I (Think/Hope) I Developed A New Hitch Design

[lxskllr]

The Knotorious bowline is attractive. I don't care for the 8bowline. The biggest thing is the tail that sticks out at a right angle to the standing line. Doesn't make a real difference, but I prefer the tail to be inline with the standing portion.

 

[Knotorious]

Good evening everyone!

After much experimentation today with the bowline, I developed/created/originated two new variants which can be considered to be "inherently locked." I have named them after my true self: YOUNG'S LOCKED BOWLINES #1 and #2. As you probably deduced, "Young" is my surname. That's how proud I was of these two versions of the bowline which are considerably more secure than a regular bowline. I decided to quickly make a video documenting the two tying methods. The reason they are numbered instead of given each their own name is because they both begin with the same signature move; one which I'm willing to bet may have never been done before. Combine that with the moves that follow it and I'm all but certain that these locked bowlines are entirely original and never before seen. I obviously have zero way of proving this. And what I say "never before seen," I'm talking about it in terms of its existence on the internet. I don't claim to believe that nobody has played around tying a bowline this way; someone very well may have. All I know is that I'm very likely going to be the first motherf*cker who posts video proof of doing so on the internet. And for this reason, I proudly name it after myself and not my alter ego,

Not only do these knots contain original moves, but they look incredible and, when tightening the knot before use, it does so in a way that feels secure. I even used Young's Locked Bowline #1 on a climb today, using it to build a cinching basal anchor. This is a testament to my confidence in these knots. Version #1 is not as secure as #2, but I'm willing to be my life on the fact that #1 is already equally as secure as a Bowline w/ a Yosemite Finish. Version #2 mirrors the increased security that one gets from an Edward's Bowline or a Scott's Locked Bowline. Not only is #2 stronger, but it is easier to untie after repeated or heavy loading because it is tied in an ideal fashion. It is also prettier than #1. OKay, I think I've mentioned everything I can to help popularize my knots or at leaset get your attention so you will watch the video! Thanks everyone! Let me know what you all think (even though only one person - you know who you are - will respond).

 

[gf beranek]

That's similar to a Yosemite bowline. That little extra

 

[Knotorious]

That's similar to a Yosemite bowline. That little extra

How so? My versions start by going around the nipping loop and into the collar, whereas a Yosemite bowline goes around the right side of the loop itself. My versions finish inside of the nipping loop whereas a Yosemite bowline finishes parallel with and to the left of the standing end inside of the collar. My versions go around the standing end in two different ways, whereas the Yosemite bowline never does. The tail exits downward with both of my versions and the tail exits upwards with a Yosemite bowline. Even the direction of the Yosemite bowline's one turn is opposite to the turn direction for one of my knots (the first), but they are made in completely different areas of the bowline. I believe the two are quite different, personally. Maybe I'm missing something?

Which part, specifically, are you referring to?

 

[gf beranek]

similar in the way (effect) the bitter end is secured once, twice, trice. That little extra.

 

[Knotorious]

@gf beranek Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant. I didn't mean to get all defensive there.

I was all like: "Similar to a Yosemite bowline?!" Blasphemy! *laser beams protrude from eyes* I must defend my knot's honor! *hurriedly types out every single way in which they are different."

Then you were like: "No, I meant they serve the same purpose with multiple tying motions."

And then I was like: "Oh. Oops. That is actually true. My bad."

 

[gf beranek]

Yeah, meanings can get lost in translation sometimes. But I could be more careful how I write my posts, too.

Nice knot by the way.

 

[Knotorious]

@gf beranek Thank you! I appreciate you saying that

Well, everyone, about a week ago, I came up with a really great hitch and, shortly thereafter, I developed a closely related analogue of it (another variant with similar enough structure to state that it is related to the first one). Today I went out with my rope wrench and played around with them and both performed extremely well. The slightly more complex second one is probably my favorite, but they both performed similarly. Both of them self-tend easily, which is always a plus. I'm going to climb on them one more time, perhaps tomorrow, and then I'll give them both a numeric rating like I said I would begin doing.

