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Free Downloadable Bondage Knot Tying Books

Written By Tuesday, 16 November 2021 Add Comment Edit

June 2, 2004. Unfortunately I no longer have time to update Knots on the Web. I know it conntains many dead links and omits many good, new sites. Please use what is still useful here and forgive the weak spots. If you have a specific knot need or question, and the surviving links here don't help you with it, then try posting your question to rec.crafts.knots or running a search on Google. —Peter.

Welcome to my collection of knotting resources.

My major sections are on Knot Tying, Knot Theory, and Knot Art. But knot lovers will understand that these distinctions are artificial. For example, a good practical knot is both a nugget of hard-won technology and a thing of beauty. Decorative knotting can be useful, and in any case requires uncommon dexterity and practical tying ability. Software developed to help mathematical knot theorists has produced some of the most beautiful knot images ever seen. So look at all three sections even if you think your interests are narrow. You might become happily entangled.

My fourth section is on Knot Discussion. Use these discussion forums to find answers to your knotting questions and to help others who know less than you do.

My fifth section is on Knot Software. You'll be surprised at how knotting software can make it easier for you to learn to tie knots, to explore the mathematical properties of knots, and to create stunning images of knots, including knots never seen on Earth.

My sixth section is on Knot Videos. If written instructions and still photos don't explain the intricacies of knotting well enough for you, try some of these videos (or some instructional software).

My seventh section is on Knot Books. Click on these links to buy knotting classics from Amazon.com. I've designed this section to aim for excellence, not completeness. It's limited to books I can personally recommend.

My eighth section is a Knot Gallery to display the images from rec.crafts.knots, the only usenet newsgroup devoted to knots.

To find something in particular, wait for the whole page to load and then use the search function on your browser. This will cover all my sections except the Knot Gallery, and my site awards, which are in separate files.

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If you are a frequent visitor, then press reload (on Netscape) or refresh (on Explorer) to make sure you get the latest version of the page, not the version cached on your hard drive from your last visit.

Table of Contents
Major Sections
Knot Tying Knot Theory Knot Art
Links
Discussion
Software
Videos
Books
These links will only work when the corresponding section of the file has loaded, which may take a minute.

All sections
  • Knot tying
    • General
    • Animal-handling knots
    • Climbing and caving
    • Craft knots
    • Fishing knots
    • Necktie knots
    • Not knots
    • Rope and cordage
    • Rope rescue
    • Sailing and boating
    • Scouting
    • Suppliers
    • Surgical knots
  • Knot theory
    • General
    • Biblographies
    • Glossaries
    • Journals
    • Primers
    • Tables
  • Knot art
    • General
    • Celtic knotwork
    • Fancy and decorative knots
    • Metalwork knots
    • Related arts
  • Knot discussion
    • Discussion of knot tying
    • Discussion of knot theory
    • Discussion of knot art
  • Knot software
    • Software for knot tying
    • Software for knot theory
    • Software for knot art
  • Knot videos
    • Videos on knot tying
    • Videos on knot theory
    • Videos on knot art
  • Knot books
    • Books on knot tying
    • Books on knot theory
    • Books on knot art
  • Knot gallery
  • Awards

    General. Also see the discussion forums, software, videos, and books on knot tying.

    • The International Guild of Knot Tyers. This is the organization to join if you are a serious knot tyer. Its journal, Knotting Matters, is the only English-language print journal devoted exclusively to knots.
      • The North American Branch has its own web page. The NAB publishes the InterKnot newsletter. (Interknot was formerly on the web, but the link is now dead. Does anyone know whether it's gone for good?)
      • The Pacific Americas Branch has its own own page.
      • The Texas Branch also has its own page.
      • There are many other branches without their own web sites.
    • Het Knoopeknauwertje. The English-language International Edition of the Dutch knotting journal. Apparently defunct. I'm still investigating what happened to it.
    • Nylon Highway. The magazine of rope, climbing, and cave exploration. From the Vertical Section of the National Speleological Society. The back issues do not exist in electronic form. Recent issues are online but only accessible to paying subscribers
    • Ropers Knots Page. Maintained by Ed Prins. The most thorough page of links to knot sites, except possibly mine; but he includes some sites I omit and vice versa. Also available in Dutch. Now contains an ambitious Knot Index, an alphabetic list of links to every distinct knot discussed or illustrated on the web.
    • Brion Toss Rigging. The professional site of Brion Toss, the leading authority on ship rigging alive today. (I sell his knotting and rigging books in my book section, below.) Includes a catalog, news, links, and Spar Talk, his wonderful discussion board.
    • The Knotting Dictionary of Kännet. Maintained by Jan Korpegård. Under each knot, Korpegård gives the knot's name in 10 languages, and asks readers of other languages to send him the names of the same knots in their languages; he even provides the form for submitting the names electronically. Also available in Swedish.
    • Knot Knotes. A knot miscellany from Jack Keene that includes illustrations, instruction, links, lore, and a cartoon.
    • Knot Tying Resources. From Martin Combs. On request he'll send you an email with his list of sources for materials, tools, and books for knot tying. Also see his very good page of books on knots and tall ships.
    • Folsom's Knots and Knotting Page. A strong and interesting page of knots and knot links. Covers the basic knots, 50 more advanced knots, animations, Turk's Heads, and knot knives, knot books, and more. From Alan Folsom.
    • Notable Knot Index. Thirteen knots, well-illustrated, and lots of useful related information. The site author wishes to remain anonymous except for his email address, which is on the front page.
    • NudosA very large number of well-illustrated knots, with their names in Spanish. From Hernan Murno. This site has disappeared and Google can't find it. Does anyone know where it went?
    • Splicing Guides. Select the kind of rope you want to splice, click, and follow the detailed, illustrated directions. From New England Ropes.
    • Rigging. An enormous, illustrated work in progress. The U.S. Army Engineer School is putting full-text of the Army Field Manual of Rigging on the web. You'll have to download large files, but it's worth it. An earlier edition.
    • NetKnots.com. A fairly large collection of knots for camping, fishing, and boating. Well-organized and well-illustrated.
    • Knots Online. From Northern Mountain Supply. Sixteen illustrated knots for camping and climbing.
    • Knot Tying Notation. A "programming language" to record the steps in a knot tying method. Not for everyone, but the only notation of its kind for those who need one. From the Suberian knot labs.
    • Six Exploding Knots. Some of my own knot work.
      • One of my exploding knots, under the name Exploding Hitch, was featured as the Knot of the Month in the October 1999 issue of Boating Magazine (p. 64). Unfortunately, the magazine is not on the web.
      • Two of them have been re-drawn by David Blume. One has been illustrated in a series of eleven photographs by an anonymous fan.
    • Knot So Fast. A proposal for regulating the world knot tying speed record. Another of my contributions.
    • Notes on Clinton Bailey Sr. Notes on the world speed record-holder based on my conversation with his son in April 1998.
    • World Record Six Knot Challenge. Photographs and drawings of the six knots used in the world record. From Daniel Callahan.
    • Knot. A sort of online knotting journal in which the author reflects on new knots and knot tying and illustrates his reflections with very clear drawings. From Paul Shin-Hong Hahn.
    • Some useful knots. Has links to some MPEG knot movies. Better than Knot's Landing.
    • Knots and Hitches. Two elementary knots. Anonymous.
    • Love Those Crazy Knots. JAVA-animated Turk's Head and Ocean Plain. From Thomas McClain.
    • Klabautermanns Knotentafel. Animated knotting instructions from Matthias Böving.
    • Knot Page of Mac Stevens. Superb knot animations. Temperamental, but when they are working, they are the best on the web.
    • S.A. Kids Knots. A small number of knots but with stylish multimedia presentation. Requires Netscape 3.0 and the Shockwave plug-in; both may be downloaded from the site. Beware, the bowline is the less safe "left-handed" bowline, and some of its crossings are incorrect.
    • Knots. Project ideas for kids. From 42eXplore.
    • Learn2 Tie Basic Knots. Eight elementary knots fully explained and illustrated for the novice. From Learn2.com.
    • Ropes and Knots. From the Arboriculture homepage. One knot so far (Cat's Paw), otherwise just links to other, knot-related sites.
    • Rope Tips. Eleven basic knot illustrations from Lehigh Samson, a rope manufacturer. Also see its page on splicing.
    • Rope Works. Generous excerpts from the book of the same name, by Gerald Findley. Very good illustrations.
    • Flip Flop Winch. Winding cord around a winch log to aid in flipping it, from John Goude (based on an idea by Mors Kochanski).
    • Hojojutsu. Japanese rope restraint for prisoners.
    • Nunchaku Tying. Tying in to this Japanese martial arts weapon. From Sei Shin Kan, Inc.
    • Tsukamaki. How to tie the knots on a traditional Japanese samurai sword. From Thomas L. Buck.
    • How to Tie a Figure-8 Knot. Remarkable only because it is animated. From the Nathan Lowe Memorial Climbing Wall Network.
    • GORP Knot of the Week. Knots useful for camping described and illustrated. From GORP (Great Outdoor Recreation Pages).
    • The Art of Marlinspike. Elementary.
    • Splicing a Rope on a 30 hour Longcase Clock. Instructions for splicing woven, synthetic cord. From George Aldridge.
    • Forensic Knot Analysis. The only site of its kind on the web. From J.J. Van Tassel.
    • Knots for Bondage. 14 basic knots, illustrated (but not in their application to bondage). From Slakker. Probably the only major knotting application neglected by Ashley.
    • Square Knot. From an online First Aid manual. Any paramedic who needs four illustrations to learn to tie a square knot should lie down and wait for help. This site has disappeared and I can't relocate it. Can anyone help?
    • Talking Knots of the Inka. Abstract of an article by Viviano and Davide Domenici on the use of Peruvian quipus to designate syllables of words, not numbers. No knot illustrations. From the journal Archaeology, Vol. 49, No. 6 (November/December 1996).
    • The Quipucamayu. An article on the Inca quipu by Madge Miller.
    • Knots and twists. Part of a display on pre-historic knotting and weaving at the Pecos Rio Grande Museum of Early Man.
    • Knotscape. Links to other knotting sites including pictures of some of the author's knots. From Starknot.
    • The Turk's Head. Twelve illustrations to help you tie a Turk's Head (or as this site calls it, a WoodBadge Woggle).
    • Tying a Five-Lead by Four-Bight Turk's Head. Part of Loren Damewood's site on knotted jewelry.
    • The Better Bow. Anonymous. A improvement over the standard bow for shoe-laces, well-illustrated, but not as good a bow as variations with two ripcords where this has only one.
    • How To Tie an Ian Knot. A well-illustrated, symmetrical, two-ripcord shoelace bow with a very rapid method of tying. A real improvement over the standard bow. From Ian Fieggen.
    • How I Tie My Shoes. A simple shoelace knot from Howard Cheng.
    • The Sling, Ancient Weapon. History and use of slings. The author, James Burdine, sells hand-tied slings but does not give tying instructions on the site.
    • Des noeuds en Jèrriais. The basic knot names in English and Jèrriais [Jersey], a dialect of French. From Geraint Jennings.
    • How to amaze your friends in seven easy steps!. Guess what? A knot trick.
    • Security was a knotted rope. First chapter in the Schlage History of Locks, implying that knotted ropes are obsolete now that metal locks have arrived. Schlage executives probably wear tassle loafers at work so that the steel hasp locks on their cross-trainers don't clank during meetings.
    • Kaylee, the Knot-Tying Parrot. With photographs of a few of Kaylee's creations. From Doug and Shelly Lane.
    • Knot Natural. Photograph of a knotted live cactus cultivated by sculptor Denny North by growing it on its side and upside down.
    • The Legend of the Gordian Knot
    • Should You Secure Wire Rope With Knots? The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says "no" in this memorandum opinion interpreting federal regulations. This site has made me realize that the federal government regulates almost every aspect of rigging in the name of workplace safety. One day I'll find all the relevant parts of the Code of Federal Regulations and link to them here. (Although the CFR is searchable, don't naively search for "rigging" or you'll get 150,000 hits on bid-rigging.) Here are some of the more salient sections of the CFR to get you started.
      • 29 CFR Sec. 1915.112, Ropes, chains, and slings
      • 29 CFR Sec. 1919.24, Limitations on use of wire rope
      • 29 CFR Sec. 1926.251, Rigging equipment for material handling
      • 33 CFR Sec. 401.42, Passing hand lines
      • 46 CFR Sec. 91.37-50, Use of wire rope and chains.
    • All About Knots. From Dick Chisholm. Contains excerpts from Chisholm's writings about knots (full-text is available only for a fee) and describing his forthcoming book.
    • The Clifford W. Ashley Commemorative Stamp Project. News of the effort to commemorate Ashley plus general knotting news especially about meetings and conferences. From Dick Blackmer.
    • The Gospel According to Ashley. An article by Steve Knauth, in Soundings, on the effort to persuade the U.S. Post Office to issue a stamp honoring Clifford Ashley, author of Ashley's Book of Knots.
    • Clifford Warren Ashley. A short biographical note from the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
    • Ties That Bind. An article by Steve Knauth, in Soundings, on knots and the International Guild of Knot Tyers.
    • Knotted Word Worms. A word puzzle by Mike Keith in which the challenge is to find words that trace a knot on a three dimensional grid.
    • Knot Calendar. Twelve photos for twelve months, sinuous curves for your wall. From the Ink Group, calendar series.
    • Knots & Splices (a bibliography). Maintained by Lars Bruzelius for the The Maritime History Virtual Archives.

