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Ian's Secure Knot Technical Info.
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This page contains some technical information on Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot, including its knotting origins, its
advantages and its limitations.
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Ian's Secure Knot Technical Description
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Creating Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot:
Following the success of my Ian Knot, I decided to see if I could also improve on the
various known methods of tying a secure knot. I analysed several of the better known variations, including the
Surgeon's Shoelace Knot, the Better Bow Shoelace Knot
and the FreedomKnot (TM), all of which are based on the idea of
looping through twice.
My Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot was the end result of a number of experiments and
variations, with the emphasis on making it symmetrical.
What It Turned Out To Be:
I was only recently made aware that my Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot is not new! It turns out that I had simply
re-invented an existing knot known as the "Double Slip Knot", which can be seen in the definitive reference
The Ashley Book of Knots as
#1219.
Susbsequent analysis also revealed that, despite totally different methods of tying, the finished knot is
topologically identical to the Turquoise Turtle Shoelace Knot.
Unfortunate Naming:
For some reason, Clifford Ashley's name "Double Slip Knot" doesn't convey the true nature of this knot. Imagine
trying to explain to a child, or even to an adult unfamiliar with knotting terminology, that the "Double Slip Knot"
doesn't slip? Therein lies the difficulty with using technical terms with those outside the field.
Whilst "Double Slip Knot" is a perfectly logical name for Ashley to have given this knot so as to conform with the
thousands of other knots in his book, it nonetheless makes this knot sound less secure than a conventional
shoelace knot! The fact that I've never previously seen this knot in common use, nor have I seen it described
anywhere else but in that one book, is possible proof of this mistaken impression. Even Ashley seems to have been
unaware of this knot's huge benefit, as he may otherwise have placed greater emphasis on this fact or, at the very
least, have given it a more suitable name.
What Should It Be Called?
Should this knot be called a "Double Slip Knot", as named by Clifford Ashley many years ago? Or should it be called
an "Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot", as named by myself only recently? Or is there some other previous name of which
neither Ashley nor I am aware?
I guess the decision of what to call this knot is up to you. I'm certainly humble enough to admit that I wasn't the
first to either invent or name this knot, so I have no real desire for you to use the name that I gave it other
than that it better describes the knot's true purpose and is easy to remember.
Perhaps commonly used knots such as these should follow the convention used when naming flora and fauna, which are
generally given both a "Technical" name (usually Latin) and a "Common" name (usually more descriptive). You are
thus welcome to use either the original and technically accurate name "Double Slip Knot" or the newly coined common
name "Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot", whichever you feel is most suitable.
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My Own Technical Observations
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How Does It Compare To Other Secure Knots?
Whilst it's relatively easy to prove the topological similarities between Ian's Secure
Shoelace Knot and its identical twin, the Turquoise Turtle Shoelace Knot,
or its nearest cousin, the Surgeon's Shoelace Knot, it's another matter to prove that
it is equally stable.
From my own testing, in the years of using both Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot and the Surgeon's Shoelace Knot I have
NEVER had either of them come undone! Even when I've accidentally stepped on a lace or snagged a loop, I've
noticed it pulling before the knot has had a chance to come untied.
How Does It Compare To Other Regular Knots?
It was much easier to prove that Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot is more secure than any of the regular knots.
Using a pair of shoes with round, slippery laces, I tied one with my Ian Knot and the
other with my Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot. Despite tying both to approximately the same
average tightness, the Ian Knot came untied two or three times a week whilst the Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot
never came untied.
How Much More Secure Is It?
Even without any scientific testing, it was obvious that the Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot held much more firmly, as
it felt like I had to pull more than twice as hard to undo this knot than other regular knots. In order to quantify
this more exactly, I performed some at-home science.
I improvised a crude device for measuring tension as follows: I cut a thick elastic band so that it ended up as a
long elastic strip and tied this to one end of a shoelace. Using a pen, I drew two lines on the elastic 50mm apart.
Armed with a ruler, I was now ready for some basic comparative testing.
I alternated between tying an Ian Knot (which is identical to a
Standard Shoelace Knot), and an Ian's Secure Shoelace
Knot on the same section of lace and tied to the same tension. Each time, I pulled on the elastic and measured
the distance between the two pen marks until the point when the lace began to slip freely. I then subtracted 50mm
from each reading to adjust for the 50mm distance at zero tension. The results were extremely convincing!
- The Ian Knot usually came undone between about 50mm and 110mm, with an average of 83mm.
- The Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot came undone between about 200mm and 250mm, with an
average of 232mm!
Interestingly, many of the latter readings were 300mm, at which point the elastic was stretched to it's maximum. I
suspect that my readings could have been higher had the elastic been able to stretch any further. In any case, this
test shows that the Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot needs almost three times the
tension to pull it undone than the Ian Knot, or any Standard
Shoelace Knot.
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Secure Knot Variations
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The concept of looping through more than once in order to make a knot secure can be done in several different ways:
1. Starting Knot Looped Twice:
Looping the starting knot twice (Double Starting Knot) provides extra friction to
stop the starting knot coming apart. This is why this knot is commonly used by surgeons when tying sutures, as it
makes it more difficult for the sides of a wound to come apart.
2. Finishing Knot Looped Twice:
This is the core method employed by the Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot, the
Surgeon's Shoelace Knot, the Turquoise Turtle Shoelace
Knot, the Better Bow Shoelace Knot and the
FreedomKnot (TM). It provides more friction on the finishing bow,
making it better suited to shoelaces as it makes the bows less prone to coming loose from typical daily exertions.
3. Both Starting Knot AND Finishing Knot Looped Twice:
It would seem logical that this third variation would enjoy the benefits of both of the other two. However, the
sides of the knot end up further apart, making for a looser, less secure knot overall. Try it and see for yourself.
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Other Uses for Ian's Secure Knot
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Besides shoelaces, there's plenty of other knotting tasks that can benefit from the extra holding power and the
neat double wrap of Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot:
- Firmly wrapped parcels
- Rope ties on bathrobes
- Drawstrings on bathers
- Dress or hair ribbons
- Plants tied to stakes
- Lacing on corsets
Once you realise that it has all the security of a good, strong knot with the convenience of drawstrings for easy
untying, you'll be using Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot in all sorts of places.
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Please see my Testimonials page to read some of the things that others have said
about my Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot.
This page last updated: 08-May-2008. Copyright © 2004-2008 by
Ian W. Fieggen. All rights reserved.
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