Don’t let the name fool you. The Pocket Guide to Knots is actually the longer (192 pages), larger (6in x 8in) knot-tying guide, compared to the Reeds Knot Handbook. Like Reeds, each page of the Pocket Guide describes a unique knot, its purpose and how to tie it. Unlike Reeds, the step-by-step is given in photos and there are over 100 knots divided into eight categories: stopper knots, loops, hitches, bends, bindings, braids, splices and special knots. Below each knot name, a set of icons indicates which activity the knot is best for: boating, climbing, hiking, camping and fishing. Finally, the content of the Pocket Book goes beyond knot-tying to include an index, a glossary of terms and a 30-page section on types of rope, coiling, care and maintenance, and even a brief history of knots. Equally useful as the Reeds Guide, this is the knot guide for sailors looking to expand their knowledge of both knots and ropes in general.
Pocket Guide to Knots
By Lindsey Philpbott
Published by International Marine/McGraw Hill
192 pps./$14.95/internationalmarine.com
