Seven Knotting Wonders of The World - just for fun

[Mrs Glenys Chew]

Classic FM Radio are running a Seven Modern Wonders of the World thing, and the thought went through my amateur mind: what would the equivalent be in knots?

I remembered a post from when I first signed up about 16 months ago (Best of Breed Knots, on page 16 of the archive), about teaching a neighbour basic knots, and one of the replies contained this quote:

You only need teach him ONE knot.....The Figure of Eight.
When he has mastered that as a Stopper Knot, show him how to use it to make a Bend, a Single Loop, a Double Loop, a Slipped Loop and a Hitch.  Polish it off with a Packer's (or butcher's) knot and I think you will find he has enough to cope with almost any 'back yard' situation.

Gordon

So that would be a knot which might get on a shortlist because it can be varied so much in it's actual tying (application, for instance).  Knots which are famous because of their actual usage might fall into a different category, such as the Gordion Knot, or the Scout Woggle.

Just for fun (Dave ended up with four pages of replies on his Best of Breeds message, and by the end of the fourth page I'd actually begun to figure out the meanings of the knot-formulas (abbreviations and acronyms) that were flying about) - anyone else got any suggestions?

Regards

Glenys Chew

[Fairlead]

The Overhand or Thumb Knot has to take the lead here - it can be tied in the end, in a bight, slipped or as a noose - and from this little acorn a large tree of knots can be produced; both practical and fancy.  Add to that the Half Knot, which after all is the same knot but tied with two ends and the world is your oyster.
I reccon I could name at least 30 which range from the Ashley Bend to the Bowline to Turk's Head's - yes all starting with a form of overhand knot.

Gordon

[sankwe]

Historically and ease of use I would suggest the reef knot, once known as the Hercules knot.

[Willeke]

As a knottyer who does decorative work mostly I have to add a few other knots.
In fancy work the workhorse practical knot is the constrictor knot, it can be used in many places and will often used just temporary but can not be missed in those circumstances. And it is the starting knot for one of the Turks Head knots too, the 4 lead, 3 bight TH can easily be started our of a constrictor.

An other knot in which the practical and decorative work meet is the carrick bend, and mostly the full or double version, which is also a start for a TH, the 3 lead, 4 bight TH.  It can also be used as a base for the Lanyard knot (also known as the 2 strand Diamond knot or Chinese button knot.)

And one of the most tied practical knots, the sheetbend, also has decorative vallue, in netted lace.

Willeke