Ashley Book of Knots | 
 enlarge | Author: Clifford Ashley
Publisher: Doubleday
Category: Book
List Price: $80.00
Buy New: $48.91
You Save: $31.09 (39%)
New (23) Used (15) Collectible (1) from $42.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  69 reviews
Sales Rank: 11021
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 640
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.9
Dimensions (in): 11 x 8.9 x 1.7
ISBN: 0385040253
Dewey Decimal Number: 623.8882
EAN: 9780385040259
ASIN: 0385040253
Publication Date: June 21, 1944
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: ALL BOOKS ARE BRAND NEW
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Amazon.com
The Ashley Book of Knots takes us back to a time when knots saved lives and put dinner on the table. Whether out at sea or in a pioneer cabin, knots were a part of daily life, one that is nearly lost today. But in this attractive, well-organized archive of more than 3,900 different knots--presented through 7,000 illustrations--the art of knot tying lives on, both as a historical reference and a reservoir of handy knowledge.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 64 more reviews...
fantastic book March 6, 2008
this is a classic, the definitive resource on all manner of knots, easy to follow and full of "old world" charm
Darn fine book January 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is everything I hoped for! I previously purchased Graumont & Hensel's Encyclopedia of Knots, but as I did more research kept hearing about Ashley. I finally got it and it does have material about most every knot known. I would recommend it as an anchor for anyone who does fancy work, research, or uses rope on a daily basis. There are other web sites and books that have better details for tying the knots, but nobody has all of them in one place like Ashley. I would have liked to have purchased the first ed., but did not have the money and this edition does have corrections or clarifications. Anybody who buys it should be well pleased with their purchase.
 The Standard Knots Reference--yet to be updated or replicated November 13, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Firstly, I want to chide all those whose lame counting of the book's contents parrots publisher information, such as "The result of Mr. Ashley's research was a significant collection of 7,000 drawings of 3,900 knots" -- this is nonsense: Ashley numbers every **illustration**, culminating with "#3854"; and among these there are both a great many duplicates (a quick look in the Index will show many occurrences for "Two Half Hitches", "Clove Hitch", & "Constrictor", e.g.), and there are many illustrated items that most folks won't regard as "knots". A more realistic figure for hitches, e.g., is around 100-200, and likewise for loopknots & bends.
People who are fascinated by knots refer to this book as "the bible", and often refer to particular knots by some Ashley illustration number -- which is a good step towards removing the typical ambiguity of knot names!
More than most knots books, Ashley gives historical and practical information about his subject; and, also more than most, his information is more reliable. I.p., this book is VASTLY superior to the seemingly competing knots tome, _Encyclopedia of Knots & Fancy Ropework_, which seems to be mostly a product of silly imagination by authors unconcerned with reality or good sense (to put it mildly!).
But Ashley wrote in a time preceding modern synthetic fibres such as nylon, polypropylene, and polyester (to say nothing of HMPE, aramids, composites, and coextruded fibres), and his inventory of knots reflects this -- perhaps most especially regarding anglers knots. Someone interested in learning about arborists' climbing/friction hitches or rockclimbers belay and anchor rigging or fishing knotting/rigging will find little or no help here.
Difficult but outstanding... the bible of knots October 11, 2007
This is a difficult book for beginners, but it's outstanding...Some knots have to be complemented with information of other books (step by step books). I recommend!
Comprehensive, well illustrated, and fascinating September 21, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book for flipping through. It is well illustrated, and the descriptions of the knots are full of great information. I have encountered a few knots that I couldn't tie based on the words and pictures, but the vast majority of them are clear and can be mastered with a few minutes' effort.
My only real complaint is that, with the book alone, it is difficult to look up a particular knot by name. However, since the Ashley Book of Knots is the standard reference, Google is extremely well suited to overcoming this limitation. For example, the index doesn't mention Monkey's Fist, so I googled "monkey's fist ABOK" and didn't even have click any links before I found the correct number (2200).
All told, this is a great book and I'd recommend it highly.
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