[VIDEO] 5 Knots Every Construction Worker Should Know

Learning to tie several useful knots has been on my to-do list for a while now and I’m reminded of that every time I tie some insane knot that’s way too loose or nearly impossible to un-tie.  I guess one of my biggest hurdles is figuring out which knots would be most useful for me.

The Essential Craftsman is a Youtube Channel hosted by veteran carpenter Scott Wadsworth. He’s an old school guy with a great story telling ability and an extensive amount of knowledge.  His Youtube channel is equal parts relaxing and fascinating, with topics ranging from framing to welding to a full series of videos surrounding the ground up build of a “spec house.”

One of Scott’s most recent videos is titled “5 Knots Everyone Should Know” and it has, once again, reinvigorated my desire to learn to properly tie some useful knots. Not only does he show you the knots that could be useful to tradesmen, he also offers some real world examples of how they could be used on jobsites.

The 5 knots that he suggests in the video, in order, are:

  1. Bowline, which is an end of the line knot
  2. Larks-head, a slip knot in the middle of a line
  3. Sheepshank, a knot used for tying a load down
  4. Water knot, which ties two lines together.
  5. “Fiddle String Knot,” as he decides to call it, which he uses to pull a string line very tightly.

Wadsworth shows the knots being tied pretty quickly, so you may need some additional help to truly figure out how to tie them.  Based on the end of the video, it sounds like Essential Craftsman will have some close up, slow motion videos of each of these knots soon.  In the meantime, you can check out animatedknots.com to get you started.

What are your favorite knots to use on the jobsite or in general?

Check out the video from Essential Craftsman below:

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