Two consecutive overhands tied as described above of the same handedness will make a granny knot.

At sea it is always employed in reefing and furling sails and stopping clothes for drying.

The reef knot is used to tie the two ends of a single rope together such that they will secure something, for example a bundle of objects, that is unlikely to move much.

In addition to being used by sailors for reefing and furling sails, it is also one of the key knots of macrame textiles.

[8] The knot lies flat when made with cloth and has been used for tying bandages for millennia.

[9] In his Natural History, Pliny relates the belief that wounds heal more quickly when bound with a Hercules knot.

A modern use in this manner includes tying the obi (or belt) of a martial arts keikogi.

A surgeon's variation, used where a third hand is unavailable, is made with two or three twists of the ropes on bottom, and sometimes on top, instead of just one.

The reef knot's familiarity, ease of tying, and visually appealing symmetry conceal its weakness.

An approximate physical analysis[17] predicts that a reef knot will hold if