What to do with a new knot?

[cliffclof]

Hello, first time poster. I read a few posts here by seaworthy lass and estar and it left me with some questions. Can anyone answer these for me? I am curious how often a new knot is discovered that is useful and what people do with them? How do names get attached to knots? Is it a community chosen name, a patent thing, or is there some international knot database controller somewhere, haha. What does someone do with a knot that isn't found in a database and wants to name it and share it?

[Lepke]

Most use knots that have been around for centuries. If a new knot has a practical use and is better than the knot people are using, they'll use it. I think it would be hard to patent a knot and even harder to enforce the patent. I'm in my 70s and haven't seen a useful new knot in that time.

[carlosproa]

There are more than 4,000 documented knots, maybe you want to see if your knot is in the list. Check first the top 100 knots

[Brocky II]

The International Guild of Knot Tyers would be a good place to find answers, or Ashley’s Book of Knots.

[StuM]

If you think you've found a new knot, Brocky II has the answer. Join the IGKT forum and post it ( but learn how to illustrate your new knot properly first). You'll soon find out whether it is known. If not, it will be get analysed for flaws and you may find that your name gets applied to it if it's valuable addition. .

[cliffclof]

These are all really helpful answers. Thank you for replying. I understand that the odds of me finding a new knot are slim as dental floss, but I kept trying to find the knot without any luck so I thought I would ask. I know little about the culture of knots. I think this knot has not been listed anywhere because tying it incorrectly will result in binding or slipping. It has to be tied exactly and checked that it is clean before use.

I only asked about the patent thing because I have no idea how knots get names. I'm not delusional and think I've found some amazing thing. It is just so fast to tie, holds well, and is pretty easy to untie that I thought I could at least find it somewhere, but did not. With your resources I can look deeper. I documented it; I'll post it here. Maybe you guys can tell me if it is a common black-listed knot or something?

It would be great to discover it in a book somewhere and learn what kept it from being more popular. And a name would be nice. If I get to name it I'm buying a lotto ticket right after, lol.

Thanks so much for your help.

[cliffclof]

These are all really helpful answers. Thank you for replying. I understand that the odds of me finding a new knot are slim as dental floss, but I kept trying to find the knot without any luck so I thought I would ask. I know little about the culture of knots. I think this knot has not been listed anywhere because tying it incorrectly will result in binding or slipping. It has to be tied exactly and checked that it is clean before use.



I only asked about the patent thing because I have no idea how knots get names. I'm not delusional and think I've found some amazing thing. It is just so fast to tie, holds well, and is pretty easy to untie that I thought I could at least find it somewhere, but did not. With your resources I can look deeper. I documented it; I'll post it here. Maybe you guys can tell me if it is a common black-listed knot or something?



It would be great to discover it in a book somewhere and learn what kept it from being more popular. And a name would be nice. If I get to name it I'm buying a lotto ticket right after, lol.




Thanks so much for your help.


Method #1



Method #2

[Benz]

Unless I see it wrong (and thanks for the slideshows of it), that knot is what we call a "sideways bowline." It resembles a bowline, and is sometimes tied by mistake, but it has resulted in several sets of jib-sheets that had to be cut off (not of my boat), because the owner used it and it jammed beyond all hope.

[cliffclof]

Thanks!



Yes, in playing with it and loading it I have found it will sometimes jam under tremendous load. The load has to stay centered and light enough to be easily released, and it can slip through if it is loaded when very loose. Thanks for the roughed in name of it. Is this in a book of naughty knots somewhere? I'm curious how I would find something called a sideways bowline?

[cliffclof]

I see now. It is an inside out reverse bowline. Not good. Thanks for the help. I found this video below and realized how in my depiction what should be a reverse bowline is actually messed up by going through and around the outside of the loop vs going to the inside first. Is there a rug I can sweep this under? lol

video

[CaptainGrey]

Refer to Brion Toss's excellent books for a long discussion of various bends. Yes, new knots have been developed in the past several years, including a few that the renowned Clifford Ashley came up with (see the oysterman's stopper).

[Benz]

With newer and more slippery materials being developed, sometimes different knots and techniques must come into play. So there's no harm in experimenting. I have line on which a simple prusik will hold and not slip; I have other ropes on which I must use a nearly ridiculously long icicle hitch to achieve the same result.

[cliffclof]

The knowledge here is pretty amazing. Glad I found the right forum to ask. I like the input I have gotten from everyone. Helped me learn. I will probably still use this knot for short and light loads. It is pretty fast to tie. I agree, with the wrong material this might not come undone if it slips.