Knot atlas / No. 08
Overhand Knot
The simplest knot: one loop with the end passed through it, the base of many other knots.
The Overhand set
Tying card
Tie a Overhand
The same steps as the card in our tie-your-own cord box. Practise with any piece of string.
No. 08 · Overhand Knot
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Step 1 / 4Make a loop
Form a loop near the end by crossing the working end over the standing part.
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Step 2 / 4Tuck the end
Take the working end around behind the standing part and bring it up through the loop from the back.
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Step 3 / 4Pull through
Draw the end out through the loop; the rope now crosses itself three times in an over-under pattern.
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Step 4 / 4Tighten
Pull the working end and the standing part in opposite directions until the knot sits snug.
1 / 4
The other knots
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01
Reef Knot
Joins two ends of the same line, the classic knot for tying a bundle or a parcel. 10 pieces -
02
Figure Eight
A stopper knot: tied at the end of a line so it cannot slip back through a hole or a block. 9 pieces -
03
Bowline
Makes a fixed loop at the end of a line that will not slip or jam, and is easy to untie. 8 pieces -
04
Clove Hitch
Ties a line quickly to a post or a rail with two crossing turns. 7 pieces -
05
Sheet Bend
Joins two lines, even when one is thicker than the other. 8 pieces -
06
Monkey's Fist
Wraps the end of a line into a neat, round ball of turns. 7 pieces -
07
Carrick Bend
Joins two heavy lines; when laid flat it shows an even, woven pattern. 7 pieces -
08
Overhand Knot
The simplest knot: one loop with the end passed through it, the base of many other knots. 8 pieces -
09
Turk's Head
A decorative woven ring of rope, tied around a rail, a handle or a wrist. 8 pieces