They met before the month was over, and if it was not mentioned then the idea of contacting other knotting enthusiasts was raised by Des in a letter dated July, 1980, when he pressed for a suitable venue and suggested The Maritime Trust.

The object of the Guild shall be the advancement of education by the study of and practice of the art, craft and science of knotting, past and present.

The Guild dates from an inaugural meeting of 25 individuals aboard the Maritime Trust's vessel RRS Discovery berthed in St. Katharine Docks in the lee of Tower Bridge on April, 17th.

Bellingham, Geoffrey Budworth, John Constable, Bernard J. Cutbush, Anne Devine, Ron W. Evans, Sid Evans, Eric Franklin, Frank Harris, John Hawes, Paul Herbert, Edward Hunter, Jill Jenner, Albert Kirby, Allan McDowall, Desmond Mandeville, Graham Mott, Des Pawson, Liz Pawson, Douglas Probert, W. Ettrick Thomson, Don Woods and Quinton Winch.

Fred Browne of Boston, Massachusetts (MIT), Robert Chisnall of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and Charles H. S. Thomason of Queensland, Australia all expressed a wish to be involved from the outset but due to distance were unable to attend the opening meeting.

He called upon IGKT member Richard Hopkins for his knowledge and experience of how to use the binding and lashing materials available at that time – rawhide, hemp, and flax – and described his contribution to the project as "invaluable".