    Animal-handling knots. Other than fishing knots.

    • Falconer's Knot. (Note that this is the knot, not the net. Nyet?) Scroll to the sixth topic. The illustrations are probably too small to teach this knot to newcomers, but large enough to remind those who once knew it.
    • Making a Falconer's Net. Detailed instructions and illustrations for making a Dho-gazza. This site seems to have disappeared without a trace. Can any readers help locate it?
    • Making Your Own Ganglines. If you need to ask what ganglines are (harnesses for sled dogs), then you don't need to make your own. Otherwise, these clear instructions should help. From Stephen Lee.
    • Tie a First-Class Rope Halter. By Connie Nygard. Detailed directions for the series of knots needed to make a horse's halter out of rope. See especially her diagram on the Fiador knot.
    • Horse Knots. Different methods for tying a fiador and links to others. From Jef Vandenberghe.
    • Rope Halter. Detailed instructions for tying a rope halter from the Pony Club Association of Victoria.
    • Halter Tying Instructions. From David Dill.
    • Tying Horse Knots. Instructions for the fiador, mecate, and a halter. From Cynthia Cavanaugh.
    • The Hackamore. Illustrated instructions for tying and using this headstall for a horse or mule. From Sue King.
    • Hackamores. Hand-braided leather hackamores for sale, made by Ed Pass, Sara Hagel, and Ray Huffman.

    Climbing and caving knots. Also see the books on climbing knots in the Book section.

    • Animated Knots. Several well-done animations by "rhinckle". From New England Climbing.
    • Belaying Guide. From the Outdoor Action Program at Princeton. Instruction on harness knots.
    • Caving Knots. Good selection and graphics. From Sherry Mayo.
    • Freeclimbing. The best climbing site on the web. I've linked to a search for knots.
    • http://www.climbing.ie/knots.html">Climbing Knot Dictionary. 20 knots, mostly for climbing, well-illustrated in three colors. From Dave Hunt and Irish Climbing On-line.
    • Knot Knowledge. 23 knots, mostly for climbing, clearly illustrated with 4-6 black-and-white photographs each. Anonymous.
    • Noeuds Spéléos. Two illustrated caving knots. From Manuel du Secouriste.
    • Nudos en Espeleología. Clear illustrations of some caving and climbing knots.
    • Prusik Rappel "Safety". An article by Dr. Gary D. Storrick, arguing against the use of the Prusik knot at least in caving.
    • The Prusik Knot. From Geoff Kuenning and Marc Anderson. On use of the Prusik in place of ascenders for climbing the mast of a ship.

    Craft knots. Also see fancy and decorative knots.

    • Beading Knots. Four knots for beading. From Maxine.
    • The Bindery Knot. A knot for tying packages. From Donna Ashley for the benefit of MIT librarians.
    • The Clones Knot. An Irish crochet knot, illustrated with eight photographs.
    • French Knot. An illustrated cross-stitch knot. From Debbie Wilcock.
    • Hammock Instructions. From Rita Barthelomew's larger site on netting.
    • Making a Netted Hammock. Adequate but minimal instructions. From Earth Guild.
    • Hammock Pattern. Scanned from an uncited printed source. Slow-loading. From Pu Bear's Collectibles. This site has also disappeared without a trace. Does anyone know where it went?
    • Hammock Instructions. Minimal but helpful. From Earth Guild.
    • Hammock Kits. If you want to make your own but don't want to start from scratch. From Hammocks from Bougainville.
    • Kite Flier's Knot Gallery. Four knots, well illustrated.
    • Netting. A comprehensive site. From Rita Bartholomew.
    • Knotcraft. Excerpts from a book by Stuart E. Grainger. Useful for netting.
    • Slatt's Rescue Belt. Instructions for making a woven belt which instantly unweaves when you need an emergency length of cordage. From Philip Sinnet-Slattery.
    • Some Weaving Knots. Two clear photographs.

    Fishing knots

    • The Best Knots. Advice on fishing knots. No illustrations. From Fly Fisherman Magazine.
    • Fishing Knots. Chapter 1 of Ern Grant's book, Grant's Guide: Fishing Knots and Rigs. Many knots and good illustrations. One of the better sites on fishing knots.
    • Fishing Knots. Eight fishing knots, well-illustrated. From High Sierra Fly Casters.
    • Fishing Knots. Seven knots, each with multiple, clear illustrations. From Grays of Kilsyth, a Scottish fly maker.
    • Fishing Knots and Rigging. Twenty-two knots, animated illustrations. From Marinews.
    • Fisherman's Knots. Seven knots illustrated. From the Toledo Bend Reservoir.
    • Killroy's Knots. Ten fishing knots, well-illustrated. From Killroy's Fly Tying and Fly Fishing. Knotting instructions and illustrations courtesy of The Orvis Co.
    • Knots and Connections [for Fishing]. For these Danish fisherfolk, a "connection" is a bend.
    • Useful Fishing Knots. Three knots from the Bass Fishing Home Page.
    • Knots. Five fishing knots, three illustrations each. From New York Bass.
    • Knots. Three fishing knots, 4-5 illustrations each. From Backwater Tackle.
    • Flyfishing knots. Illustration from online ad for FlyTy software.
    • Knots for the Flyfisher. From Bruce Harang.
    • The Bimini Twist. From WorldWideAngler.com. There are many other fishing knots at this site. Just use their search engine to find them. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a page collecting them all together.
    • Knot Tying Overview. Six fishing knots from High Country Flies.
    • Knots. From The Fishernet.
    • Three Fishing Knots. Text and illustrations poorly scanned.
    • Knots for the Flyfisher. Knot links from elsewhere on the web.
    • Knots: Putting It All Together. Knots for flyfishing by Dave Whitlock.
    • Davy's Knot. A fishing knot by Davy Wotton.
    • Tying the Huffnagle. One (fishing) knot illustrated with seven photographs.
    • Knots and Fishing Knots. Animated knot-tying software for Windows by Frank Cooke. A large number of knots, taught with great clarity. View the tying process step by step, forwards and backwards. Better instruction than books or videotape. The web site now has a sample animation.
    • The Nail Knot. One (fishing) knot illustrated with three line-drawings.
    • Knots. Nine fishing knots illustrated. From The HorseMinnow fishing site.
    • Knot Tying Page. Five fishing knots. Poor illustrations.
    • Fisherman's Ty-All. Ad for a fishing knot tool.
    • Rudy's Snell Tyer. Ad for a fishing knot tool.
    • EZKnot. Ad for fishing knot tool.
    • Fishing Fool Tool. Ad for a fishing knot tool. With RealVideo instruction for two fishing knots (Nail Knot, and Snell knot) and instructions and illustrations for another nine fishing knots.
    • Knot-Tying Aids. Manufacturers of various fishing knot tools.
    • The Needle Knot. From Saltwater Fishing in New Jersey.
    • The Rapala Knot. From Rapala Corp., a fishing supplies company.

    Necktie knots. Look how many sites there are on necktie knot compared to (say) climbing or fishing knots. This shows you what men care about these days —vanity and conformity even at the price of discomfort. Men of the world, awaken! This is the age of the internet. If your boss makes you wear a tie, leave your boss. Start your own company. Telecommute. Tie the knots you want to tie and no others.

