4 Best Handy Knot Guides You Can Print & Practice Anywhere

Download and print out these handy knot guides and wallet cards for easy reference.

You’ll always have the means to tie the knots you need right at your hip.

Why Learn Knots?

With the right knots you can secure gear to your pack, secure a tent’s guy lines to a tree, strap a canoe to the roof of your wife’s minivan (while she’s freaking out about it), pull a friend out of a chasm, and allow you to repel down that same chasm to get the crap he dropped when you pulled him up.

There are plenty more practical applications knowing knot tying, but equally notable is learning them is fun and good for you!  Knot learning keeps your memory strong, and your hand-eye coordination on point.

Here are some handy knot guides that you can print out, so you can have one with you all at times.

Printable Handy Knot Guides List

#1 – Forty Knots: A Visual Aid for Knot Tying. This is the official Boy Scouts of America Official Equipment card.

List of knots featured (in order of appearance):   Overhand, square, sheet bend, sheet double, granny, sheepshank, double overhand, bowline, running, figure eight, overhand bow, double carrick bend, bow, figure eight double, clove hitch, half hitch, timber hitch, hillick hitch, halyard bend rolling hitch, fishermens bend, two half hitches, chain hitch, taut line hitch, slippery hitch, midshipmans hitch, tillers hitch, bowline on bight, lariat loop, cat’s paw, larks head, blackwall hitch, fisherman’s knot, fisherman’s eye, hitching tie, surgeon’s knot, marlin spike hitch miller’s, sailor’s, stevedore’s.

#2 – Wallet Card 1: Here’s a simple knot card that you can print out, fold then laminate for wallet carry.

I’ve just used packing tape, carefully laid, to laminate the front and back of cards.  Then just cut and trip the excess close to the edges.  Easy and cheap.

List of knots featured:   Overand, sailor’s square, overhand bow, lark’s head, figure eight, stevedore’s know, killick hitch, sheet bend, lariat loop, sheet bend double, granny, double carrick bend, clove hitch, timber hitch, fishermans, double overhand, half hitch, running, two half hitches, chain hitch, marlinspike hitch, hitching hitch, midshipman’s hitch, surgeon’s knot, fishermans bend, rolling hitch, halyard bend, bowline on bight, bowline, taut-line hitch, figure eight double, bow know, tillers hitch, sheepshank, fisherman’s eye

#3 – Forty Knots Card: Here’s a similar card –  knot card.pdf  – with a horizontal layout you can download and print later.  It features a few more knots, but has a bit less clarity.

To use these cards effectively, we recommend first practicing the knot sequences to burn it into your muscle memory. 

One drawback of knot cards is they do not show the steps, just the expanded knot layout, or arrangement. 

Knot cards are best for helping you remember which knots you’ve practiced and how to utilize them in the real world.

#4 – 7 Essential Knots Guide: If you are looking for a free guide on how to tie a few essential knots, we highly recommend this guide.

List of knots featured:   Knots Bowline, sheet bend, figure eight, reef, clove hitch, double half hitch, blood.

This guide provides great place to start learning, and features clear step-by-step illustrations on how to perform each knot sequence and includes printable cards that shows each step in the knot tie sequence.

See page 5 for the printable knots.  I could not find who produced this guide, so if any of you know please leave a comment so I can site the source.

If you know of any other handy knot guides I should feature in the post, please leave a comment with a link to the guide!

If you want to dive deeper into the knot tying world, you may want to pick up a book or two discussing knots, and how to tie and dress them properly.