The Ashley Book of Knots
by Clifford W. Ashley
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Book Reviews of The Ashley Book of Knots
Book Review: Hansen Review
Summary: 4 Stars
Depends on what you are looking for. Ashley's book is the most complete compendium of knots I have ever seen and gets a 5 rating here. It can be however, a little hard to follow learning to tie some of the knots. The descriptions can be minimal and language and old pen/pencil drawings are small and 100 years dated. I still have not related the description and drawings of Tom's fool knot to being able to duplicate it. I bought the book to have fun with my daughter that we both learn some neat new knots, and it is "knot" working out well in this regard. As far as a reference for improving the way I employ rope in everything else I do, it is unbeatable as far as giving one all the possible choices and ideas under the sun; most useful knots are fairly simple if you know they exist and their purpose. I feel that I now own the "Holy Bible" of knots and that alone was worth the purchase.Book Review: A square rigger's point of view
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been sailing square riggers for 12 years now and I would not put to sea without my much loved copy of Clifford Ashley's book. Any person who wants to take themselve's seriously as a knot tier must keep a copy of this book in their sea bag. I love Clifford's interesting insights into the history of knots, his ability to spin a yarn and his sense of humour. If it doesn't make you want to meet the man, I'll eat my hat! I consider this book my first port of call if I need to learn a new decorative knot for a project or just to impress landlubbers with my seman's skills. This book is salty! I give it my hearty recommendation to all persons with an interest in knots but especially to those young souls who are about to make a life on the sea. Clifford Ashley's life work is a gift to us all that and he could not have imagined it's value.Book Review: Best All Around Knot Book
Summary: 5 Stars
It's hard to be able to say how influential this book is as it's cited in almost every knotting book since it was first published in 1944. The current edition is knot the same as the 1944 one. It has been updated to correct a few inaccuracies by Mr. Budworth of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. I've own both editions and treasure them both. However Amazon.com appears to be selling the current in print one as the 1944 edition. The easiest way to tell the difference is to turn to the title page and look for the updated message Mr. Budworth inserted there after he update the book with the help of Ashley's daughter. I'd be a little upset if I ordered this expensive book expecting the old 1944 edition and received the new one and vice versa. This book rocks and is the best book on the subject of knot tying.Book Review: Ashley Book of Knots the Bible of Knots
Summary: 5 Stars
I already owned a good knot tying book. When I got it in my head that I really wanted to learn all kinds of decorative knot tying I did some investigation on the Internet. So many knot sites made reference to this "ABOK" and cited a number after it. I learned that ABOK referred to the Ashley Book of Knots. So, I ordered it. I understand now why this particular book is the one referenced; it really is the ultimate bible of knots! I don't mean to slight other knot tying books because with complicated knots, seeing the tying method presented differently can sometimes mean the difference between success or failure, so by all means collect other books too. It's just that the ABOK is the comprehensive reference that catalogs every knot imaginable and so should be the foundation of your knot book collection.Book Review: Comprehensive, well illustrated, and fascinating
Summary: 4 Stars
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.