The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots Paperback – June 15, 2021

The author explains things very well. There was some terminology that had confused me in online directions for knots that he explained so I understood what they were talking about. Large collection of different styles of knots. Love the book.

This is a coffee table sized book with a lot of content shown with glossy pictures. At $25 it's an amazing bargain which counts for 1 of the 5 stars in my rating. I have been tying practical knots for a few years and now want to learn to do some decorative work.Pros: Plenty of content, at least for someone new to the subject. The instructions are clear and detailed with many more steps shown in photos than I have found in other books. So far I have not found any incorrect instructions. The book is well organized and it's easy to find chapters and pages (not always the case in this kind of book).Cons: The photos, while clear enough are a bit amateurish. The focus is not always as crisp as one would like and close ups suffer from very short depth of field ( only the front or the middle of the knot is really sharp). This is a challenge for amateur photographers. However, the photos are still functional and usually pleasing to look at. But some cases, I did find his choice of color or yarn make the end result less appealing than it might have been. Also, the occaisonal use of fuzzy or coarse yarn does not help clarity. These are all minor complaints. All the pictures are perfectly adequate for tying the knot.Comment: If you have no previous experience in knot tying or macrame, you might find these projects very challenging and frustrating. Rope work involves some rather complicated weaving and things like controlling tension and dressing the knot are skills that need to be learned. If this is your first step with ropework I suggest learning a few simple knots like the Figure Eight, the Carrick, the Lanyard and the Chinese button (both of which are based on the Carrick, and some simple braids and plaits. Get very familiar with these knots and pay special attention to dressing them nicely.

This book has lots of knots to tye and has quality color illustrations but....many of the instruction photos are skimpy at best. If I really like a knot and can't understand how to tie it from the photos, I end up going to the internet and searching to see if I can find it there. Still a good addition to my collection of 48 knot books. ;-)

First, I am relatively new to the decorative knotting world. That being said, I have accumulated a good sized collection of books already, probably 12-15 in number. So far, I would consider this book a must-have for the decorative knotter.The author covers a remarkable spectrum of knots with excellent pictures and pretty good directions. The book is over 500 pages, so you definitely get your money's worth. There are sections on braids, plaits and sennits, turk's heads, oriental knots, flat decorative knots, combinations of wall and crown knots and more. There are pictures of various projects by expert knotters--some of them amazing--which may inspire you to start on your next project.Although it would be hard for me to get by without Tom Hall's book and the books from Don Burrhus (knottool.com), if I had to have only one knot book, I would pick this one due to the breadth of topics covered.Pros:Great priceGreat pictures, full colorBroad spectrum of knots covered, well organizedKnot directions pretty clearCons:Some pictures could have more contrast in the cord colors to make for easier viewing

Bought books to find a certain type of knot. Found it and many others. Looking to enhance some jewelry. Found it in these books.

The inside of the book is black ink only and the pictures are unusable and the text is damn near illegible as there's not enough contrast between the highs and the lowest to make it useful. In the pictures you can't tell one rope from another, so it's impossible to tie the knots following the instructions in the book

This is a great addition to my knot book collection. Step by step knots and easy to follow instructions. A great book!

There are no arrows or change in colors to help you see the over versus under, or when moving to the next step. I'm sure it will get easier as I work through the book, but when the cord is all the same color I'm having to look really close to see what's on top