Scouting has a strong tradition of knot-tying. Whilst these skills may not seem relevant any more, it remains a fact that we often do stuff that involves holding things together with ropes and string, so an ability to tie some basic knots is a distinct advantage. Being able to rely on your own skills to manufacture tools and gadgets for yourself is something good to learn.
Essential Knots – the Surrey Six
The Surrey Six was created by the Surrey Guild of Knot Tyers as the basic set of knots needed in the modern world. Traditional Scouting knots, such as the Clove Hitch, don’t lend themselves to modern polypropylene ropes and tend to come undone. the Surrey Six replaces some of these with knots such as the Constrictor.
The Surrey Six consists of (click on images to enlarge):
Figure of Eight Sheet Bend Bowline
Constrictor Rolling Hitch Round Turn & 2 Half-Hitches
Click on the following links to view pages on the Surrey Guild of Know Tyers website:
Other Knots
Here are some other knots you may find interesting and useful:
Reef knot
Half-hitch
Clove hitch
Ashley stopper knot
Sheepshank
Highwaymans’ hitch
Monkey’s fist
Pioneering Knots
Round lashing
Square lashing
Sheer lashing
Diagonal lashing
Rolling hitch
Links
- Surrey Guild of Knot Tyers http://www.surreyknots.org.uk/
- International Guild of Knot Tyers http://www.igkt.net/
- Animated Knots by Grog http://www.animatedknots.com/