is my fave.
oh, and double bowline on bight

that beer knot is clever!!

that beer knot is cool!

my favorites:
-jug knot
-double bowline on a bight
-butterfly
-can't think of the name, but the friction hitch that uses a biner spine as a handle

Abram Herman wrote:friction hitch that uses a biner spine as a handle

Flat double fishermans...... awesome knot!!!

But you gotta love all the overhand variations, is there a more versatile knot?

Just got my knot book out and tried the Zeppelin...... yet another variation joining 2 overhands together.... excellent!

What do you use it for climbing? Looks like it would really get your rope stuck pulling a rappel.

ooooh i got another one! the euro death knot!

Any knot where she can't get away.

Hank Caylor wrote:Any knot where she can't get away.

There was once a young climber named McPott,
Who tied an insecure figure-eight knot.
He screamed as he fell,
A maniacal yell.
"My god, I'll be hardly a spot!"

Though perhaps not the most utilitarian, I feel that the grapevine a.k.a. double fisherman knot is the most appealing to the eye.