Jib horses are knotted with an Overhand Knot at the distance of every Yard. David Steel: Seamanship and Rigging, 1794 Simple, common, and of limited use... The Overhand Knot is all of those things, yet so much more. Its simplicity makes it easy to learn, easy to remember, easy to use. It is a foundational knot...it is the start to many knots...it forms the essence of the concept of a knot. However, the Overhand Knot is often misused. It jams easily, becoming nearly impossible to untie if pulled tightly. To tie an Overhand Knot in the middle of a length of cord is most likely the same as cutting the cord in half. The knot immediately weakens the total strength of the cord. It makes it difficult to pull the cord freely through itself if you try to tie additional knots in the cord. The best use of the Overhand Knot is as an immediate precursor to the Slip Knot, which is extremely useful, with many different applications. The Overhand Knot is #515 in The Ashley Book of Knot
Not a How-to, but a Why, When and Where!