    • How to Tie a Tie. From BizWeb. The classical necktie knots.
    • Four Ways to Tie a Tie. More classical necktie knots, from FashionMall.
    • Knots Etc.. More classical necktie knots, from Knots Etc. Ties and Apparel).
    • How to Tie a Necktie. More classical necktie knots, with some variations, from MBA Style Magazine
    • Necktie Repository. More classical necktie knots, from Jim Scarborough.
    • Online Ties. Illustrations for eight different necktie knots.
    • Tie Yourself in Knots. From Jim Landman. Landman's page of necktie-related links, including necktie knot links, is the best I've seen.
    • Learn2.com has clear illustrations of the 4-in-hand and bowtie knots.
    • Animated necktie knot. The instructions are in Dutch but the picture is self-explanatory. This site seems to have disappeared. Can anyone help relocate it?
    • McSea necktie knot page. Illustrates the windsor and half-windsor. This site seems to have disappeared. Can anyone help relocate it?
    • The Pratt Knot. From The Fashion Page.
    • Tiecrafter's necktie knot page. Collecting links to several necktie pages.
    • Tying the Knot. A book of instructions by Andrew Cochran.
    • Five scarf-tying knots. Accompanied by Rush Limbaugh's demonstration, in which this sartorial authority misperceives which knot the world would like to see him tie around his neck.
    • Tie Master. A device to help you tie a necktie knot. "A simple solution to an age old problem." Not quite as simple as an unassisted knot —or as giving up neckties.
    • See how Marvin Minsky improvised a necktie with climbing rope —and no knots— in his Original Rope Tie.
    • You've probably heard about Yong Mao and Thomas Fink, the two physicists from Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratory who turned from physics, even from respectable knot theory, to necktie theory. Because they published their mathematical analysis of necktie knots in the equally prestigious journal Nature (vol. 398, pp. 31-32, March 4, 1999), their new knots have become the biggest knot story in the mainstream press since the supposed discovery of the Hunter's Bend in 1978. But while the Hunter's Bend is a useful knot, this is just a pain in the neck. Here are some details.
      • Solving a Knotty Problem. From the BBC. Contains links to video demonstrations (require a RealPlayer plugin).
      • Telling a Fink From a Pratt. From the London Telegraph.
      • Physicists Tie the Knot. From Reuters, presented by Wired News.
      • Physicists' Work is All for Knot. From the Dallas Morning News.
      • An HTML version of the Fink & Mao Article. From Fink's home page, not Nature. Also see their page of instructions for the four traditional necktie knots (not for any of their own).

    Not Knots. Products which make knots unnecessary, mostly for shoelaces. I don't plan to link to all sites for buckles, velcro, hooks, carabiners, nails, staples, glue, and so on. Hey, I'm a partisan. But these Anti-Knot sites can be helpful to parents of very young children, boaters with arthritic fingers, and those turning to the dark side.

    • Con-Ferr Rope Locks. For cargo lashing and boat lines.
    • Flip Lacer. Flipping plastic toggle for shoelaces.
    • Lazy Lock. Adjustable, sliding lock for shoelaces.
    • Safety Plus Rope Lock. For closing bags like laundry bags.
    • Y * Ties. Curly elastic shoelaces tangle together to make tying unnecessary.
    • Zip-A-Rope. The ad inconsistently appeals to "anyone who enjoys the outdoors" but who hates "to fight with stubborn knots."

    Rope and cordage

    • Basic Ropework Test. Test yourself with this exam designed for Australian rescue workers.
    • Cordage. Lots of useful information from the SailingProShop.
    • Rope-Making Machines. Choose from the Bradshaw Rope Maker and the Leonardo Rope Machine (and formerly Apollo Cord Winder). Described, illustrated, and ready to order. From the Textura Trading Company. Textura also sells all kinds of fiber supplies for textile artists.
    • Bradshaw's Rope Machine. From the Bob Patterson Company. A one-person machine powered by a variable speed, reversible hand drill.
    • Cordage. Data on strength, elasticity, tenacity, weight, and so on, of common synthetic ropes. From Allied Signal Fibers.
    • Cordage Fibre Characteristics. Strength, weight, elasticity, coefficient of friction, critical temperature, and so on. From Layline.
    • The Cordage Institute. A non-profit association of manufacturers which works toward voluntary technical standards for cordage, rope, and twine.
    • Making Rope. See Jack Keene's instructions for making laid rope without a machine.
    • Native American Cordage. An excellent, illustrated compendium of Native American cordage technology. Part of the larger NativeTech site.
    • New England Ropes. A cordage manufacturer's home page.
    • Pelican Rope Works. A cordage manufacturer's home page.
    • Rope and Gear Testing. One of the most thorough rope-testing pages I've seen. From Tom Moyers.
    • Rope Basics. From Boy Scout Troop 940.
    • Rope Care. Excerpts from a Samson Rope brochure.
    • Rope Care. A page from Jimmy Green Marine Ropes and Rigging.
    • Rope Care. A page from Marlowe Ropes.
    • Rope Data. Weight per meter, elongation, mantle shifting, and so on, for climbing ropes. Anonymous.
    • Rope Data. Breaking strength, linear density, working load, and so on. From United States Rope Company.
    • Rope Locker. Good collection of links to sites on rope, rigging, knots, and block and tackle systems. A page within the larger SchoonerMan site.
    • Rope Making. A Yahoo discussion group on the craft.
    • Ropes and Cords. From Merv Martin. Very thorough and well-illustrated. Also see his recipe for a rope stretcher.
    • Strength of Rope. Incorrectly asserts that "knotted rope" (regardless of the knot) reduces strength by 15%. From Diver's Datalog.

    Rope rescue. Here I only include rope rescue sites which include some knot-related instruction online. Also see the books on rope rescue in the Book section, the section on suppliers, and the knot discussion forums.

    • Basic Knots. Not rescue-specific knots, but I put it here because it's published in a search and rescue newsletter. Illustrated with color photos of colored cord.
    • The Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group Knot Review. Good collection of knots, well-illustrated with color photographs.
    • Considerations for Technical Rope Rescue. From Kenneth N. Laidlaw. Thorough text, very clear illustrations.
    • Herschel Rope Rescue Training Systems. From Herschel Rescue, Toronto.
    • MUEMS Rope Rescue Team. From Marshall University. Contains a large number of illustrated knots.
    • River Rescue. Many useful links. From otterman.
    • Rope Rescue. From the Mountain Ambulance Service (Mountain, Wisconsin). Contains some very clear knot illustrations.
    • Rope Rescue Page. Tips and discussion from the Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia.
    • Ropes, Webbing, and Knots. An outline of a search and rescue training course. No illustrated knots.

    Sailing and boating knots

    • Boating Knots. Seven elementary boating knots. From Black Lake, a fishing site.
    • Boating Knots. Five elementary boating knots. From OnWater, a boat store.
    • Boating Rope Knots. Seven elementary boating knots. From Marinews, an Australian boating site.
    • Burglar-Proof Knot. For $9.95 this company will sell you the secret for tying up your dingy with a "burglar-proof knot". The ad ends with a joke (if you have thievery in your heart, they'll send you a fake knot), so it may be a hoax. Of course, every knot that can be tied can be untied with time and a fid —even the Gordian knot. If anyone learns what you get for your $9.95, please let me know.
    • Common Boating Knots. Ten common knots, described and illustrated. From New England Ropes.
    • Commonly Used Boating Knots. From Suncoast Boating. Elementary.
    • How To Tie One On. Tips on tying up canoes and kayaks. Good text but no illustrations.
    • Knots, Hitches, and Splices. Elementary knots for sailing, no illustrations.
    • Knots To Know [for sailing]. The knots are elementary, but their illustrations are animated.
    • Line Handling and Marlinspike. Five boating knots each illustrated with three still drawings and one animation. From BoatSafe.com.
    • Marlinspike Knot of the Month. Over a dozen common boating knots. Now animated GIFs being converted to Java scripts that permit stopping and reversing. From the Shooting Star Boating Safety Page.
    • Marlinespike Learning Guide. Advertisement for a course and booklet. From United States Power Squadrons.
    • NautBob's Knots. Elementary boating knots. Also a page of fishing knots.
    • Nós de Marinheiro. Illustrated sailing knots. Instructions in Portuguese. From the Associação Nacional de Cruzeiros (Lisbon).
    • Rigging for Windsurfers. From Easy Riser, Inc.
    • Rope Loop. Illustrated instructions for tying a "handle" into loop to ease the pressure on your hand. From Paul.

    Scouting

    • Animated Knots. From Boy Scout Troop 700. These pages require the Microsoft PowerPoint Animation Player, a browser plug-in you can download from the site.
    • Basic Knots in Outdoor/Adventure Awards. Includes bends and lashes, loops, hitches, and stopper knots. From the Boys' Brigade Australia.
    • Boy Scouts of America Knot Designs for Awards and Badges. Thirty ways to color a square knot.
    • Get Knotted! Animated Knots for Scouts. Clear animations of 15 useful knots, with helpful comments on each. From the 42nd Brighton Scout Group, East Sussex.
    • Knot Diagrams. Four elementary knots. From Brad Pozarnsky.
    • Knotmasters. A knot-learning program for scouts in England's North Star District.
    • Knots. A large site on knots for scouts. The most useful feature is an alphabetical guide to 130+ common knots.
    • Knots! Knots! Knots!. Animated instructions from Troop 72.
    • Knots and Scouting. From André van der Salm. Jump to his main knot page. In English and Dutch.
    • Knotting. From the 22nd Farnworth Scout Group. Includes an impressively large knot index, organized both alphabetically and by use. Each knot indexed is illustrated with very clear drawings.
    • Knot Tying. Five elementary knots for sea scouts.
    • Lashing Projects. A large number of clear drawings of lashing projects built by scouts.
    • Learn to Tie a Few Knots!. Three basic knots. Aims at beginners yet uses words more than pictures. From the Royal Ambassadors of Kennesaw, Georgia.
    • Pictures of Scouting Knots. Apparently scanned from a book, including the accompanying text.
    • Royal Rangers Ropecraft. Requirements for the "advanced merit" level, no illustrations.
    • The Scout Association of Australia, Index of Knots and Lashings.
    • Scouting Knots. A collection of common knots (still growing) illustrated with photographs and demonstrated with effective animations. From Bob Gibson and the Montana Council's Troop 9.
    • Cub Scout Knot Quiz. This page seems to have disappeared without a trace. Can any readers help locate it?
    • Boy Scout Knot Quiz. What knots would you use for various common applications?
    • Know Your Knots?. Another scouting knot quiz. From the boy scouting section of About.com.
    • Commonly Used Rope and Knot Terms. Another scouting knot quiz (well done). Also contains animated instructions for six basic knots. From Troop 222, Belaire Texas.

    Suppliers

    • American Hemp. Twine, yarn, cordage, rope, and webbing, but wholesale only. Seattle, Washington.
    • Custom Cords. Multi-colored braided cords for purchase and special order. In cotton and synthetic fibers. From D. Booker and Associates.
    • Fid-O / McGrew Splicing Tool. You may not think you need this, but can you splice braided to twisted cord? If not, see the MPG at the site of Jim McGrew, the inventor, showing how it's done.
    • Footrope Knots. Des Pawson's cordage and knot-tool shop, now with a web site.
    • Hempland's Twine and Rope. Hemp twine, cord, and yarn in many sizes.
    • Jimmy Green Marine Ropes and Rigging. Mail order chandlery in Beer, East Devon. Large inventory.
    • The Knot Shoppe. Purveyor of fancy knots and supplies for fancy knotwork. See his online store. From "knot tyer" in Anchorage, Alaska. Also see the proprietor's Museum of Fancy Knots, and knots for sale at eBay.
    • Macramé cord. Synthetic, 16 colors available. From Pu Bear's Collectibles.
    • Marlowe Ropes. Many varieties. In East Sussex.
    • Osborne Marlinspikes. From C.S. Osborne and Co., Harrison, NJ.
    • Petzl. Suppliers for climbers and rope rescue e.g. cordage, harnesses, helmets, carabiners, etc. Crolles, France (with offices around the world).
    • The Rescue Source. Specializing in water rescue equipment, including cordage.
    • Rock-n-Rescue. Supplies for climbers and rope rescue teams, e.g. cordage, ascenders, pulleys, carabiners, etc. Valencia, Pennsylvania.
    • Rope Magic. Supplies for rope magic from Denis the Magician.
    • Scientific Nature Hemp Emporium. Twine, yarn, cordage, rope, and webbing. Bellingham, Washington.
    • Brion Toss's Catalog. Knotting tools (plus Brion's books and videos).
    • U-Braid-It Braiding Supply Co.  Synthetic cord, leather, and mohair supplies for making horse tack. The site also includes some lessons.
    • Urban H.A.R.T. Rescue Training. Buy rescue equipment from the site, including rope and harnesses.
    • For suppliers without web sites, see Martin Combs' good list.

