Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Which type of rope is to be used to practice knots?

+0
−0

I am a complete noob when it comes to ropes and knots. It's high time I start practicing.

Which rope, most preferably easily available and portable, should I use for practice?

Should it be of particular size or material? Or it could be something as simple as a nylon rope( Something that I have with me TBH ) I plan on practicing in my everyday train commute and at home.

Note : I am going to use this rope only for practicing knots.

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.
Why should this post be closed?

This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/16763. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

0 comment threads

4 answers

+1
−0

The existing answer is perfectly fine, I just take a little different angle:


Use any rope-like object that fulfills either of these two conditions:

  • You already have it.

  • It will be useful for whatever you learn the knots for.


And yes, I can read - I am ignoring your note on purpose ;)

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.

0 comment threads

+1
−0

You need to use rope specific to the knots' purpose. It does no good to practice a fisherman's knot on hemp or climbing rope, when fishing line is expected. You'll never understand the nuances of the knot if you do otherwise. Bends tend to require ropes of different sizes and/or materials.

If you were to practice basic Boy or Girl Scout knots, then yes, any rope you have is a good start: hemp, clothesline, para cord, climbing. But once you start practicing with knots who have specialized purposes, you need to practice with the rope they're intended to be used with.

You didn't specifically mention "splicing", but here, the best rope to practice with is ¼" hemp. Such beginner practice will inevitably require the entire train commute home :-)

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.

This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/16768. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

0 comment threads

+1
−0

3 to 7mm utility cord. It is designed to be tied. If you go to a climbing retailer you can typically buy by the foot.

cord

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.

This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/16764. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

0 comment threads

+0
−0

If you have string or rope around which is handy, start with that. You can go out to buy lines when you are a bit more experienced and know what you want and need in them.

The best string or rope I have ever found to try out knots is shoe and boot laces.
They are easy to tie, relatively easy to untie from almost every knot, hard wearing and nice to handle.
And they come with aglets, helping in feeding through the ends.

For practical knots I usually go for the thickest size mountain boot lace. They are the size that fits my hands, they might be a bit thin for some people.
If you make your own training piece of string, remember to finish off the ends well. Taking a page of the shoe lace book might help, by putting a narrower stiff end on. (Imitating aglets.)

When you know the basic shape of the knots you will need to use in serious situations, like in climbing where your life is going to depend on it, you have to have trained in the rope you are going to use for the purpose. The actual rope is best in that case but shorter ends for just learning have their uses as well.

And when you are going to use laid rope, you should be familiar with how that rope handles. Which is rather different from the way braided rope and string handles.

Each knottyer I know has his/her own 'trained' piece(s) of string with which he/she is trying out new knots, teaching others and doing bits of showy knot work when people are watching.
Each person will tell you why this is the best string. The only thing they have in common is that the user has used it many times, is very familiar with how it behaves and is happy to use it.

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.

This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/18911. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

0 comment threads

Sign up to answer this question »