The Knot Guy in Charleston, SC | Keith Hudson, Sailor Craft Knots

Keith at the market, with a Monkeys’ Fist knot

Sailor Craft Knots is proud to support and participate who are selling my knots and dog leashes.

Sailor Craft Knots is a one-person maker business based in Charleston, South Carolina. Every dog leash, key fob, and rope knot product is handmade by Keith Hudson, a member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers since 1992 with over 40 years of experience working with marine-grade rope and line. How it all started: I started tying knots in 1985 while working on offshore oil rigs in Alaska. A few of the work crew started making Monkey's Fist key fobs and before long we were competing to outdo each other with every kind of natural knot and braid we could find. It was a way to pass the time on fire watch and on days when the seas were too rough to work on deck. Back home in Anchorage, I kept going. Key fobs, zipper pulls, bell ropes, Turk's Head bracelets. I joined the International Guild of Knot Tyers in 1992 and have been a member ever since. After more than 20 years in Alaska, I relocated to Charleston, South Carolina — drawn here by the maritime history, the coastline, and the kind of community that still values things made by hand. What we make: Every leash is handmade using marine-grade double braid nylon and Dacron line — the same materials used on nautical dock lines. Not paracord. Not retail rope. Materials built for load, weather, and daily use. We also make Monkey's Fist, key fobs, Turk's Head bracelets, door stops, bookends, and custom rope knot pieces. We are not a big-box pet store. We are a small, passionate maker business rooted in craftsmanship and connection. If you want a leash that lasts, made by someone who has been tying maritime knots for four decades, this is the place.

Find us in person every weekend:

  • Saturdays: Sea Island Farmers Market, 2024 Academy Drive, Johns Island, SC — 9:30AM to 1:30PM

  • Sundays: Sunday Brunch Farmers Market, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston, SC — 11:00AM to 3:00PM

  • Stop by, feel the leashes, ask anything about knots. Custom orders are always welcome.

Member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers UK 1992 and North America Branch since 2023. All knots are crafted by hand. Made to last. Inspired by the sea.