Alright so today on Repairs101 I�m going to kick off this first episode of our fifth
year on YouTube with a top ten list of knots you want to know. Alright. Cue the fireworks
guy. So you know this knot wasn�t even supposed
to be in the lesson But I thought I�d include it. It�s the square knot and it�s one
of the knots that everybody needs to know. Make sure you�re subscribed to catch all
my videos on these knots and many more to come. It�s just left over right, right over
left and you�re done. OK so while ostensibly this video is a top
ten list of the knots that I consider to be the most essential ones to know, in reality
it�s a lesson about how simple knots are really building blocks for more complex knots.
So the difference between an overhand knot and a half hitch is that the half hitch is
belayed to something. Here it�s a ring but it can be a rail or a pole or a piece of rope
or whatever. It�s pretty easy to tie and I just include it because it�s a building
block for other knots. Point in case is a knot called the round turn
and two half hitches. And, you pretty much tie it just the same way you say it. Keep
the tail passing around in the same direction when you make your half hitches so that together
they form a clove hitch. Now if you�re worried about this knot slipping you can always lock
it up with an overhand stopper knot. Let me know in the comments section if you
call any of these knots by different names � I�d be very interested. But keep in
mind that words are just words and talk is cheap. It�s what you do in life that counts.
You could use it to secure your boat to a cleat if you hadn�t seen the rest of this
video already and well.. uh... I don�t know. What is that? A chopstick?
OK so the next building block I want you to know is the clove hitch. It�s simple to
tie. You belay it to something like a bar or a cleat or a ring and it�s a reasonablly
secure knot � again, especially if you lock it down with an overhand stopper. You can
also add a half hitch alongside to create this travelling hitch.
Another great variation of the clove hitch that�s good for if you need to tie up your
horse or your dog is the slippery hitch �because it�s quick release.
But you know, honestly the best knot for leads and leashes is another quick release knot
called the painter hitch otherwise known as the highwayman�s hitch. So have a look at
my painter hitch video for a comprehensive lesson in how to
tie it. Come on buddy! (WHISTLES) C�mon get in the
car, we�re going downtown. You�ll notice that as long as you keep the
tail passing around in the same direction when you�re making your half hitches, that
the half hitches actually create a clove hitch,which because they�re on a piece of line that
they can run on, becomes a buntline hitch. Now no matter what size boat you�re talking
about this is the preferred knot for tying down to a horn cleat and securing your vessel.
Now what�s really interesting about the cleat hitch is that if you deconstruct the
knot a little bit and you put it into a different context you can see that it�s clearly just
a clove hitch. A sheet bend can be used to join two pieces
of unequal rope by making an eye in the larger rope and then passing the smaller one through
the eye, around and then under itself. When both tails are on the same side of the knot
it�s called a right handed sheet bend and it is the preferred version of this knot.
Wrap the tail one more time and pass it under itself again and you�ve got a double sheet
bend. OK so you make a crossing turn to create a
hole, and then the snake goes out of the hole, around the tree and then back bown the hole
again. And that�s a standard bowline. Which will look like this and look fairly familiar
to you. Tie your bowline the other way to get a left handed or classic / cowboy bowline.
And so if we compare the bowline to the sheet bend we discover they�re pretty much the
same knot. OK now the carrick is another one that I�ve
already done a comprehensive how to on so have a look at that video and you can learn
how to tie this ancient superior bend. It�s used as a decorative flat knot on like a rope
belt or something like that and it can be pulled tight to become a very, very secure
connection between two lines. If you ever have reason to install a loop
in a line where it may take a great strain in any one of three directions you want to
use the alpine butterfly. Make a crossing turn. Turn it again and then turn it over
itself for a pretzel shape. Hollow out the center of the pretzel and then pass it behind
everything and through the hollow. Another ancient knot used for say hauling
lumber behind your horse is the timber hitch. Tied by passing around the timber, choking
the standing part of the line, and then simply tucking the line in under itself one, two,
three times. Here you can see I used timber hitches to secure the nylonstrings on this
classical guitar. Now a more evolved version of the same knot involves adding a half hitch
further up the timber to create what�s called a killick hitch.
OK I�m giving up the number two postion to the most requested knot � it�s the
people�s favorite � the truckers� hitch. Now I made a video demonstrating three variations
of the truckers� hitch and their different uses � so please have a look at that video
and hold onto your socks because here comes number one.
OK if you�ve seen enough of my show you already know what my number one choice is
� and that�s the backhand hitch and that�s because it�s easy to tie, it�s easy to
untie, it�s strong, it�s versatile, it has a very high breaking point. You can use
it in wire, rope string, polypropylene, shoelaces, thread or dental floss, or you know cotton,
braid rope, laid rope... Alright so thanks for watching and if you
liked todays video share it with your friends and
if you�re not already � don�t forget to subscribe!
Ok so Repairs101 it�s about me sharing what I�ve learned over the years � mostly practical
stuff, you know, things you can do around the house, your car, at work , um you know,
in the garden. Things you can use to help yourself save money and get things done. (BLOWS)
Probably should have dusted this first.