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A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

surprisetalk

Comments (149)

  • wccrawford
    I did this for a while after seeing that video, but after some of my shorts ended up tightening into a knot that I couldn't get loose easily, I gave up on it.I instead just use the "Ian Knot" that I use to tie my shoes. It's very quick, I already use it all the time anyhow, and it rarely goes wrong. (Sometimes, I think I end up with an end through a loop accidentally, and have to fix it.)Learning this extra knot didn't really help much, and it definitely went wrong more than I liked.
  • johschmitz
    Reminds me of the granny knot "advice" which I also saw on hackernews for the first time many years ago and which changed my live:https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/grannyknot.htmIf you don't know about this problem yet, I strongly recommend to cross check if you have been tying it wrong for years!
  • Rotdhizon
    This is similar to how traditional Afghan pants are tied. For those who have seen then, the first time putting them on can be a shock. Because when fully extended out, the waist is like 75-100 inches around, you'd think there was a mistake but that's how they come. You tie the drawstring like this so you can pull that waist all the way in comfortably and it lets the pants be very airy, comfortable, and cool.
  • SoftTalker
    Life is too short to make simple things more complicated.
  • wffurr
    Per the video description, this is a Lapp Knot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapp_knot, sadly not animated by Grog.
  • adverbly
    Super cool!Here is how to tie a bow in under 1 second in case anyone wants something that looks a bit cleaner but is less functional: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Q5qZpQe_4EA
  • josefresco
    Only knot I know and I use it frequently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BowlineKnots are incredibly situational which makes learning a lot of them (through practice) difficult.
  • kazinator
    The selling point of this knot is the adjustability (pull on the loop to relieve the clamping tension to adjust size) but I suspect that mechanism also makes it less secure than the standard knot.
  • UmYeahNo
    I learned this knot from this video a while back -- I've used it ever since. It cinches the shorts tight, but is easy to release. It works especially well on strings that are slippery and don't hold a typical bow very well.One drawback is that the two ends often end up different lengths, but otherwise it's a great knot!
  • delichon
    This knot is not for me. I need my drawstrings to be permanently connected together, or else when I wash those shorts they frequently get pulled into the pants where I can't reach them, and it's a pain to fish them out again. And I can't remember to tie them together before each wash.
  • quibono
    Gosh I need to learn more about knots. I've been thinking about this recently: if I wanted to maximise utility and could only learn 5 knots, what would they be.Or alternatively, what are the "better" alternatives to the classics everyone knows.
  • KashifNY
    Very interesting, I've seen these various knot videos and seems really cool. Some even do it with one hand. Pretty sure I'm going to be trying this one though
  • jjcm
    These "pull the loop over" kinda knots are delightfully simple, and shockingly secure. The Palomar fishing knot is somewhat similar, and is one of my go-to ones when I need to tie a hook quickly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWw_f7CQQLg
  • aardvarkr
    Amazing, I love learning about knots! Is there a better shoelace knot? Not faster, but better
  • washbasin
    Just by the headline I suspected this was first class amateur. So many great videos. That being said, use cord locks, not knots. You can often shorten the drawstring, and you will never lose one end into the waist.
  • mgaunard
    99% of all loose ties are due to people doing a granny knot instead of a square knot.
  • bookofjoe
    Hack to untie a knot using an ordinary fork:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YCBD8l7Sg3M
  • Waterluvian
    I’ve been giving this a try, and aside from Porky Pigging it through my kitchen this morning, it seems to have real promise. The rip cord isn’t a feature I value, though.
  • throw7
    I just go under and over one more time in the initial step of tying a traditional "shoelace" knot. That gives a little more friction on the initial tightening draw to keep it in place, then just finish it as normal.I've tried alternatives, but in the end keeping it simple is what I prefer.
  • chriscjcj
    I tried several drawstrings.I found that if I make it tight enough so that things don't loosen easily when there's tension, then it's too tight to adjust easily. Maybe there's a happy medium to be had, but through numerous tries, I never achieved it.
  • joshuahaglund
    https://youtube.com/shorts/1I9_Zxypg1sHere's an adjustable knot for if you've got a continuous drawstring like on a hat or sweatpants
  • Xenoamorphous
    A few years back I got a couple of Adidas running shorts. Instead of the typical drawstring they had some continuous string. To this day I've no idea how it was supposed to be used, I just cut it off and voila, a regular drawstring.
  • gegtik
    Funny, I just went seeking this video again last weekHe published an addendum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbTYCHPLWLI
  • ActivePattern
    It took a few minutes to get the hang of, but it does work very nicely! Being able to adjust length without any re-tying is a great feature
  • senderista
    Isn't that just a slipped sheet bend?
  • tim-projects
    This is up there with opening a banana by pinching the other end
  • zeafoamrun
    Tightens well but I end up with a weird super long dangly side
  • PatronBernard
    Doesn't seem to work very well with flat strings it seems (or I suck at knotting).
  • BrokenCogs
    Does this also work for full length pants?
  • inanutshellus
    I lived several decades knowing only the standard set of knots (square, granny) that every six-year-old knows.Recently, due to Scouts, learned more and I can't believe how often I use them. "Dryer's busted! My DIY laundry line sags! What to do?!" "If only I could make a loop that won't move in the middle of this rope!" ... and... this knot is new to me. I'm stoked to add it to the brainbox. Way to go, OP!
  • stronglikedan
    just start with a double square knot (or whatever the first step is called) and pull it tight before starting the bow. it won't move while you tie the bow, and it's so much easier than this. if you have particularly slippery substrate, start with a triple instead
  • adhoc_slime
    hn really is more reddit-like with each passing day.
  • lysace
    Flag rope knots are low key stressful. You only need to do them once every 5-10 years or so, so you don't really develop any expertise through practice. If you do it wrong, you probably have to pay or arrange for a team of two people to lower the flagpole.The flag rope for our 12 meter flagpole broke. I seriously debated getting a drone to replace it in situ. Then I realized hauling just a few hundred grams of rope needs a fairly serious drone.
  • someguyiguess
    If you have to tie your gym shorts, they're the wrong size.
  • quickthrowman
    As long as you switch directions when tying a bunny ears knot, it will stay tied. I do left over/right under for the first step and then left under/right over for the second step. The ears/loops should sit balanced and not lopsided. I use the same knot to tie my shoes.
  • esafak
  • weavie
    It's amazing the things you learn here..
  • anon
    undefined
  • roger-2026
    Interesting...
  • dyauspitr
    I have learned so many complex things in my life but I can’t for the life of me seem to be able to learn knots. There was a period I had a rope on my desk I would practice them for a couple of months everyday. It’s been maybe 5 years since then and I can’t remember a single one.Same thing with solving a rubics cube. I spent 3 months getting pretty good at it, like I could consistently solve them in under 15 secs. That was two years ago. I picked up a cube two months ago and tried to solve it and couldn’t remember even the first step. I had an app I used to set up, solve and track the cube and I logged 10,000+ solves and I can’t remember how to do it less than 2 years later. Sigh.
  • mmakeev
    haha...not bad. Nice try
  • yesidoagree
    HN is reading my thoughts again with this one