5 striking paracord weaves for everyone

There are hundreds of paracord weaves, but in practice you keep coming back to a few. Here are five that cover most projects — from a bracelet to a wrapped knife handle.

Cobra

Flat, wide, the easiest to learn. It uses roughly 10 cm of cord per centimetre of finished weave. Practically everyone starts here.

King cobra

A cobra woven a second time over a finished one. Twice as thick and twice as hungry for cord, but it looks solid and holds its shape well.

Snake knot

Narrow and round. Excellent for keychains and lanyards, less so for a bracelet — on a wide wrist it looks too modest.

Fishtail

A delicate herringbone pattern, best in two colours. It uses less cord than the cobra, so it is good for leftovers.

Trilobite

The most decorative of the five. It takes practice and patience to tighten evenly, but the result looks like a craftsman's work.

Do not start with the trilobite. Make three cobras first — you will learn even tension, and that is what decides how every weave looks anyway.