    Surgical knots. If you go to PubMed and enter the search string, knot* OR sutur* , then you'll get a huge list of citations to surgical knotting (more than 2200 articles in January 2001). Unfortunately, PubMed searches don't have unique URLs so I can't link to such a search for you.

    • Arthroscopic Knot Tying. From Don Johnson. Illustrated with nine photographs or in an animation (which is really a slide show of the nine still photos).
    • Arthroscopic Knot Tying. From Robert K. Lieurance and Wesley M. Nottage. Detailed descriptions of many techniques, with thumb-nail and enlarged illustrations.
    • Ethicon Knot Tying Manual. Another detailed and well-illustrated, professional manual for surgeons. From Ethicon Inc., which is a division of Johnson and Johnson.
    • Excision: Knot Tying. Surgical knot tying. Click the "next" and "previous" buttons at the bottom of the screen for more detail and context.
    • Interactive Suturing. The front page contains an alert service to recently published papers on suturing. Visit regularly to stay up to date. From InteractiveSuturing.com.
    • Intracorporeal Knot Tying with the Endo Stitch. Text and illustrations. Part of a larger site on the Stringer laparoscopic suturing technique.
    • Med I.A. Knot Tying and Suturing. Multimedia instruction for surgeons. This content was formerly on the web, but its producers evidently decided to make some money by pulling it off and selling it as a CD. The link takes you to an ad for the CD with a tiny bit of content.
    • Surgical Knot Tying Manual. Detailed and well-illustrated. By pros for pros. From Richard F. Edlich of the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
    • Vesalius Clinical Folios on Surgical Technique. Another detailed, well-illustrated, professional manual for surgeons. Don't overlook the "next" and "back" buttons at the bottom of the screens. There are several pages of instruction in each folio. From Vesalius.
      • One-Handed Surgical Knot.
      • Two-Handed Surgical Knot
      • Basic Surgical Hand Ties. Instruction in the basic surgical knots tied by hand.
      • Basic Instrument Tie. Instruction in tying knots with surgical instruments rather than fingers.
Knot Theory Sub-Sections (more to come)
General | Bibliographies | Glossaries | Journals | Primers | Tables

    General. Also see the discussion forums, software, videos, and books on knot theory.

    • MathSearch Knot Pages. Clicking on this link will initiate a search for knot-related pages on MathSearch, the dedicated mathematical search engine.
    • The KnotPlot Site. Information on the fabulous knot-projection graphic software written by Rob Scharein, with stunning examples, one of which I use at the top of this page; see Artwork credits . Essentially the same as The Knot Square site, which I've listed under Knot Art below.
    • International Knot Theory Meeting, August 7-15, 1998.
    • The Geometry Junkyard Page on Knot Theory. An excellent page of links to web sites on knot theory, maintained by David Eppstein.
    • Knot Theory. From Mark Brittenham. Good collection of links.
    • Entrance to WWW on Knot Theory. From Masakazu Teragaito. Selected links to knot theory sites.
    • Yahoo Guide to Knot Theory. Not very extensive but will probably grow.
    • Knot Theory. Course and lectures by Brian Sanderson.
    • Knot Theory. From Mouse Bousfield. Hand-outs and links for a course on knot theory.
    • Knot Theory. An excellent collection of links from Icarus Research Data Centre Math Bookmarks.
    • Knot Theory: Project Suggestions. Ideas for student projects. From Paul J. Kapitza.
    • Knot Theory Lab. Apparently in Korean. But even if you don't read the language, there are some great graphics, including a nice table of prime knots. These pages seem to have disappeared without a trace. Can anyone help find them again?
    • Knot Theory at Liverpool. From the University of Liverpool Department of Mathematical Sciences.
    • Knots and Templates. Part of larger book on nonlinear dynamics and chaos by Nicholas B. Tufillaro, Jeremiah Reilly, and Tyler Abbott.
    • Knots. Some basic concepts of knot theory, with some links to related topics. From Alexander Bogomolny.
    • The Unknotting Number of a Knot. February 1997 cover story for What's New in Mathematics.
    • Modularity in Art and Mirror Curves. Two unique and beautiful sites that would belong under Knot Art below but for their unusual combination of beauty and mathematical explanation. From Slavik Jablan.
    • Ordering Knots. Another beautiful and lucid site from Slavik Jablan.
    • Knot Theory Puzzles. Excerpts from a forthcoming book (sept 99); from Heather McLeay.
    • Les Noeuds. French edition of Scientific American, issue devoted to knots.
    • UMass GANG Knot Library. Contains links to a large number of knot diagrams, which require a PostScript viewer.
    • Knot images. Beautiful, computer-generated images by Tom Longtin.
    • Knot Gallery. Beautiful, complex knots from Milana Huang.
    • Math Art Gallery. Many beautiful images of knots.
    • Geometry and the Imagination in Minneapolis. Handouts for a two-week seminar led by John Conway, Peter Doyle, Jane Gilman and Bill Thurston at the Geometry Center in Minneapolis, June 17-28, 1991. Many pertain to knots.
    • Knots and Links. Nine elegant knot and link graphics generated by Mathematica, with accompanying instructional text. From Leo Piilonen.
    • Square Knots. An article by Brian Hayes in American Scientist on knots conceived as self-avoiding walks in 3-dimensional space.
    • Ideal knots. An online catalogue of knot images and coordinates. From Ben Laurie, author of the Apache-SSL web server.
    • Global curvature, ideal knots and models of DNA self-contact. An article by Oscar Gonzales.
    • Ming. Knot software, plus neat illustrations, by Ying-Qing Wu.
    • Scott Carter. Home page of a knot theorist.
    • Morwen Thistlewaite. Home page of a knot theorist. Many beautiful knot graphics.
    • Piotr Pierañski. Home page of a knot theorist, with links to several papers, including In Search of Ideal Knots, which has wonderful illustrations.
    • On Composite Twisted Unknots. An article by Chaim Goodman-Strauss.
    • Is A Knot Classification Possible?. An article by Charilaos Aneziris. Also see his The Problem of Knot Classification.
    • Knots and Knotwork. From a site on Mathematics and the Liberal Arts. Summarizing articles on the mathematics of Celtic, Islamic, and Moorish knot designs.
    • Design Any Knot From DNA. From Ned Seeman.
    • Mathematics and Origin of String Figures. Taking string figures seriously. From Martin Probert.
    • Jason's Favorite Knot. Borromean rings, with a brief introduction to knot theory, from Jason Cohen.
    • Loops, Knots, Gauge Theories and Quantum Gravity. An article by Rodolfo Gambini and Jorge Pullin.
    • Knots and DNA. An article using knot theoretic topology to explore the action of enzymes, by De Witt Summners.
    • Knots and Everything Book Series from World Publishing. Edited by Louis Kauffman.

    Knot theory bibliographies

    • Knots, Braids, and Links. A list of online papers on knot theory, especially in physics rather than pure mathematics.
    • A Bibliography of Literature on Knots and Braids. A very comprehensive list by Joyce A. Riley. Because of its size, slow-loading.
    • Bibliography of Knot Theory. Another bibliography, not as good as Riley's. Anonymous.

    Knot theory glossaries

    • Glossary of Terms. Part of the excellent Knot Theory from High School students Jason Alonso (team leader), Andrei Garcia, and Stefan Nagey.
    • Knot Glossary. Part of the excellent Mathmania knot theory site for kids. Apparently this supersedes the "Erdös For Kids" glossary of knot theory, made by the same folks, still on the web.

    Knot theory journals

    • Journal of Knot Theory and Its Ramifications.

    Knot theory primers

    • Knot Theory. From Bryson R. Payne. An introduction for students. Uses animation to advantage.
    • Knot Theory. From John Starrett. Brief introduction and collection of links under construction.
    • Knot Theory. Clearly written, handsomely illustrated. From a team of high school students at the Severn School:  Jason Alonso (team leader), Andrei Garcia, and Stefan Nagey.
    • Knot Theory. Part of Eric Weisstein's larger World of Mathematics. Very thorough, clear, and well-illustrated.
    • A Knot Theory Primer. By Charilaos Aneziris. Essentially an online textbook which treats a very large number of subtopics. Admirable thoroughness and clarity.
    • Mathmania Knot Theory. A primer for kids, with challenging problems. One of four branches of mathematics covered at Mathmania. From Day Kirby.
    • Mathematics and Knots. Online catalog of an exhibition at the School of Mathematics of the University of Wales, Bangor, sponsored by the London Mathematical Society. This site has grown over time to become a very good general introduction to knot theory.
    • Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down. Handsome primer on knot theory. Anonymous.
    • Untangling the Mathematics of Knots. A useful tutorial in knot theory for children from MegaMath, a group trying to bring mathematical ideas to elementary school classrooms. Written by Nancy Casey. Among its subsections, Knots, Links and Other Mathematical Tangles introduces the basic notions with illustrations, and Activities with Knots suggests project ideas for teachers and students. Nancy has a follow-up site called New Ideas about Knots, with additional puzzles and exercises.

    Knot tables

    • Atlas of Oriented Knots and Links. From Corinne Cerf. An extremely useful reference.
    • Knot Table. From Charilaos Aneziris. All distinct knots up to 12 crossings. Notation only, no projections.
    • Knot Tables. Amazing work from 1992 done by the Claremont High School Supercomputing Club. Unfortunately, apart from this description, there is little to read directly on the web. Instead there are several files of prime knot tables to download by FTP (notation only, no projections).
    • Knot Tables. Tables in English and Portuguese. Each knot in table is manipulable with the mouse; users may rotate them in any direction, even "throw" them into a spin. Both high-res (bigger download) and lower res (smaller download) availalbe, but even low res is stunning. Anonymous, using routines by Victor Sousa.

Knot Art Sub-Sections (more to come)
General | Celtic knotwork | Fancy and decorative knots | Metalwork knots | Related arts

    General. Also see the sections on software for knot art and books on knot art.

