Not Nots

A notebook about knots that hold, knots that don't, and what I learned fixing things on weekends.

The bowline is not always the answer

Everyone learns the bowline first, and for good reason: it is quick, it does not jam, and you can untie it after a heavy load. But it shakes loose when the line goes slack and tight again, which is exactly what happens to a tarp line on a windy night. I woke up twice this month to prove it.

For anything that will flap, I now finish with a simple stopper behind the loop, or I use a figure-eight loop and accept that it is harder to undo.

Washing old rope

A bucket, lukewarm water and a little mild soap. No machine, no hot water, no direct sun for drying. Old rope that feels stiff is usually just dirty; the grit inside cuts the fibres from within, so washing is not only cosmetic. Coil it loosely and let it dry for two days in the shade.

A whipping takes five minutes

Melting the end of a synthetic line works until the hard blob cracks. A plain whipping with waxed twine takes five minutes, costs nothing and lasts for years. Start about one rope diameter from the end, wrap towards the end, and bury the tail under the last few turns.