The Reef Knot

Alex Westphal · 04 Sep 2014

When people think of Scouting and knots, the first knot that tends to spring to mind is the humble Reef knot. This ancient knot has come to symbolise Scouting and for most Scouts it is the first knot they learn.

The Reef knot is formed by tying a left Overhand knot and then a right Overhand knot, or vice versa. While technically a binding knot, the Reef knot has widespread use as a bend knot, a purpose for which it is entirely unsuited.

History and Uses

The Reef knot is thought to be between 4000 and 9000 years old. It has been used since ancient times to fasten belts, sashes, and bandages. The Reef knot is particularly excellent for binding bandages as it lines flat when tied in cloth.

To the ancient Greeks the Reef knot was known as the Hercules knot and they believed that wounds heal more quickly when bound with it.

The modern name “Reef knot” and alternate name “Square knot” date to the 18th century where it was used extensively in the reefing of sails on square rig sailing ships. A prominent benefit of using the Reef knot for reefing is that a sailor can collapse the knot one handed by pulling one of the running ends across the knot, thus the weight of the sail can untie the knot and unfurl the sail.

Use in Scouting

The reef knot figures prominently in Scouting worldwide, including the World Scout Emblem where it symbolises the unity of Scouting.

The Boy Scouts of America use the Reef knot (or the “Square knot”) as it’s known to them, for award insignia as well as requiring all boy be able to tie it before joining. In New Zealand the Reef Knot is first on the list of the eight Scout knots and is routinely taught to Cubs.

Dangers

Misused reef knots have caused more deaths and injuries than all other knots combined - The Ashley Book of Knots

If one of the running ends of the Reef knot is pulled across the knot, it will capsize into a Larks Head hitch which has insufficient friction to keep the ropes from separating.

While beneficial in unfurling reefed sails as mentioned above, this can occur when using the Reef knot as a bend either by catching on something or simply by shaking the rope. The Reef knot should therefore never be used to bend two ropes together. Rather a proper bend such as the Sheet bend, Flemish bend or double Fisherman’s bend should be used instead.

Variants

There exist three variants of the Reef Knot that can arise from tying the Reef Knot incorrectly.

• The Granny Knot is a common mistake that arises from tying two Overhand knots of the same handedness. A common strategy to avoid making this mistake is to use the mnemonic “right over left; left over right”.

• The Thief Knot is interesting because if one ignores the difference between the running and standing ends of the rope, it is equivalent to the Reef knot. The thief knot is a common result when trying to tie the Reef knot using a bight and the running end of the other rope.

• The name Grief Knot is a Portmanteau of “Granny” and “Thief” and is so named because it is effectively the combination of the two. If one ignores the difference between the running and standing ends of the rope, it is equivalent to the Granny knot. Yet it also has the issue of the thief knot, that of the running ends exiting the knot on diagonally opposite sides. Unlike the Granny of Thief knots it won’t bind onto the rope, and thus any tension will cause the ropes to pull through. For this reason it doesn’t actually meet the formal definition of a knot.

None of these three variants have any redeeming features and should never be used for any purpose.