For future reference, I've decided that my Calligraphy hitch will hold a rating of 9.3, Calligraphy #2 is a 9.2 and the Knotorious hitch will have a 9.0 rating. These are my three best hitches. I plan on going back through my previous posts and editing them to include ratings for each once I am able to retest them one by one. This will take many weeks, but I'm comitted. I'll also begin adding those ratings to the titles of each hitch's video and then I'll make a video announcing their existence.

Anyways, I have photos for the two new hitch variants, which will be known as the YOUNG hitches, attached below. The photos are labeled so you know which side you're looking at.

 

[Knotorious]

Here is the video for the YOUNG hitches $1 & #2!

 

[lxskllr]

They'd be pretty easy to tie into a hitchhiker controlling one end of the rope.

 

[gf beranek]

Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

I never used single line in work trees, take downs, wreck jobs. Always double line there, and in the latter years using a prussic and minding pulley for tending. the line. Big step up from the ol' taut-line hitch.

In the tall trees it was single line for the long hauls and then switching to double-line through the limbs and tops.

The prussic and minding pulley are a sweet combo for line and support control. Having come up from the old school it revolutionized the way I climbed. I wish I would've learned it sooner.

But actually, it was in use during my early years, but only in the nautical. The switch to arborist application, as I was told, came in the mid-90s after Ken Palmer had adapted it.

Whatever, it's sweet.

 

[Knotorious]

@lxskllr That would be great it people started using it with the Hitch Hiker!

@gf beranek I can only imagine how life changing it was to transition from a Taut-line to a pulley a prusik! Great insight and history!

Today I did my final testing for YOUNG hitches #1 and #2! I'm honestly super impressed with their performances. I've been waiting awhile now for myself to create a really good hitch worth naming after myself and these are definitely those hitches. I have decided to give them a rating of 9.0 and 9.2 respectively. The second hitch is truly impressive and it rated slightly higher than the Knotorious hitch, but one tenth of a point below Calligraphy #1. As I go back in time to my older hitches, we'll begin seeing some lower ratings. Eventually, I'm going to create a list of every hitch in order of what rating they received. I have to go back and apply these ratings I've just done to each hitch's post.

On a side note, I bought a pair of those work gloves with the palms and fingers dipped in nitrile on one side. Holy crap, I used them today and I can grip the rope like Spiderman now. Epic game changer. I had been climbing with my bare hands for awhile, but on purpose, because I wanted to build up calluses. Now that I've accomplished that, it was time to investigate gloves and these are fantabulous. =-D

 

[pantheraba]

Good assessment of the gloves. These were game-changers for me...best I found so far.

300 Styles

Atlas 300 Gloves are our best selling general purpose work glove. With their ergonomic design, superior fit, and durability, these gloves are the popular choice of professional gardeners, handymen, landscapers and construction workers. Place your order online today, request a quote for a bulk...

www.palmflex.com

 

[lxskllr]

Yea, the grip is fantastic with those. I'm not crazy about rubber on my hands, but the grip's really nice. I'm not completely sold on Atlas brand. They're very well made, but don't fit me great. So far, harborfreight gloves feel the best, but the latex doesn't stay on as well. I have several different brands of gloves at various quality levels, and am always switching, so I don't have a great handle on which ones I'll stick with, but I think harborfreight has the lead for comfort/value.

 

[Knotorious]

The ones I got are great for just climbing up a rope and opening carabiners, but the finger slots are too long, so there's about a half inch or so of empty space at the end of every finger slot after I stick my hands in them. This would probably make any fine motor tasks a bit challenging as these limp ends would no doubt get in the way. Don't ask me what the brand is. It's some rando cut resistant glove on Amazon. I already want to try something different, so I may try one of the two that you guys have brought up.

 

[lxskllr]

Atlas are the "official" glove of treeworkers. My problem with them are they're too short. XL is a little baggy and too short, while L girth is pretty good, but even shorter. Might fit you really well. I am impressed with the latex coating on them.

