Tying Instructions

WHEN SOMEONE COMMITS A CRIME, it’s safe to assume that person wants to get rid of the evidence; they may wear gloves, or conceal their identity. But criminals get caught, often on the most incidental oversights—some as small and seemingly innocent as a knot in a string.

And, it turns out, knots are exactly one of those common oversights-turned-evidence, thanks to the small but significant field of knot forensics, in which specialists examine knots to unveil forensic clues. This is what Glenn Dickey, knots expert, has done to help prosecute criminals; as one of few knot experts in the world who contributes to forensics work, Dickey uses his advanced knowledge of knot tying to establish tricky details: whether the knot-tier was left- or right handed, skilled or novice at knot tying, and in some cases, whether the crime was premeditated.

Dickey, based in Ohio, is part of the North American chapter of the International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT),...

Additional Resource: How Knot Analysis Can Reveal the Perpetrator of a Crime

Additional Resource: International Guild of Knot Tyers