    • The Knot Square. More on KnotPlot, the incredible knot-projection graphic software written by Rob Scharein, with stunning examples. Essentially the same as The KnotPlot Site, which I've listed under Knot Theory above.
    • The Elegantly-Contrived Knot Page. Beautiful knot graphics from Knot, software written by Lloyd Burchill. I use an example on my Nomic page; see Artwork credits . Mac users: download the program!
    • Knotology. Folding and tying strips of paper into elegant mathematical sculptures. Art by Heinz Strobl, text by Paula Versnick.
    • The Knot Room. An elegant collection of animated graphics, many based on knots. From Staceyjoy.
    • Knot That Small. Poster of a 2001 exhibition of fiber art objects built up by tying many small knots.
    • Jaskets. Knotted fiber baskets by Tony Stubblefield.
    • Chinese Knotting Home Page. An ancient art (Jai Yie), almost destroyed by the Cultural Revolution, now revived by a few books and this web site. Maintained by Carol Leon-Yun Wang.
    • Chinese Decorative Knotting. Thorough and well-illustrated. Now in English. From Yvonne.
    • Rough Art. Bold paintings of working knots. From Bruce Blanford. This page has disappeared without a trace. Does anyone know where it went?
    • The Salomon's Knot. A knot depicted in early Christian mosaics and Roman petroglyphs. From Umberto Sansoni.
    • Kuba Cosmology and Crafts. On the knot motif in the designs of the Congolese culture.
    • How To Tie An Orthodox Prayer Rope Knot. Written instructions by Martin Watt and an ad for a video from Firebird Video. (The video links are dead. If anyone can help relocate the video, I'll add a link to the video collection.)
    • Decorations from Andrew Birrell's Home Page. Intricate and attractive. I use two of his copyrighted knot keys on this page, with permission; see Artwork credits .
    • Math art gallery. Contains "Singularity Knots" and "Singularity Knot Animations".
    • MATLAB Gallery. Contains a nice 10.9K knot image by Rouben Rostamian.
    • Artesanía Mediterránea. Knot boards for sale.
    • Mariyo Yagi's Rope Art. Making a huge rope as an art event.
    • Knot Images. Images created by Steven Abbott and Jon Hawkes using Visual Basic Graphics Programming.
    • Solmuja Sipoosta. Knot art by Kari Nikrus.
    • Solmuja. Knot art by Hannu Keskitalo. Also available in Finnish.
    • PB-Takilapaja Oy. Knot art from Paavo Broström. The text is in Finnish.
    • Torus Knots. Handsome graphics linked to an image of a handsome sculpture by John Robinson.
    • Not Knot. An image by Scott Kim.
    • The Endless Knot. A nine-crossing knot projection which this site is pushing as "the peace sign for the next millenium". It's a nice knot, but its advocates do not apparently realize that all knot projections are "endless" in the same way.
    • The Rope Show. An original play featuring human beings and cordage by the Chicago troupe, Local Infinities. It premiered 1/30/99 at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art.
    • Wooden Knot Puzzles. From Interlocking Puzzles. Not very knotty.

    Celtic knotwork. For Celtic knotwork jewelry and related 3D art, see the section on Metalware knots, below.

    • Aon Celtic Art. Celtic knotwork by Cari Buziak. The site includes instruction, clip art, cross-stich patterns, cards, and much more. Extensive and beautiful.
    • The Art of Keltia. Celtic knotwork by Vitor Gonzalez. Beautiful images.
    • Calamity's Celtic Page. On Celtic knots.
    • The Celtic and Heraldic Center. The gallery contains Celtic knot artwork in copper by Gerry and Sean Forde.
    • Celtic Art. Large, detailed, classy. From A. Reed Mihaloew.
    • Celtic Clip Art. Many knot designs. From the House Ravenscroft Scriptorium.
    • Celtic Clip Art at Ceolas. Some very nice examples. From Gerard Manning.
    • Celtic Computer Art. Intricate and precisely rendered Celtic knotwork. Images plus advice on drawing them with graphic software. From A. Reed Mihaloew.
    • Celtic Desktop Icons. Free for downloading. Some based on knots.
    • Celtic Knot Graphics. From Jason Gabler. Scanned from original sources.
    • The Celtic Knot Page. By Danno. Elegant pencil drawings. There are a few more designs at his home page.
    • Celtic Knot Tattoo. Part of a larger (Leprechaun) site unrelated to knots.
    • Celtic Knot Webring. Hundreds of participating sites.
    • Celtic Knots. Mostly original designs by the anonymous page author.
    • Celtic Knots. Designs by Frederick Cooper. Not in the same league as most of the other knotmeisters in this list.
    • Celtic Knots. By Marc Wallace.
    • Celtic Knotwork. Striking, original knot graphics from Andrew Glassner. (Although Glassner works in computer graphics professionally, these images are entirely hand-designed and hand-rendered.)
    • Celtic Knotwork Images. By John Williams. Beautiful works of art, including 3D Celtic knot animations, and Celtic fractals.
    • Celtic Mandalas. Complex, knotwork mandalas by Courtney Davis.
    • Celtic Page. Includes a Celtic knot tattoo. From Twistress.
    • Celtic Stone. Not your father's Celtic knotwork site. Includes a 3D virtual reality Celtic knotwork chat room and instructions for designing Celtic knots. From Celtic One Design. Celtic Knotwork. Computer-generated celtic knotwork images as if in stone. Very nice images. From Celtic Stone.
    • Celtic Triple Knot. By Michael Dunn. Handsome bronze sculpture.
    • Celtic Web Art. Buttons, bullets, clip art, animated GIFS, and so on. All designs by Karen Nicholas.
    • Celtic Wood Sculpture. From Celtic Carver Woodworks.
    • Computer Drawn Celtic Artwork. From Steven Abbott. If you run Windows, downloaded the program from the site.
    • Cours d'enluminure celte à base d'entrelacs. An online course in designing Celtic knots, in English and French, by Christian Mercat.
      • See Mercat's Java applet for making Celtic knots in your browser.
      • Thomas Guionnet has implemented Mercat's algorithm in software for Windows. The screen shots are stunning.
    • Craig's Knot Page. Apart from two Celtic knot graphics, not related to knots.
    • Dave's Cave. Elegant and precise Celtic artwork from Dave Hall. He wrote the program (for Windows) on which he produced the designs, and sells it at the site.
    • Pat Fish's Tattoo Santa Barbara. Photos of several Celtic knotwork tattoos.
    • Fractals. Includes many Celtic knotwork images. From Jos Leys.
    • Get Knotted. Beautiful Celtic knotwork from Bernadette Bultman-Fenlon.
    • Gruhn's Knots. Celtic knot designs from Peter Gruhn.
    • How to Draw Your Own Celtic Knots. By Drew Ivan. Clear and helpful instructions; great examples, one of which I use at the bottom of this page; see Artwork credits .
    • Knots. A downloadable decorative font from Emerald City Fontwerks.
    • Knot Fonts. Three knot fonts for Windows by Jack Keene.
    • The Celtic Knot Font. Available in three styles (outline, filled, inverse) for both the Mac and PC. From ClanBadge.
    • Knot Magic. A painting with Celtic motifs by Freya Owlsdottir. Not about magic tricks with knots, but casting spells. That kind of magic.
    • Aidan Meehan's Celtic Design Series. Stunning. Not limited to Celtic knot designs. Public Domain Knotwork Graphics. Very nice Celtic knotwork by Josh Mittleman, including one I use on this page; see Artwork credits
    • Bradley W. Schenck's Art. A very handsome site by a graphic artist. Contains some striking Celtic knot images and Celtic knot clip art and borders.
    • Threads of Time. Clothing with stitched Celtic knotwork.
    • Celtic Knot Design Chart. For making cross-stich patterns. From Stephanie Peters.
    • Vintage Type Celtic Knot Font. A font for Mac and Windows of elegant Celtic knot designs to decorate a page, by Susan Townsend.
    • Victoria Griebel Wright's Watercolors. Celtic knot paintings in a more florid style.

    Fancy and decorative knots. Also see the discussion forums, software, videos, and books on knot art.

    • The Art of Decorative Ropework. A brief, illustrated history of fancy knotting. From Richard Phelan. Also see some of Phelan's decorative knots (stills from his video).
    • Dave Does Knot Work. Decorative knotting for sale from Dave Hedgepeth. No illustrations on the web site.
    • Home Page for Fancy Knot Tyers. From Daniel Callahan. Also see his Museum of Fancy Knots, Fancy Knots From Around the World and knots for sale at eBay.
    • Knot Swap. A site allowing artistic knotters to display and trade their creations. View the guestbook to see the action. From Martin Combs.
    • Knots of Monicas Hemsida. Fancy knotting and macrame. Text in Swedish.
    • Marlinespikes and Monkey's Fists. An exhibit of "Traditional Arts and Knot-Tying Skills of Maritime Workers" at the Michigan State University Museum. This is a traveling exhibit which your own local museum can rent (details on the site).
    • Neat Knotwork. From Guy Lautard.
    • A Perpetual Account of the International Knot Expo in Weert, Belgium. From Het Knoopeknauwertje, the Dutch knotting journal. The Expo opens Easter, 1999.
    • Rope Art By Chief Charles Haywood. Decorative knotting, some for sale, by a man who calls himself the world's best (which may or may be true), and who thinks of himself as alone in his art (which is fortunately false). This link is now defunct, and the site does not seem to have reappeared at another URL. Can any readers help locate it?
    • Some of My Knotwork. Fancy knotwork from S. Goodwin.
    • Sword Knots. Like minature bell pulls, tied in fancy ribbon, leather, or cord hanging from the sword's sheath. From The Discriminating General.

    Metalwork knots

    • Turk's Head Rings Knots in precious metal by Loren Damewood.
    • Celtic Knot Jewelry. Earrings, pendants, and rings from Talisman Jewelers and Metalsmiths.
    • Fair Winds Design. Nautical and Celtic knots in precious metal and pottery from Grey Chisholm.
    • Fisherman's Knot Ring. Ring by Ed Levin.
    • Hayman Celtic Jewelry. Amulets, necklaces, torcs, earrings, brooches, and rings. From Michael Hayman.
    • Knot Sculptures by Carlo H. Séquin. Elegant metal sculptures, mathematically inspired.
    • The Lover's Knot Collection. Necklace, brooches, and earrings from Sheila Fleet, a Scottish jeweler.
    • Nantucket Knot Bracelets. From Nantucketer.com.
    • Symbolic Sculpture. Photograph of John Robinson's sculpture of a trefoil knot in a band of shining brass.
    • Topological Sculptures. Knot theorists will enjoy thinking about how these intriguing sculptures are related to knots. By Brent Collins. Here's a second page of his work.
    • Turk's Head Jewelry. Turk's Head rings, bracelets, brooches, earrings, and cuff links in gold, from A.G.A. Correa and Son.