 

[Knotorious]

I came up with two unique stopper knots the other day and I made a video for them last night. They are called the GLADIATOR and CLOVER stopper knots. The first one is especially unique because it is scalable; you can make it as small or big as you want by simply adding or removing strands during the tying process. I've also managed to come up with a few new hitches which use a specific tying process that I hadn't used before. I'm very pleased with the results, but testing is required before I can condone their use. I didn't sleep a wink last night, so I'm unlikely to do any testing today unless I get my second wind and obtain a serious burning yearning to haul all of my equipment outside in the 90 degree heat. You never know; stranger things have happened to me! Anyhow, without further ado, here is the video for my new stopper knots.

 

[Knotorious]

Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! Nobody has anything to say about my stopper knots?! How rude! (SARCASM)

Maybe ya'll will have something to say about about this video; my 2023 hitch cord review! Please note that this review isn't comprehensive (in other words, I didn't review every single hitch cord on the market). However, I did review a large majority of the most popular options for this year. In total, I covered 15 (FIFTEEN) different hitch cords in my collection. Not only did I review them, but I gave technical specifications for each hitch cord, as well as my personal, experience-based opinion about each one. The video is set to some quality EDM (electronic dance music) in the background shortly following the intro. I've been experimenting with music in my videos lately. I thought a lengthy monologue might be unwatchable without some tunes. Let me know what you all think! (Seriously, let me know or I'll...um...or I'll...cry? haha) Feel free to tell me how awesome my stopper knots are in the previous post! (PLAYFULNESS) Don't forget to LIKE the video if you enjoyed it! =-D

 

[SeanKroll]

I don't use many hitches.

Hitch Hikers and the Akimbo, with an odd Rope Wrench when having a bunch of rec climbers.

Basics:
Valdotain or VT on an MA.
6 cool prussic on my foot loop of my homemade rope walker.

I have a bunch of gear and ropes, but commonly KISS, like natural crotch rigging on 3-strand/ True Blue or an old climb line.

 

[lxskllr]

You gotta remember, most of the people here are working climbers, not knot geeks. They have the knots/hitches they use to get the job done, and unless there's a glaring issue, they stick with what they know. The Gladiator looks like a cool way to build a bulky knot, but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[SeanKroll]

A question to ask yourself, as far as applicability for others, aside from your personal interest, why change from simpler to more complex, from bulky enough to extra bulky. As soon as the knot is tied easily, stays tied well, unties after loaded easily, and has the minimal amount of bulk, you're done.

If the description for a stopper knot is to tie an overhand knot, and then pass the end of the rope through the same 'hole' as the first pass, dress and set, rather than needing a video, making a more complicated knot is creating an answer for a non-existant problem.

The stitch hitch creates a solution for a real world problem...you can SRT easily (ascend/ descend/ work) on a hitch without an additional, specialized, expensive, heavy device.

 

[Knotorious]

You gotta remember, most of the people here are working climbers, not knot geeks. They have the knots/hitches they use to get the job done, and unless there's a glaring issue, they stick with what they know. The Gladiator looks like a cool way to build a bulky knot, but I haven't tried it yet.

It''s pretty obvious to me that my enthusiasm for what I am doing greatly overshadows that of anyone on this forum (with the exception of @Brocky). However, you do not have to be a "knot geek" in order at least appreciate what I'm doing with hitch cords and rope, or to offer an opinion or feedback. As far as me reacting with a "saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" and then acting shocked that nobody had responded, that was playful sarcasm (which is hard to convey online), which obviously got interpreted as seriousness. My comment at the end of my post, where I invite peopled to "tell me how awesome my stopper knot is" is also an attempt at playfulness. I don't actually feel so entitled that people need to satisfy my needs for peer review. I make a lot of jokes on here, so if it sounds out of place, don't take it seriously.

EDIT: I added (SARCASM) after the first sentence of my previous post and (PLAYFULNESS) after the penultimate comment. Hopefully that helps! I should have known it would be misconstrued. My bad.

