| Can you tie a knot? |
| Knowing the proper knot to use in certain situations can make life a lot easier. Being able to quickly tie a knot that does the job and that you don't have to worry about coming loose helps in a lot of situations. Accidents can occur, because of an improperly tied knot, or because the wrong knot was used. What you don't know about knots could kill you. I read that using the square knot, a simple one that most people know how to tie, to join the ends of two ropes has resulted in more deaths than any other knot. Even though it's not good for a join, it's a proper knot for tying packages. I learned to tie a bowline when I was in the Boy Scouts and I'm still amazed at how easy it is to tie, how well it holds, and how easy it is to untie. When I was 26 years old, an old man showed me how to secure a refrigerater on a trailer with a trucker's hitch. I have used this knot with the bowline many times, since. During my time spent in the oil fields as a young man, I used a clove hitch, which I learned as a Boy Scout, many times while working with posts and pipe. Whether you're using a knot to secure something, to lift something, to pull something, or to join two ropes, there are specific knots for the job. Here are some good places to learn the differences and to learn how to tie them. www.troop9.org www.mistral.co.uk/42brghtn/knots/42ktmenu.html |