Animated Knots by Grog Review

Posted by Chris Hall on July 21st, 2010
iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad

Developer: Grog
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0

iPhone Integration Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar
User Interface Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar

[rating:overall]

So I was at Ikea the other day helping a friend pack his new couch into his car. Unfortunately, there are very few cars on this Earth that can fit a 7 ft Ikea box in them, although his Subaru Impreza Hatchback did quite nice, but there was still about a foot hanging out of the car.

Instead of opting to pay the $50 Ikea shipping fee, we decided to tie the door shut with twine. We wrapped the door shut just fine, but when we got to the knot part, we stared at each other in fear. Ikea's policy is to never facilitate knot tying for fear of their knots not working, so it was up to us. I ended up tying some bizarre knot, which held up just fine, but we were all very scared of losing the couch on the freeway.

Looking back, having an app like Animated Knots by Grof (AK Grog) would have been a lifesaver. Instead of some lame-o knot that I invented on the fly, I could've used one of the seemingly infinite number of knots that the app can show you.

AK Grog is organized by event (Fishing, Scouting, Boating... sorry, no Ikea packing) to provide easy reference to knot types. There is also a knot list that shows all of the knots together, but the list is quite daunting for a knot novice like me. Once you get into a specific knot, the app shows an animated, step-by-step program that will guide you through the process. With an extra tap you can even see what the knot is for, quickly turning you into a pro on the uses for the "Klemheist" or the "Prusik Knot".

If you are ever in a bind and need to know how to make a specific knot, be sure to pick up AK Grog, as it is the best resource on knots that I've ever known. Just don't hurt yourself with a loaded rope or a fishing line... the warning in the app says to wear protection at all times.