A question to ask yourself, as far as applicability for others, aside from your personal interest, why change from simpler to more complex, from bulky enough to extra bulky. As soon as the knot is tied easily, stays tied well, unties after loaded easily, and has the minimal amount of bulk, you're done.

If the description for a stopper knot is to tie an overhand knot, and then pass the end of the rope through the same 'hole' as the first pass, dress and set, rather than needing a video, making a more complicated knot is creating an answer for a non-existant problem.

The stitch hitch creates a solution for a real world problem...you can SRT easily (ascend/ descend/ work) on a hitch without an additional, specialized, expensive, heavy device.

The answer to your concerns about why I would bother creating a stopper knot that you can make as big as necessary is because the applications for my knots aren't ever supposed to be limited to those found in arboriculture. A knot that can be enlarged like that would have plenty of applications in the nautical world where ropes regularly get secured to, or pulled through, massive fixtures and attachment points. It could also be use to create weight at the end of the rope so that a rope can be thrown up and over something without attaching any weights to it (just like a heaving line knot). I have no doubt that there exist uses that I have yet to consider. I also do not think that my knot is all that complicated.

While most of my hitches don't necessarily "solve any problems" (although, my Quantum hitch can be used the same way as a Stitch hitch), a respectable amount of my hitches are just as good as what is already popular with tree climbers today. There also exist a good amount of people who appreciate new, unique hitches, even if not all of them will ever actually use one of them; but there are people who do use them. At least 10 people that I'm aware of currently use one of my hitches as their "go to" hitch for climbing. I'm also not really doing this to solve any problems (except perhaps my own boredom). I do this because it's exciting to know that I may have potentially been the first to create something, whether it be a hitch or a knot, and that - in and of itself - is fun and worthwhile. It's a lot like creating functional artwork that anyone who climbs can enjoy (versus the art at museums which just sits behind glass). Admittedly, sometimes I do add complexity to my creations, but that's because I don't always view complexity as a bad thing and I'm not entirely certain why everyone on here appears to have such an opposition to more intricate options (dont get me wrong, I know why, but I just don't share that perspective).

Every single "complex" design I've ever come up with, once memorized, can be tied quickly and with ease. The difference between tying the most basic of hitches that most people are already using and tying my most complex hitch is a matter of 30 seconds at most (once practiced). The same goes for my knots. But I fully appreciate that most people here just want to stick with what they know and what's easiest to them, and I have no issue with that. I'm just highlighting the reality that nothing I'm making is actually so complex that it should inhibit anyone from using it if they wish to do so. Just because something looks complex doesn't always mean that it's actually hard to tie. Just like anything else that is new to a person, they may feel overwhelmed by it, and see it as being complicated, until they take the time to learn how to do it and then it becomes second nature to them and they no longer see it how they once did.

This is obviously my personal opinion.
(END OF REPLY)

Finally, you don't have to be a knot geek to appreciate my hitch cord review. It serves the purpose of letting climbers know what some of the options are currently and each ones technical information, followed by my opinion. Nothing about it is niche. It was created to help people considering a new hitch cord by offering a quick and easy way to learn about some of the more popular choices for this year.

 

[lxskllr]

Good cord review. Regarding the music... I don't know that it's necessary, but if you want it, I'd stick with the chillest of chillout. The 10mm Veritas was pretty good background music. Some of them were a little too frenetic for my taste.

 

[Knotorious]

Good cord review. Regarding the music... I don't know that it's necessary, but if you want it, I'd stick with the chillest of chillout. The 10mm Veritas was pretty good background music. Some of them were a little too frenetic for my taste.

It's extremely difficult to find copyright free music that doesn't cost money. I did first try to find something more laid back, but it was hard to find enough songs to fill the entire video. In retrospect, I could have put one or two songs on a loop. Thanks for the input. I thought the video would be really slow without music, but maybe I was wrong.

 

[Knotorious]

@lxskllr I took your advice and I changed all of the music in my hitch cord presentation to much more laid back music. Let me know what you think. I believe you were spot on. It seems like it's much better now.