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Comment by fainpul | Hacker News Reader

When you tie your shoe laces, you're probably using a square knot [1] but with double slip. If your shoe laces often open while walking, you might be doing it wrong (granny or thief knot).

If you want to learn just one new, very convenient knot, which can be used in many situations, I recommend the Bowline [2].

[1] https://www.animatedknots.com/square-knot

[2] https://www.animatedknots.com/bowline-knot

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For shoelaces, go Ian Knot and forget about the rest.

https://www.animatedknots.com/shoelace-bow-knot-fieggen-meth...

https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm

It’s a great knot to get other people interested, too, because you can go “alright, so first you start in this position like any other knot, right? Then you just zwoop and done”. Tying your laces in a single fast movement really makes your nerd friends curious. It’s like a magic trick.

For clarification: it's the same knot (square knot), just a different way of creating it.

Is it? From the animatedknots link:

> The difference is that the loops are NOT stacked under each other ... The loops are passed inside each other

I feel like the way we discuss knots is way too clumsy considering how old and important the topic is.

How do we live in a world that has something as successful as regex, yet we don't have similar for knots?

Yes it is - look at the end result.

The "not stacked ..." part compares it to the clove hitch, which is another knot entirely.

The Ian's Secure Knot is what I've used for years and the only shoelace knot my kids were taught. Trivial modification of the usual bunny ears and hardly ever comes undone.

I, too, am a fan of the Ian’s Knot site and for at least a couple of decades. A while ago I noticed that he has posted a page through which people can donate to the site’s operation but also which details all of the income sources that have dried up.

I donated today because his site is worth supporting.

Ian's knot site was here just recently. (5 days ago)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46848231

Interesting, I actually learning the Shoelace Bow (surgeons)[1] from this site a couple years ago and it's my go to now for any shoelaces that don't lock tight or that I really need to stay tied (think running or backpacking)

[1] https://www.animatedknots.com/shoelace-bow-knot-surgeons

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