    Related Arts. I only want to list a couple of links for each of these arts, to get you going. Please let me know about web pages on knot-related arts that I don't already cover. But for those that I do already cover, I'd only like to hear about pages that surpass those I list at introducing or organizing the field. Sorry, I don't pursue any of these arts or crafts and cannot answer questions about them. Alphabetical by art.

    • Basketry Information. From Alan Beebe.
    • Braiding. Especially leather braiding for horse tack. From Gail.
    • Braids and Weaves. From Lenny Henderson.
    • The Pine Needle Group (on the art of coiling). From Pamela Zimmerman.
    • Crochet. From Sandi Marshal for About.com.
    • The Art of Gimp. Anonymous.
    • Alissa's Lace Links. From Alissa.
    • Victoria's Knitting Page. From Victoria Palay.
    • Kumihimo. Japanese braiding. Anonymous.
    • The Lace Ring. Links to the major sites in lacing. Anon.
    • Lori's Lace Fairy Lace Pages. Very thorough. From Lori Howe.
    • Macramé. From tses.
    • Amanteca Artisans Macrame. Native American macramé. From Stephanie Stoermer.
    • Chinese Macramé. From the Taiwan Government Information Office.
    • The Craft of Echizen Mizuhiki. The Japanese art of making paper cordage for tying ceremonial knots in hair or gifts. Another Mizuhiki site.
    • Iida Mizuhiki Association. Many color photos of stunning projects.
    • Rugmaker's Homestead. From Rafter-four Designs and Diana Blake Gray.
    • International String Figure Association. From Mark Sherman.
    • String Figures From Around the World. From Richard Darsie.
    • WWW Collection of Favorite String Figures. Anonymous.
    • Tattle Tales: The Tatting Newsletter. From Teri Dusenbury.
    • Tatting and Lacemaking Page. From trix.

    Discussion of knot tying

    • CMC Rescue Forum. On rope rescue and related rigging issues. From CMC Rescue. First-time users must register but there is no charge.
    • The Guild's Knot Forum. From the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Covers all knotting topics. Apparently an email forum.
    • KnotTyers. A Yahoo Club and discussion forum set up by the North American Branch of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Supports graphics and email notification. Covers all knotting topics.
    • Rec.crafts.knots is the only usenet newsgroup devoted to knots. An unmoderated group approved by voters on May 5, 1997. Covers all knotting topics.
      • This group does not allow the posting of graphics files. See my Knot Gallery for the images that accompany the discussion.
      • Rec.crafts.knots FAQ. Maintained by Peter W. Meek, who welcomes contributions. Under construction.
    • Rope Making. A Yahoo discussion group on the craft.
    • Rope Rescue Discussion. From the Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia (SARBC). Mostly on rope rescue. See the SARBC's page of related discussion forums.
    • Spar Talk. From Brion Toss Rigging. Mostly on ship rigging, often with comments and answers from Brion Toss.

    Discussion of knot theory

    • The High School students who built the award-winning ThinkQuest website on Knot Theory originally had a discussion forum on the site. They have since closed it, perhaps from lack of traffic. There's a niche here, knot theorists.

    Discussion of knot art

    • Fancy Knots Forum. From Delphi. Mostly on fancy knots. First-time users must register but there is no charge. This forum has disappeared. Does anyone know whether it relocated?
    • The Knot Board. Administered by Daniel Callahan. Mostly on fancy and decorative knots. Supports the use of graphics.
rockcork corkrock

Some of these programs are also listed in my sections on knot tying, knot theory, and knot art. This increases the size of my file, but it also makes these programs easier to find for those who want them. If one day there is a much larger array of knot software, I may give up the double listing and index them only in this section.

    Software for knot tying

    • 33 Knots. Illustrated tying instructions for 33 knots. From Dmitry Nikolayev. For the Palm Pilot. (Is there really knot tying software for Palm and not for Mac or Unix? I guess we know what OS will dominate in the 21st century.)
    • Knots and Fishing Knots. Animated knot-tying software for Windows by Frank Cooke. A large number of knots, taught with great clarity. View the tying process step by step, forwards and backwards. Better instruction than books or videotape. The web site now has a sample animation.

    Software for knot theory

    • KED. A Knot Editor for Windows by Kenny Hunt. Downloadable.
    • KnotSolver. Software by Lars Gilson. Platform unknown. Downloadable.
    • KnotTheory. Software by Mitsuyuki Ochiai and Earl Fife. For the Mac. Downloadable.
    • KnotPlot. The most flexible and elegant knot theory software. By Rob Scharein. I use a few graphics from KnotPlot with Rob's permission on this page.
    • Knotscape. Software by Jim Hoste and Morwen Thistlethwaite. For Linux, Sun, and Alpha. Downloadable.
    • Knot Thickness. Some graphical output from a program by Eric Rawdon for maximizing the thickness of a given knot. Rawdon's program is a descendant of Ying-Qing Wu's Ming (see below).
    • LinkTool. Anonymous software for mathematical knot theory. (It might not be anonymous for those who download the source code, but I haven't done that.) For NeXT machines. Downloadable.
    • Maple-Generated Knot. An elegant trefoil graphic generated by the mathematical software, Maple. Programmed by ijmcgee.
    • Ming. Software by Ying-Qing Wu.
    • Programs and Procdures. Programs for mathematical knot theory, collected by the Liverpool University Knot Theory Group.
    • SnapPea. A program for creating and studying hyperbolic 3-manifolds. For Windows, the Mac, and soon for Linux. Downloadable.
    • Snap Pea. Not the same as the previous program. Sofware by Jeff Weeks. For the Mac. Downloadable.
    • Surface Evolver. Software by Kenneth Brakker. Downloadable source code for DOS, Windows, Mac, and Unix.

    Software for knot art

    • Celtic Assistant. Freeware for the Mac by James Walker. Downloadable.
    • Celtic Designer. For Windows. Free trial version, but the main version costs $28.00. Anonymous.
    • A Celtic Doodler. A Java applet which lets you make Celtic knots. The applet was written by "Thau". Also see the author's article about the applet.
    • Celtic Knot Draw. Software by Saul Scudder. For Windows. Downloadable.
    • Celtic Knot Software. Mostly screen savers and desktop icons.
    • Celtic Knot Thingy. Freeware for Windows, Linux, and probably the Mac, by Douglas Zongker. Downloadable.
    • Celtic Knots Designer. Software for Windows, apparently by Rita Godfrey. Free trial version downloadable.
    • Excel spreadsheet implementing some Andy Sloss algorithms for designing Celtic knot images. From Jos Leys.
    • Knot. Software by Lloyd Burchill. For the Mac. (A Windows version is coming.) Downloadable.
    • Knots3D. Software by Steve Abbott. For Windows. Downloadable.
    • KnotTyer3D. Another knot program by Steve Abbott. Lets you design knots in 3D, view the knot from any 3D angle, and watch an animation of it tie from any 3D angle. For Windows. Downloadable.
    • Knotware. Software for Celtic knotwork by Chaz Boston Baden. The program is written in Perl and operates from the web site through interactive forms (simple form to start, more complex forms to refine).
    • KnotWorker. A Celtic knotwork design tool for Windows, from Goldcup Software and Design. A free trial version is available for downloading.
    • L'Art Celtique. Software for Celtic knot art by Thomas Guionnet, apparently for Windows. Described in French.
    • Square Knots. A Java applet for making Celtic knots in your browser. Click to lay down basic shapes, then click over the shapes to alter them. By Christian Mercat.
    • Thomas Guionnet has implemented Christian Mercat's Celtic knot algorithm in software for Windows but does not apparently make the software available to others.

Knot Videos Sub-Sections
Videos on knot tying | Videos on knot theory | Videos on knot art

    When I started this guide, I disregarded web pages advertising knotting videotapes, because I linked only to knotting content, not to ads for knotting content. I've slowly and selectively changed this policy over the years, and have now (9/2000) begun to collect links to knotting videos. I wish I had URLs for all the video sites I once visited and ignored. I hope to bring this section up to date over the next few revisions of the page. If you know of videos I've overlooked, please drop me a line.

    If a knotting video doesn't have its own web site, but is for sale from Amazon.com, then I have not made its title into a link. For these videos, I only know what Amazon.com has dislosed in its video catalogue.

    Videos on knot tying

    • The Art of Knot Tying. A 60 minute video on fishing knots. I can't tell from the ad who made the video, but it's sold by Sportsman's Mall.
    • Basic Knots. Sorry, I don't have any more information on this video.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • Brion Toss Videos. Look down the left-hand column of this page for Brion's four videos. Mostly on rigging, though one is on rope magic and one is on decorative knots. From Brion Toss.
    • Bush Knots. From Randall Breeuwsma. Sorry, I don't have any more information on this video.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • Fishin' Knots. From Les Igoe. Sorry, I don't have any more information on this video.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • Fishing Knots. Sorry, I don't have any more information on this video.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • Hooked On Fly Fishing:  Fishing Knots for Fresh & Saltwater. Twenty-one fly-fishing knots taught by Jim and Kelly Watt.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • How to Tie Fishing Knots. Sorry, I don't have any more information on this video.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • Instructional Video of Fishing Knots & Rigs Volume I. Sorry, I don't have any more information on this video.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • Just Knots and a Few Splices. Two hours of clear instructions on 47 knots and 6 splices. Also see the companion video, Why Knot?, which covers the same knots but "in the field" with commentary on how to use them. Which 47 knots and 6 splices? The web site has a nice page of stills previewing each one. From iKnots.
    • Knots. From Robert Koester. Sorry, I don't have any more information on this video.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • Knot Tying: The Basic Knots. A CD-ROM covering 21 basic knots, taught by Dave Gulden. There are two additional volumes in the series, one on advanced knots and one on splicing, though they don't yet have their own web pages. As you watch a video of a knot being tied, you can pause or start over at any point. Stills of the major tying stages moved to a different part of the screen for review. Useful. From Beutner Multimedia.
    • Teach Yourself Knots and Splices. A 60 minute video on seven elementary knots. Includes a section on tying methods for lefties. From Bennett Marine Videos.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com
    • Useful Knots for Boatmen. Sorry, I don't have any more information on this video.
      • Buy this video from Amazon.com

    Videos on knot theory

    • MSRI Knot Theory Videos. Videotaped lectures given at MSRI (Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Berkeley, California) between 1995 and 1997. More recent lectures are on streaming video. Not all on knot theory. When the page loads, use your browser to search for "knot".
    • Not Knot. A 1991 knot theory video from the Geometry Center. The web site also contains a good number of stills from the video. The distributor, A. K. Peters, also has a page on Not Knot.

