Uh oh, the popular Palomar knot is regarded as a rather poor knot choice for strength.  The Eugen, Uni, and San Diego Jam were found to outperform the Palomar knot by quite a big margin.  Once again, line choice and individual knot tying ability is going to affect the outcome.  Still the fastest tying knot isn't always going to be your best knot.

What do think?  Ready to learn some better knots?

Personal success is to me the best indicator of which knot to use. I have yet to have a Palomar fail on me which is more than I can say for the Improved Clinch or Uni. Also, a knot that I can't tie with cold numb fingers is of little value on cooler days! The only place I have a real problem with the Palomar is for tying on lures due to the size of the loop needed to accomodate the lure. Tom

I couldn't agree more, Tom. I always use the Palomar, but if I could find an easier knot to tie than it with the same strength, I'd be happy to switch. I think the main variable in choosing a knot is simplicity, if it were 100% strength, then everyone would use the heaviest knot they could find on the heaviest line they could get their hands on. I'm stickin with my trusty (simple) Palomar for the time being.

I use the Palomar and Improved Trilene (like the inproved clinch except you pass the line through the eye twice ), and I too am sticking with them. The Palomar is rated at @ 90% line strength, the Trilene at @ 95%.

Iuse nothing but the palomar knot with these old fingers its the best knot and it has never failed me

It is hard to find a knot that is easier to tie than the Palomar. I have tried the Trilene knot also but it won't hold when tying braid or fused line. Even with the uni I find myself tying an overhand 'lock' knot in the tag end at times to ensure no slippage. Tom

Like most...I'd agree that the "palomar" knot is a very simple knot to tie, learn and has many uses. I think there are afew better options to use. For tying a hook I always use the snell knot. For tying terminal tackle the uni knot is the way to go. I never had one break on me. For lures, jigs, spoons etc, etc, I'll use the "rapala" knot. The rapala knot gives your lure more freedom to move around naturally. I know guys that have been fishing 20+ years and only know one knot. And don't even know the name of the knot. I can honestly say that I know more than a dozen or so knots, their name, uses and how to tie them. Pratice, pratice, pratice. The winter is a good time to learn new knots and refresh yourself with ones you already know. Youtube is a good place to start. Just type in fishing knots and you'll learn a ton of new knots and variations of some popular knots.
Merry Christmas everyone...and learn a new knot!