I couldn't find this elsewhere so I decided to ask. Basically should knots and knot tying be in scope?

If so how far? Useful knots only or decorative knots? What about rope work which is just a series of knots but useful for functions in the outdoors?

If not then what about basic knots necessary to do things like pitch a tent or tarp or tie up a bear bag?


My view.

Knots useful to the topic matter (climbing, hiking, etc.) are on topic.
Unrelated decorative knots (pretty hair bows perhaps) are not.
Knots for the purpose of bondage are right out.

Also there are two basic types of these questions I see us getting:

How do I tie "X" knot. << I don't mind these, they are useful, and we'll exhaust that list soon anyhow. It's still useful to have them here for a reference. Yes, you can find a million knots online, but what makes a good answer to a knot question of this sort is an answer which is well illustrated enough to learn how to tie it. The other day I had to search through about two dozen youtube videos before I found a usable video for tying a tautline hitch. So here we can provide expert advice through linking to the good web content amongst all the crap.

What's the best knot for... << Good for the format I think, and for getting traffic. "Best knot for a bear line", "Best knot for tying a tarp in wet weather", etc. Here we can provide expert advice directly related, ex: "xxx knot binds too tight when wet"

  • I completely agree. I mostly asked because I would like it defined before the issue comes up. – MaskedPlant May 23 '12 at 18:35
  • Hojojutsu includes binding without "knots"... – Mr.Wizard May 23 '12 at 18:41
  • +1, totally agree. – berry120 May 24 '12 at 18:07

We already have a number of questions on knots. Knots that would be useful for any activity we take are certainly on-topic. Rope work would also fit into this category. Decorative knots, however, are probably off-topic under most circumstances.

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