    Videos on knot art

    • Martin Combs' Decorative Knotting Videos. One on making a bellrope and one on boatswain pipe lanyard. The web page shows stills of the finished products.
    • Dave Does Knot Work Videos. Two videos for sale, one on Monkey's Fists, and one on Turk's Heads, each two hours long. From Dave Hedgepeth.
    • KnotsCD. Instructions for 64 knots. Available on a CD or as a huge downloadable MPG. I can't tell whether the MPG is all or part of the CD and I'm not going to download the file and buy the CD in order to find out.
    • Knots Made Easy. A 94 minute video on decorative knotting. From Richard Phelan. The web site contains a nice history of fancy knotting. Although priced in pounds, knotters outside England will apparently pay in their own local currency if they order by credit card.
Knot Books Sub-Sections
Books on knot tying | Books on knot theory | Books on knot art

Here are some of my favorite knotting books and an easy method to buy them at a discount. This service is offered in association with Amazon.com.

With a few exceptions, I've listed books alphabetically by author's surname within each category. Because retail prices and the Amazon.com discounts are subject to change, I no longer list them. For prices, click through on a title of interest.

Here in the book section, the flag means that a book is new to my page, not that it is newly published.

Books on Knot Tying

  • The Alternative Knot Book, by Harry Asher, Sheridan House, 1989. Instead of simply giving instructions on the basic knots, Asher offers a theory of knot classification based on the similarities of knots to one another, and teaches the knots in their natural order. Paperback.
    • The only other book of this kind that I know is, unfortunately, not available from Amazon.com. It is A Fresh Approach to Knotting and Ropework: Knots Arranged According to Their Structure, by Charles Warner, published by Charles Warner (Picton, Australia), 1992. Of the two, Asher's is shorter and simpler; Warner's more extensive and sophisticated. Paperback.
  • The Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford W. Ashley, Doubleday, 1944 (reissued 1993). If you are interested in practical knots and knot tying, this is the one book to own. Ashley collected knots from every occupation, illustrated them by hand, and described them in his concise and salty prose. His collection of 3,900 knots and 7,000 illustrations is unrivaled for scope and utility, even today. All knotting literature refers to it. Unusual knots without names are typically cited by their Ashley number. To make a prima facie case that a knot is a new creation, one need only show that it does not appear in Ashley. It makes a great read for the knotting lore interspersed among the technical instructions and the window it provides onto many fascinating past forms of manual labor. Because the knots for (say) square-rigged sailing ships, stevedores, steeplejacks, and draymen have been made obsolete by modern tecchnologies, the book is of immense historical value, even if these knots were not transferable to other applications. Ashley has his weaknesses, but these quickly become part of the charm of the book. For example, are some of his instructions confusing, or is he simply overestimating our intelligence and experience? Hardback only.
    • My views are clear. If you can only buy one knotting book, buy Ashley's. There are a hundred knotting primers and collections shorter and less interesting than Ashley's. Most of them are not worth buying if you already own Ashley. But the best of them, while less comprehensive than Ashley, have their own advantages which make them useful even alongside Ashley. In this select company, I would put Bigon and Regazzoni (1982), Budworth (1997), Budworth (1999), Fry (1996), Pawson (1998), Toss (1990), and Toss (1998), all of which are listed below.
  • The Art of Rigging, by George Biddlecombe, Dover Publications, 1990 (original 1925). If you think you know knots but can't tell your keckling from your kevels, your jiggers from your jib-guys, your gammoning from your gripes, or your catheads from your catherpins, then you need this book. It's the first I've seen that doesn't presuppose that you already know. Paperback.
  • The Morrow Guide to Knots, by Mario Bigon and Guido Regazzoni, translated by Maria Piotrowska, William Morrow & Co., 1982 (Italian original 1981). A first-rate book, one of the best for the 70 knots it covers. Unusually clear illustrations, using color photographs of colored cord. Contains some rare and useful knots hard to find elsewhere, such as a bowline when the standing part is under tension (pp. 80-81) and the self-locking Poldo tackle (p. 118). One of the best collections after Ashley. Paperback.
  • The Knot Book, by Geoffrey Budworth, Sterling Publishers, 1985. More comprehensive than most of the general collections of useful knots, with exceptionally clear descriptions and illustrations, by one of the greatest living experts on knotcraft. But for even better books by the same author, see the next two titles. Paperback.
  • The Complete Book of Knots, by Geoffrey Budworth, Lyons & Burford, 1997. This is an elegant and useful book. The word "Complete" in the title is the only false note. It covers all the well-known knots and an unusually large number of lesser-known knots, new knots, and knot tricks. (He is the only major knot compiler who acknowledges that new knots are still being discovered.) The instructions and illustrations are very clear. Budworth includes a brief historical note on each knot, and a useful table on the best knots for different spheres sailing, fishing, climbing, and so on. One of the best collections after Ashley. Paperback.
  • The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework by Geoffrey Budworth, Lorenz Books, 1999. How do you top the misnamed Complete Book of Knots? With the misnamed Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots. This book is the first lush, coffee-table book of knots ever published. It's not as comprehensive as it appears, with 256 pages (to Ashley's 620) and roughly one knot per page (to Ashley's 5-7). The large, color photographs are more beautiful (for knot fanciers) than instructive. The knots are well-chosen from all fields and are marked with icons for their common applications. A worthy collection, but Budworth is starting to repeat himself. Hardback.
  • The Forensic Analysis of Knots and Ligatures, by Robert Chisnall, Lightning Powder Co., 2000. If you're reading this page, then you're probably among the top knotting experts in your town. Hence, you may eventually be asked by police to help analyze knots and ligatures left at crime scenes to learn what they reveal about the person who tied them. Chisnall's book is the best ever written on the subject and the only one still in print. Knotting experise is not enough to do well in this field. You need Chisnall's many years of experience dealing with murder, suicide, and accident, working with police, preserving evidence, and testifying in court. Hardback.
  • Climbing knots. Also see the rope rescue books.
    • Climbing is too dangerous for you to rely on your knotting common sense. Many classic knots that work beautifully in fiber rope, with its high friction, slip in modern synthetic climbing rope. Some useful climbing knots, like the Munter Hitch and Klemheist, simply aren't known in other domains like sailing or fishing. Carabiners make some knots unnecessary and at the same time give rise to the need for creative new knots. Finally, climbers often tie in with flat nylon webbing, which raises new knotting challenges not always covered by the knots evolved for leather straps. These are the main reasons why climbing-specific knot books are useful.
    • Knots for Climbers, by Craig Luebben, Chockstone Press, 1995. Short, clear, and well-illustrated. Paperback.
    • Climbing Knots For Lefties and Righties, by John McMullen, ICS Books, 1997. Not only one of the most thorough and best-illustrated of climbing knot books, but the only knot book of any kind I've seen that gives more than a passing nod to left- and right-handed versions of practical knots. Paperback.
    • Knots and Ropes for Climbers, by Duane Raleigh, Stackpole Books, 1998. Roughly as thorough as Luebben, less thorough than McMullen. Has longer prose commentaries on each knot than either of the other books. Clear illustrations. Paperback.
  • The Art of Knotting and Splicing, by Cyrus L. Day, Naval Institute Press, 4th ed., 1987 (first edition, 1947). A jumbo knotting guide illustrated with black and white photographs, brought up to date (especially for synthetic cord) by Ray O. Beard, Jr. and M. Lee Hoffman, Jr. Large enough to contain tips and tricks the ordinary primers and manuals cannot include. Paperback.
  • Knots and Splices, by Cyrus L. Day, International Marine, 1953. A thin, short classic. Combines a good selection of knots with black and white photographs. The photographs are not as clear as those in contemporary books, but are clear enough. Still worth buying if you need to fit your knotting manual into your pocket. Paperback.
  • The Complete Book of Knots and Ropework, by Eric C. Fry, David and Charles, 1996. Another good book by a knotter who knows better than to use the word "Complete" in the title (see Budworth 1997 above). Ninety-five knots well-illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Unlike other general knot manuals, this one gives half its space (as opposed to a quarter or less) to decorative knots. This book reprints Fry's Knots and Ropework and Practical and Decorative Ropework in a single volume. Paperback.
  • The Complete Guide To Knots and How To Tie Them, by Walter F. Gibson, Lifetime Books, 1997 (original 1961). Gibson is yet another knowledgeable knottist who doesn't know what "complete" means. More inclusive than the run-of-the-mill collections I omit from my book list, but not as thorough or well-illustrated as most that I do list. About a third of the book is devoted to magic tricks.
  • Stage Rigging Handbook, by Jay O. Glerum, Southern Illinois University Press, second ed., 1997 (original, 1987). Detailed instruction in all the knots, ropework, and hardware needed to rig a theatrical stage, plus the mathematics for calculating loads and forces. The definitive handbook for this field. Paperback.
  • KnotCraft: The Practical and Entertaining Art of Tying Knots, by Allan and Paulette Macfarlan, Dover Publications, 1967 (original 1967). What sets this book apart from other short collections of useful knots is the well-researched introductory chapter on the history of knotting, many illustrated applications for different knots (as opposed to the knots themselves), and sections on knot games and magic. Paperback.
  • The Handbook of Knots, by Des Pawson, DK Publishing, Inc., 1998. An excellent handbook by one of the co-founders of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. A very wide selection of knots, very well-illustrated with color photographs of colored cord. Each knot is described and photographed in several steps. One of the best knot collections after Ashley. Bound in stiff, flexible covers to withstand wear and tear. (For a while my link took you to the wrong book in Amazon.com. I've fixed it. My apologies to Des Pawson and those who wanted to buy his book.)
  • Rope magic
    • If you are reading this, then you probably carry a hank of cord in your pocket wherever you go. If you do, you might as well know a few tricks. But even if you don't like to astound your friends, there are some nice tricks in these books that have helped me in my (pathetically unsuccessful) assault on the world knot tying speed record.
    • Fun With String, by Joseph Leeming, Dover Publications, 1974 (original 1940). Most of the "fun" is rope magic, but some is ordinary knotting and knot crafts. Paperback.
    • Self-Working Rope Magic, by Karl Fulves, Dover Publications, 1990. More illustrations per trick than other magic books. Paperback.
    • Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks for Magicians, by Stewart James, Dover Publications, 1975 (original 1945). Named "Abbott's" after the original publisher. At 400 pages, this is the most thorough collection of rope tricks I've seen. Paperback.
    • Magic with Rope, Robbon, & String, by Bill Severn, Stackpole Books, 1982. Clear and well-illustrated. Paperback.
    • Some of the other books I list in the Knot Tying section (notably, Ashley, Gibson, and the Macfarlans) also contain a good selection of knot tricks.
    • By the way, the single best knot trick I've ever found is at pp. 98-99 of Louis Kauffman's On Knots, a mathematical treatise listed below with the books on knot theory. I'm sure you've seen the trick in which someone ties an overhand knot by crossing their arms before picking up the cord, and then uncrossing them. Kauffman shows you how to do the same trick without crossing your arms first. The version of this trick in Ashley #2576 and Budworth 1977 [p. 151] is not nearly as good.
  • Rope rescue. Also see the climbing knot books.
    • Books on rope rescue contain ordinary knots, climbing knots, some knots rarely used elsewhere, and comprehensive coverage of harnesses, anchors, and rigging for rescues under many different circumstances. Unlike most knot books, which simply show the tying steps for a selection of knots out of context, these books show the knots and rigging procedures in action, with tips on safety, alternatives, and when to apply what. As in climbing, this is an area where the stakes are high and learning from the experience of others can make the difference between life and death.
    • Engineering Practical Rope Rescue Systems, by Michael G. Brown, Delmar, 2000. A large book (322 oversized pages) on the full-scope of rope rescue, emphasizing the practical. It avoids asserting that there is just one way to rig a given rescue, and shows the safety and speed issues which would help you choose among alternatives. It is one of the few books willing to disclose mistakes in earlier books, and to go beyond the basics on some technical subjects, e.g. the metallurgy of rescue hardware, legal and professional regulations, and highlines. Illustrated with black-and-white drawings and photographs. Paperback.
    • CMC Rope Rescue, edited by James A. Frank, CMC Rescue Inc., 1998. A large book (208 oversized pages) on rope rescue in nearly all settings. This makes it more general than the specialized works below, which is a plus if you want orientation or flexibility, a minus if you work in a special field of rope rescue. Black-and-white drawings. Paperback.
    • Swiftwater Rescue:  A Manual for the Rescue Professional, by Slim Ray, CFS Press, 1997. A large book (243 oversized papges) covering its special topic, rescue from whitewater rivers and floods, in great detail. Many black-and-white drawings and a few photographs. Paperback.
    • Confined Space and Structural Rope Rescue, by Michael Roop, Thomas Vines, and Richard Wright, Mosby-Year Book, 1998. Color drawings and photographs illustrate this large book (384 oversized pages), focused on rescues from confined spaces and other difficult locations. Paperback.
    • On Rope:  North American Vertical Rope Techniques, by Bruce Smith and Allen Padgett, National Speleological Society, new edition, 1996. A large book (382 oversized pages) on rope techniques for vertical ascents and descents, for example in "caving, search and rescue, firefighting, rope rescue, mountaineering, window cleaning, river runners, rock climbing, aborists, event riggers, military operations, challenge courses, nautical applications, and rappellers" —to quote the title page. Numerous black-and-white drawings and a few photos. Very detailed text. (The "new edition" of 1996 and the "second edition" of 1997 are apparently the same; at least they have the same ISBN.) Hardback only.
  • Nautical Knots and Lines Illustrated, by Paul and Arthur Snyder, International Marine, 1997. A short book with some material not covered in longer books on the standard knots. Clear black and white photographs, several per knot to show successive stages. Paperback.
  • Knowing the Ropes:  A Sailor's Guide to Selecting, Rigging, and Handling Lines Aboard, by Roger C. Taylor, International Marine, second edition, 1993. Goes well beyond the basic boating knots. Covers essentially all the applications for rope on shipboard, with abundant detail on technique, efficiency, and safety. Clear black and white drawings. Paperback.
  • Chapman's Nautical Guides: Knots, by Brion Toss, Hearst Marine Books, 1990. A remarkably clear and useful handbook of boating knots, more comprehensive than other knotting books limited to one domain (more than 100 knots covered). Bound in flexible covers to stand up to the wear of a working life. Lucid illustrations by Gae Pilon. One of the best collections after Ashley. For Toss's magnum opus, see the next entry.
  • The Complete Rigger's Apprentice, by Brion Toss, International Marine, 1998. Toss's Rigger's Apprentice and Rigger's Locker reprinted (and synthesized) in a single volume. Toss is the only contemporary writer who can compare to Clifford Ashley and Hervey Garrett Smith in technical knowledge, literary skill, and nautical authenticity. These very recent books are already classics. Loaded with knowledge and lore one fears is slipping away, even if elegantly preserved in books like this one. Illustrated with wit by Robert Shetterly. One of the few must-have books after Ashley. Hardback only.

