Complete Book of Decorative Knots

I've been a functional knot tier for years, starting out when I worked in the film industry and had to rig lights with safety lines. You learn how to tie a bowline blind-folded. Now, I'm helping to teach knots to scouts, Cubs currently and later Boys. While I can teach half-hitch, blood knots, bowline, taught-line, etc., the boys get excited by "projects" not function. So lanyards & bracelets are pretty popular. I needed a book so that I could learn before I could teach. This book had quite a lot of mention and it seemed to get good reviews so I tried it out.It's pretty good. The selection of knots is fairly thorough (although I wouldn't call it "complete"). The instructions are geared more towards the experienced than the beginner though. I've learned quite a few knots from the book and I'm able to teach some of them to the boys, but I'm still having a heck of a time with other knots. I'm just finding the directions a bit difficult to follow. Overall, for the most part, the explanations are very clear. They're certainly concise. Unfortunately the book falls just a bit short for me.

I bought this book because I was trying to use one of my husband's old sailors knot books to figure out how to tie a turk's head of all things. Kept getting lost, frustrated, missing steps (I am not the sharpest tack in the box when it comes to that sort of thing anyway...) After several days of struggling with his book, this one arrived and I had figured it out in a matter of a few minutes. The directions are surprisingly clear and if another knot is required to be able to tie the one you are working on, it is pretty good at explaing it, or telling you where to find it. Good clear pictures with clear directional arrows for the more complicated stuff. Over all I have been really pleased with this purchase.

This is a simple book, not encumbered with much text or superfluous explanations.Like most of Budworth's books, this one is a good companion to Ashley's Book of Knots.Other reviews noted the illustrations are not for beginners. This is true to a degree. I think this book is for those who already have a grasp on basic knotting, including simple multistrand knots. Larger Turksheads and star knots, etc., require a good comfort level with rope and cord, especially with multiple strands, which can be very confusing. The illustrations do show steps, but they are big steps and sometimes skip intermediate steps. Again, this is a good companion for other books that teach beginning level knotting.A novice could use this book and get fair results, but it really is an intermdediate level book.

This book is nice but seems incomplete. While the knots are well diagramed and fairly easy to follow, there is little to tell you how the knot can be used. The cover shows woven ropes/lanyards but this information is lacking. Yes the book claims to be about knots, and that it is. Hope the the author takes the time to write another edition including more weaving techniques.

I have purchased two copies of this book so far. I passed the last one along to a family member who was interested in knots. This book has very easy to read diagrams and covers a wide range of decorative knots ranging from simple to very complex. There are knots that I have not been able to figure out that this book made easy to successfully complete. If you are starting out or looking for diagrams that explain a knot you are working on this is the book for you.

My first type of book like this. Diagrams are easy enough to follow. Good Variety of knots, plaits, braids, mats, etc... Good for starters and allows you to delve into trickier tasks. Plainly, it is a Good book! I am very satisfied with the purchase!

Very user friendly. For someone just getting into decorative knot tying, this book, although far from "Complete", gives you enough variety to whet your appetite for more. The instructions are easy to follow, and the diagrams are extremely helpful. Practice these knots to get the techniques down, and then you'll be ready for something a bit more comprehensive.

This is the worst instructional book I have ever had.After becoming interested in knots from books by Richard Hopkins and especially J. D. Lezen, I was focused on ball knots and wanted to find other variations and clearer instructions on the more difficult ties.This is NOT the book to get.After looking over Mr. Budworth's considerable library of works on knots and knot tying, I think I know the problem. In this book Mr. Budworth is writing for the people who have read ALL his other works. The diagrams for the ball knots are so esoteric as to be undecipherable. I went to the front of the book to get a handle on the how to read the diagrams but I felt my prospects for understanding this book were bleak when Mr. Budworth began quoting knot poetry (really, there is a poem in there about knots.) His flip attitude toward the reader reminds me of the Algebra and Calculus books in college when they said, "the proof is left to the student." which is academic talk for "you can twist in wind".This analogy will sum up my stupification over the book's diagrams. I have done Origami as a hobby since I was eight years old. I won't brag but I am pretty good at it. I will fold a complex piece of Origami, like, say, a rabbit complete with ears, eyes, nose, all four paws and a fluffy cotton tail, standing on a box; all from one sheet of paper - no cutting. Then unfold it and flatten it so that only the creases are left. Here, Mr. Budworth, is the kind of diagram you gave me. Let's see YOU fold the bunny on the box. I'll be right back, have to get my poetry book.Will I send this book back? Hell no. I haven't hated a book like this in years; I gotta keep it.

If there were any contenders for the definitive book on knots, this is likely to be the runner-up; "Ashley's Book of Knots" is generally regarded as the bible for this subject with more experienced knotters and tyers. Unfortunately, Ashley's also happens to feature hand-drawn representations but they are not drawn by someone with artistic skills and include wobbly lines and are also monochromatic which makes interpretation far less easy and confusing. It may also be rather too technical in its approach for the less experienced."Decorative Knots: Ornamental and Useful" by Geoffrey Budworth is by far the smaller of the two, more limited in the numbers of examples it chooses to include and tends to ignore the simpler, purely functional knots and instead opting for the more unusual, mostly decorative types. It also benefits from its use of photography which, together with its improved presentation, makes it a far more useful and usable volume. However, unlike some of the currently available Paracord guides, it does not provide a step-by-step procedural sequence so that a knot can be attempted by a first-time user. Where the same technique is used elsewhere (in one of J D Lenzen's Paracord books or similar), the two could be used side-by-side thereby getting the best out of both and also hopefully helping unlock more of this.Although neither Ashley's book nor this was written with Paracord in mind but use ropes and cords made from more traditional materials, some Paracorders have selected examples from both books to use with their projects. Although there are relatively few Paracorders who have made available videoed examples of their techniques or published them in books, they may each have a few personal favourites of which some may be used by all. Having this book allows the reader to become familiar with many others.The book is now technically out of print but examples can be found new and used with a relative few sellers; this was obtained used and at a reduced price although in very good condition. It could make a useful contribution to a Paracorder's collection.

I liked this. Many clear drawings of knots. If you are really interested you'll have more than one book on the subject. Once again, I really liked the clarity and layout of this book.

Being a bit of a knotting fanatic this book is just right for me and has already given me hours of pleasure as I have practiced some of the knots described in the book.

Very good for advanced knotters but easy enough to follow for beginners.Something for everybody.A worthy addition to my collection of knotting books.

my husband loved this book he quite a few for christmas but is enjoying the challenge making them a definate good purcase