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Knot Tying

Overview

Knots are useful far beyond the confines of your shoelaces. If you know how to tie them, they are easy to untie and can be used to build shelters in the wild, strap cargo down, or join two short ropes into a longer one.

Investiture Achievement Connection: This Honor is related to the Investiture Achievement requirements for Outdoor Living which require Friends to tie and know the practical use of 10 knots, Companions to tie and know the practical use of 20 knots, Explorers to earn the Knot Tying Honor, while Guides must teach the Knot Tying Honor. Master Guides are also required to earn or hold the Knot Tying Honor.

Requirements

1. Define the following terms:

  • a. Bight
  • b. Running end
  • c. Standing part
  • d. Underhand loop
  • e. Overhand loop
  • f. Turn
  • g. Bend
  • h. Hitch
  • i. Splice
  • j. Whipping

2. Know how to care for rope.

3. Describe the difference between laid rope and braided rope and list three uses of each.

4. Identify the following types of rope:

  • a. Manila
  • b. Sisal
  • c. Nylon
  • d. Polypropylene

5. What are some advantages and disadvantages of synthetic rope?

6. Do the following to rope:

  • a. Splice
  • b. Eye splice
  • c. Back splice
  • d. Finish the end of a rope with a double crown, whipping, or a Matthew Walker’s knot.

7. Make a six-foot piece of three-strand twisted rope from native materials or twine.

8. From memory tie at least 20 of the following knots and know their common uses and limitations. Demonstrate how they are used.

  • a. Anchor bend
  • b. Bowline
  • c. Bowline on a bight
  • d. Butterfly loop knot or Alpine butterfly knot
  • e. Carrick bend
  • f. Cat’s paw
  • g. Clove hitch
  • h. Constrictor knot
  • i. Crown knot
  • j. Double bow
  • k. Double sheetbend
  • l. Figure eight
  • m. Fisherman’s bend
  • n. Fisherman’s loop
  • o. Halter hitch
  • p. Hunter’s bend
  • q. Lariat or Bowstring knot
  • r. Lark’s head
  • s. Man harness knot
  • t. Miller’s knot
  • u. Packer’s knot
  • v. Pipe hitch
  • w. Prusik knot
  • x. Sheepshank
  • y. Sheet bend
  • z. Slip knot
  • aa. Slipped half hitch
  • bb. Slipped sheet bend
  • cc. Square knot
  • dd. Stevedore’s knot
  • ee. Strangle knot
  • ff. Surgeon’s knot
  • gg. Taut-line hitch
  • hh. Timber hitch
  • ii. Two half hitches

9. Make a knot board showing 25 or more knots.

Answer key & resources

Master awards

This honor counts toward:

Investiture Achievement

This honor is required, suggested or listed as an option in:

Patch history

Earlier designs of this patch. See all outdated insignia.

Old Knots patch

Knots

Changed in an unknown year

Knot Tying originally had a white background, but was later changed to green to reflect it being in the Recreation category.

See also

Adapted from AY Honors/Knot Tying on the Pathfinder Wiki, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. See the original page's history for its authors.
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