Books on Knot Theory

  • The Knot Book: An Elementary Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of Knots, by Colin C. Adams, W.H. Freeman and Co., 1994. One of the two best introductions to mathematical knot theory (with Livingston, below). Introduces all the basic terms and concepts, with well-designed exercises. Also includes open questions to challenge advanced readers. Hardback only.
  • Knots and Surfaces, by N.D. Gilbert and T. Porter, Oxford University Press, 1997 (original 1994). An introduction to knot theory and the topology of surfaces, showing their connections to one another and to such related fields as graph theory and group theory. Clearly written and illustrated. Presupposes no knot theory and only undergraduate mathematics. Paperback.
  • On Knots, by Louis H. Kauffman, Princeton University Press, 1987. A serious treatise that I recommended above for a great knotting magic trick at pp. 98-99. Not an introduction to knot theory, except for the mathematically able. If you've read one of the good introductions (by Adams or Livingston, for example) and want more, this is a good book to try. Wonderfully apt and playful illustrations. Hardback only.
  • Knot Theory, by Charles Livingston, Mathematical Association of America, 1993. One of the two best general introductions to mathematical knot theory (with Adams, above). Illuminates the field from the perspectives of geometry, combinatorics, and algebra. Hardback only.
  • Symmetric Bends: How to Join Two Lengths of Cord, by Roger E. Miles, World Scientific Publishing Co., 1995. A fascinating mix of mathematics and practical knot-tying. Miles gives the mathematics of the symmetric bends (like the Hunter's bend and the Zeppelin bend), sixty variations on the theme, and instructions for inventing new ones. Hardback only.
  • Knots and Links, by Dale Rolfsen, Publish or Perish, Inc., 1976. One of the classic textbooks in the field. Clear and thorough, but (like Kauffman) not an introduction except for those with a mathematical background. Especially helpful is the appendix (by James Bailey and Ali Roth) on prime knots and links. Paperback.
  • Knots, by Alexei Sossinsky. The most readable introduction I've seen. What it lacks in thoroughness, it provides in clarity. Very readable introductions to a miscellany of knot theory topics from the elementary to the somewhat advanced. If it were more thorough or systematic, I'd rank it among the best introductions to the field. Hardback.
  • History and Science of Knots, edited by J. C. Turner and P. Van De Griend, World Scientific Publishing Co., 1996. This is the most gratifying book on knots to be published in a long time. It proves that knotting by prehistoric peoples can be studied. It proves that knotting can be regarded as one of the earliest and most widespread technologies on which civilization depends. It's expensive ($78) and only available in hardback. But if you always knew that there was more to the study of knots than either the knot-tying manuals or the mathematical treatises let on, but didn't know where to put your hands on it, here it is. Hardback only.

Books on Knot Art

  • Celtic Knotwork, by Iain Bain, Sterling Pub. Co., 1992. A step-by-step guide for beginners, emphasizing the construction of grids to fit the shape in which you'll be working. Lovely drawn illustrations of the techniques, photographs of historical specimens. Becomes quite advanced by the end. Paperback.
  • The Complete Book of Decorative Knots, by Geoffrey Budworth, The Lyons Press, 1998. A thorough guide to decorative knots with sections on lanyard knots, button and globe knots, Turk's heads, mats and hitching, and plaits and braids. (Thorough does not mean "complete", as Budworth and his publisher should know.) Clear drawings, usually many per knot. In addition to instructions, each knot is accompanied by a few words on its applications and history. Paperback.
  • Chinese Knotting, by Lydia Chen, Echo Books, n.d. An ancient and beautiful art, almost destroyed by the Cultural Revolution. Lydia Chen has done more than anyone else to preserve and revive it. Stunning color photographs of classical and contemporary examples, many of the best by the author herself. Distinctively Chinese and quite different from Western decorative knotting. This is the book that persuaded me that "decorative knotting" is a true art, not mere decoration. Hardback only.
    • If you like Chen's book, you will also like Hanamusubi: Traditional Japanese Flower-Knots by Toshiko Tanaka, Kyoto Shoin Co., Ltd., 1993. Paperback. Unfortunately, Tanaka's book is not available from Amazon.com.
  • Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work, by Raoul Graumont and John Hensel, Cornell Maritime Press, 4th ed., 1952. Over 700 pages of knot descriptions and photographs. There are better books for practical knots, but for decorative knots it is unrivaled in its scope and detail. Hardback only.
  • The Book of Ornamental Knots, by John J. Hensel, Cornell Maritime Press, 1990 (Original, 1973). Hensel is the co-author of the Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work (above). While the larger work is more like a museum, this one is much more a primer. A good introduction to large knotting projects (belts, mats, wall hangings) by one of the masters. Illustrated with black and white photographs. Paperback.
  • Celtic Design:  Knotwork:  The Secret Method of the Scribes, by Aidan Meehan, Thames and Hudson, 1991. A step-by-step guide for beginners. Elegant illustrations and calligraphy by the author. Builds up to some complex designs. Paperback.
  • The Book of Decorative Knots, by Peter Owen, Lyons & Burford, 1994. This is the best introductory book I've seen on decorative knots. It's not encyclopedic, it's not intimidating, and it presupposes no knotting sophistication. Short with clear black and white line drawings and concise descriptions. (Having said that, it wouldn't take much practice for the beginner to outgrow this book.) Paperback.
  • How to Draw Celtic Knotwork, by Andy Sloss, Blandford Books, 1995. Unlike the other Celtic knotting books listed here (by Bain, Meehan, and Sturrock), Sloss breaks Celtic knotting designs down into the distinct lines and square modules which may be combined to make complex designs. Because each line and module can be named, he produces a notation for arbitrary patterns. The modules are illusrated for hand-drawing and computer graphics. Paperback.
  • The Arts of the Sailor, by Hervey Garrett Smith, Dover Publications, 1990 (original 1953). This book is about half and half practical knots and sailors' knot art. I've arbitrarily decided to list it with the art books. Smith is like Ashley in that he draws his own, very clear illustrations, and writes with the authentic saltiness of an old sailor. This is one of the few knot books that is as enjoyable to read as it is to use. Smith wrote a subsequent book, The Marlinspike Sailor (International Marine, 1993, original 1960) that covers much the same ground as Arts of the Sailor, but with a slightly greater tilt toward artful knotting. It also has a useful appendix on splicing woven, synthetic cord. Both are paperbacks.
  • Celtic Knotwork Designs, by Sheila Sturrock, Guild of Master Craftsman Publications, Ltd., 1997. A step-by-step guide for beginners. Handsome illustrations. Paperback.

Also see this complete and up-to-date list of all Amazon products pertaining to knots.

This page moved on December 12, 1997. You are already at the new URL.

To catch users who type the old URL, or other incorrect variations on the correct URL, I have set up several aliases at my server. If you type /peters/ (rather than /~peters/) or /suber/ (rather than /~peters/), or html (rather than htm), then an alias will automatically redirect you to this page. But these URLs are incorrect and I cannot promise that the aliases correcting them will be supported forever. Please make sure that the link or bookmark that got you here has the correct URL:

http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/knotlink.htm

See my policy on dead links.

Last revised June 2, 2004.  

Free Downloadable Bondage Knot Tying Books

Source: https://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/knotlink.htm

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