The Ashley Book of Knots

Product Information

It adds interest that it identifies dangerous variations of well known knots with a skull and crossbones! Ashley's wonderful 1944 work, The Ashley Book of Knots, which I had the good fortune to find at a yard sale for a quarter, this book would have remained just a thread of an idea. If you only have a casual or moderate interest in knots you may want to pick a less expensive and less voluminous book. He was an author and painter of consummate skill, well regarded for his paintings of ships and the sea and for his illustrations.

It also provides a sort of sociological insight into how people worked not so long ago, too, with knots specific to stevedores, teamsters, movers, bakers, fishermen and others who once depended on knots but to a great extent no longer do so. There is obviously nothing in the book about the synthetic ropes that have come out since it was written, or the knots that were developed to deal with the slipperiness of those ropes. Although the drawings are clean and simple, I am especially thick-headed when it comes to knots, which is why I am reading this book.On a gray day when I'm in no mood for much I can open ABoK to an arbitrary page and feel myself decompress as I browse. Published in 1944, so there's a lot of interesting history in it as well as lots of fascinating information on useful and decorative knots. Some of the illustrations are a bit hard to follow; updated diagrams would make this book the essential reference it deserves to be. The commentary on some knots may fail to address their behavior when tied with modern synthetic fiber or kernmantle style ropes. The Knotting Matters issues cited in the above Knot News article are: KM1, KM28, KM31, KM32, and KM33.

These have been collected and collated by Geoffrey Budworth with the help of other members of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. More knots then the internet, honestly in a decision between referencing the internet or this book, I would look in the book first!

This book and a piece of cord will open a new and challenging world of practical adventure to readers of all ages. Faber Members get access to live and online author events and receive regular e-newsletters with book previews, promotional offers, articles and quizzes. As this book was first published in 1944, there are some more recently discovered knots missing from this huge volume, such as the Versatackle knot and the Zeppelin bend.

If you appreciate resourcefulness, art, sailing, camping, flying, needlecraft, knitting, crochet, history, physics, tenacity, dedication, collecting, music, carpentry, or anything really.Knot tying is probably in no danger of disappearing, but certainly fewer people are learning to tie them.