Knot Resources

Project and Knot Tying Resources

For those of you new to knots, there are many references and sources of knots to be found. The acknowledged bible of knot books was published over sixty-seven years ago in 1944. It is The Ashley Book of Knots, written by Clifford Ashley. There are no other books that come close to the number and variety of knots shown in this book. There are over 3,900 knots and 7,000 illustrations. The book is divided into sections covering the usage and type of the knots. I found my copy at the local half price book store.

One of my favorite books is What Knot? by noted knot author Geoffrey Budworth. It has a flexible binding making it easy to lay flat on any surface.

At the other end of the spectrum are websites with excellent diagrams and animations detailing how knots are tied and their uses. An extensive and animated site is Animated Knots by Grog. Another animated site; NetKnots.

There are also apps for your iPhone illustrating knots; Pro-Knot. My absolute favorite iPhone app for knots is Knots 3D. You can also view videos on You Tube such as Tying It All Together. An exhaustive listing of links for knots can be found at Knots On The Web.

There are also many sites with creative knot tying projects such as lanyards and bracelets. The very best one is by Stormdrane. His blog covers many creative knot projects. He also has many links to relevant sites involving knots and sources of supplies for knot projects. Stromdrane also has a Flickr photo page illustrating his knot projects with his awesome photography.

The most popular and economical material for tying knots is Paracord. It's also known as Parachute Cord, 550 Cord, and Commercial Paracord. It is a light weight rope originally used in the suspension cords of parachutes in World War II. The Department of Defense U.S. Military version of paracord is Mil-Spec MIL-C-5040H/PIA-C-5040 Type III cord. In civilian speak this means the cord is rated for a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds. You don't have to worry about all of this unless you plan on rigging your own parachute and jumping from a plane. Just a little history. Exhaustive information on what Mil-Spec Paracord is can be found in my newer posts. Also great sources to purchase it.