Ian's Shoelace Site - Ian Knot Technical Info.

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Ian Knot Technical Info.

This page contains some technical information on the Ian Knot, including its knotting origins, its advantages and its limitations.

Ian Knot Technical Description

Technical Name:
The finished Ian Knot is identical to both the Standard Shoelace Knot and the Two Loop Shoelace Knot. In fact, all three of these form exactly the same finished knot, which appears in The Ashley Book of Knots as #1212 and #1214, "The Bowknot", where it is described as "... the universal means of fastening shoe-strings together."

The Ian Knot therefore isn't technically a new "Knot", rather it is a new "Technique" or "Method", which differs only in the manner and speed of tying. The finished knot is just as secure and just as easy to untie.

Sailor tying a Tom Fool Knot on the cover of The Ashley Book of Knots

Similar Technique:
The core of my technique is almost identical to that used in the "Tom Fool Knot", which is a similarly "instant" knot that is usually tied in the middle of a length of rope, using the whole hands instead of just the fingertips. The Ian Knot could be described as a more intricate variant of the Tom Fool Knot.

While the Tom Fool Knot is described in various knotting books, the definitive reference The Ashley Book of Knots even has a picture on the front cover of an old sailor tying a Tom Fool Knot! (as seen at right).

Naming It The "Ian Knot":
Since publishing my instructions, I've received the occasional e-mail from other people with similar techniques, although many of them had confused the Ian Knot with the very similar looking Two Loop Shoelace Knot. I'm humble enough to accept that I am only one of many to have come up with this method. However, I have yet to discover any other name for this technique. Perhaps I'm simply the first person to have named my invention, documented the procedure and actively and freely shared it with the world?

Note that the Ashley Book of Knots has some inconsistencies. The "Tom Fool Knot" is shown as both #1141 and in more detail as #2534, the final illustration of which is actually that of the "Handcuff Knot", which in turn is shown as both #1134 and #1140, and which uses the same core technique as my Crossed Ian Shoelace Knot.

My Own Technical Observations

How Does It Compare To Regular Shoelace Knots?
When I first invented the Ian Knot, I was curious to see how it differed from the tried and tested conventional knot that I had been using until then. For several months, I tied one shoe the old way and the other shoe with my new Ian Knot. This led to the following conclusions:

The Ian Knot was quicker to tie, taking only a split second compared with a couple of seconds for the conventional knot.
The Ian Knot was easier to tie than the conventional knot regardless of the prevailing conditions (ie. hot or cold, light or dark, wet or dry).
The Ian Knot was functionally identical to the conventional knot, thus it stayed tied just as reliably, was just as easy to untie, and was just as prone to occasionally get tangled when untying. (Eg. Due to a loose end inadvertently going through a loop during the day's activities).
The Ian Knot caused less wear & tear on my laces than the conventional knot. (The lace of the shoe with the conventional knot became tattered and eventually broke, thus ending the experiment).
However, the Ian Knot was more difficult to tie than the conventional knot when the laces were too short or when something had to be tied extra tight.

The Ian Knot: Tying It Tight

The Problem:
Every knot has its own peculiarities that have to be overcome in order to learn how to tie it tightly. With the Ian Knot, the simultaneous inward movement from both sides makes it harder to maintain outward tension on the Starting Knot. Also, neither hand has a finger free to hold things in place, as is usually done with other knots.

The Solution:
When learning, it's natural to begin with large loops to allow for easier manipulation. After gaining confidence, start using progressively smaller loops. This helps in many ways, some of which will only become apparent when you actually try them:

The fingers stay closer to the starting knot, meaning that it is not released for as long.
The fingers can in fact be so close to the starting knot that they actually hold it in place to some extent.
The loops swing in a conical arc, maintaining tension the whole time.
The finishing knot requires less tightening down once the loops are pulled through, again reducing the length of time during which any drop in tension could loosen the starting knot.

In Summary:

Keeping the loops small and tight helps maintain tension in just the right way to keep the Ian Knot tight from start to finish.

An Alternative Measure:
While practicing the Ian Knot, one useful measure is to tie a Double Starting Knot, which helps keep everything tight while working on the Ian Knot. It's sort of like using "Training Wheels" until the Ian Knot has been mastered, after which the regular Starting Knot can once again be used.

Related Links
Standard Knot Identical knot using a different technique (much slower).	Mega Ian Knot Enhanced, more secure variation of this knot (much trickier).