What rope do you like? What knots?

[LD1]

And that's why most of us have a pile of ratchet straps...

Yup, for tying most things down I agree. But still cannot seem to get away from ropes/knots.

Like my examples.....just setting up a deer blind a few months ago....

Or the kids volleyball net.....pulling it tight between the posts, yet keeping it tight while tying it off.

Or using half a roll of drainage tile and reusing the ropes to tie up the rest and keeping it tight.

Those are just a few examples of the top of my head that I have dealt with in the last few months

 

[sea2summit]

Yup, for tying most things down I agree. But still cannot seem to get away from ropes/knots.

Like my examples.....just setting up a deer blind a few months ago....

Or the kids volleyball net.....pulling it tight between the posts, yet keeping it tight while tying it off.

Or using half a roll of drainage tile and reusing the ropes to tie up the rest and keeping it tight.

Those are just a few examples of the top of my head that I have dealt with in the last few months

Price 4x ratchet straps to an equivalent strength pice of rope 100’ long is another good reason…and would you rather have four straps or a 100’ rope to pull on something 50’ away, or create mechanical advantage on the same object still 50’ away.

 

[WinterDeere]

I own plenty of both rope and ratchet straps. Two different tools for two different jobs, even if there is a good area of overlap between them.

 

[WranglerX]

On my property its still 98% chain and maybe 2% "other"....

Only real application for ratchet straps for me is as tie down of a vehicle (tractor/show car) on car carrier trailer...

 

[bigtiller]

One of these days I will tie a "monkey fist".
I have seen it on some old cowboy shoes but never knew it had a name until recently.

 

[WinterDeere]

One of these days I will tie a "monkey fist".
I have seen it on some old cowboy shoes but never knew it had a name until recently.

I've made a few, sometimes nicer than a bobble for getting whacked in the head or face with it on flying rigging. They're handy for grabbing, or to replace a bobble as a halyard stop or for making up quick tie-downs with shock cord, where you make a loop at one end and a bobble or monkey fist on the other. Tuck the ball thru the loop, let go, and it holds.

 

[sea2summit]

One of these days I will tie a "monkey fist".
I have seen it on some old cowboy shoes but never knew it had a name until recently.

The only good application I’ve found for it is on my deer drag rope. But I think its history comes from sailing?

 

[WinterDeere]

The only good application I’ve found for it is on my deer drag rope. But I think its history comes from sailing?

I don’t know the history. Sailors make them, but they could’ve been invented by some ancient deer hunter, for all I know!

I have one in the end of my bow painter on my racing boat. Makes it easy to throw the line across to the dock and give someone a decent chance at not losing the line between their fingers when coming in hot on a high wind day.

 

[Fixastuff]

I don’t know the history. Sailors make them, but they could’ve been invented by some ancient deer hunter, for all I know!

I have one in the end of my bow painter on my racing boat. Makes it easy to throw the line across to the dock and give someone a decent chance at not losing the line between their fingers when coming in hot on a high wind day.

I thought the point of that knot was to put something small but heavy to weight it for tossing a rope over something.

 

[WinterDeere]

I thought the point of that knot was to put something small but heavy to weight it for tossing a rope over something.

Seems reasonable. That's certainly what I use the one for on my bow line! But I have a few others on the boat (eg. outhaul) just to make a nice handy thing to grab and pull.