Skills

The practical things a capable man can do. Short guides, no filler, no life story first.

The BRO Survival & Preparedness GuideThe printable family manual: a kit and go-bag builder, water and food calculators, the core skills and a family emergency plan.Get ready, calmly

GuideWes DunbarNov 6, 20265 min

An eye splice keeps the strength a knot throws away

A well-made eye splice loses far less strength than any knot you can tie. Here's how to make one in three-strand rope, in the order it's done.

How to tie a bowline in the dark and trust it

From the Skills archive

Older stories

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Reset the breaker, then find out why it tripped

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

Changing a tire in the dark and the rain

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20265 min

Iron a dress shirt properly in four minutes

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Sharpen a knife, an axe and a mower blade the same way

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20267 min

Fix the rocking toilet before it eats your subfloor

GuideRay OkonkwoSep 22, 20266 min

How to negotiate hard and stay easy to deal with

Skills on video

Worth an hour of your evening

From channels we rate. Plays on YouTube.

Essential CraftsmanNov 4

The Man Who Thinks For Himself: A Dying Breed

This Old HouseNov 6

Marrying a New and Old Roof | This Old House

Essential CraftsmanOct 31

The Timber Framing Turned Out More Beautiful Than I Imagined.

This Old HouseNov 5

ASK This Old House | Smart Home Electronics (S14 E14) FULL EPISODE

Essential CraftsmanOct 28

Construction Math is Overcomplicated. Use Sticks Instead.

This Old HouseNov 4

An Italianate Garden | This Old House

defragmenteurJul 19

How to Tie a Tie | Windsor (aka Full Windsor or Double Windsor) | For Beginners

defragmenteurSep 28

How to Tie a Tie | Easy Windsor Knot Step-by-Step Guide

How to tie a tieJun 11

How to tie a tie EASY (Windsor knot)

HowcastNov 8

How to Tie a Windsor Knot | Men's Fashion

HowdiniJan 30

How to Change a Tire | Change a flat car tire step by step

Cars.comMay 17

How to Change a Tire: A Step-by-Step Guide— Cars.com

ChrisFixOct 26

How to Fix a Flat Tire EASY (Everything you need to know)

Said GarciaMar 5

How to Change a Flat Tire (Step-by-Step for Beginners!)

O'Reilly Auto PartsMay 1

How To: Change a Flat Tire

AAADec 14

How to Change a Flat Tire

Skills quizzes

Quiz yourself, then your friends

All quizzes

GuideSam OrtizOct 13, 20265 min

Teach your family SOS before they ever need it

Three short, three long, three short. It takes ten minutes to learn, and a whistle and a flashlight are all the gear it needs.

GuideDean ShawOct 13, 20266 min

Bow saw, folding saw: cutting firewood and poles without bleeding

A hand saw won't take your leg off like a chainsaw. It'll still open your thumb, and almost always the hand that's holding the wood.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarOct 13, 20265 min

A needle, heavy thread and a few feet of tape will get you home

A torn pack, a split seam or a dead tent pole doesn't have to end the trip. Here's the repair kit that weighs almost nothing, and the order to use it in.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

6 min read

Put a knife in your kid's hands, and teach the rules first

A sharp knife, a stick of basswood, and a circle drawn in the dirt. The first carving lesson, in the order it's actually done.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideCal BrennanOct 12, 20266 min

Spot shock early and keep someone steady until help arrives

He says he's fine. He's gray, sweaty and getting quiet. Here's how to read it and what to do with your hands until the paramedics walk in.

GuideCal BrennanOct 12, 20266 min

Splint a broken arm or ankle with what's in your truck

A rolled magazine, two belts and a sweatshirt can hold a broken limb still. Here's the order to do it in, and when to skip the splint entirely.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideWes DunbarOct 12, 20266 min

Rope, poles and a camp table that doesn't wobble

Three lashings, a few straight sticks, and an afternoon get you a tripod and a table with no hardware, no nails and no excuses.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideCal BrennanOct 3, 20267 min

Four emergencies, and the instinct that makes each one worse

Bleeding, burns, choking and sprains each come with one obvious move that's wrong. Learn the right one now, while nobody's hurt.

GuideCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

How To Use An AED And Where To Find One First

The machine tells you what to do and won't shock a heart that doesn't need it. The hard part is knowing which wall it's hanging on.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Change a tire in the dark and the rain without getting hit

The order matters more than the muscle. Loosen before you lift, and never put a body part under a car held up by a scissor jack.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

PartnerDude.com

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Learn Stick in an Afternoon Without Cooking the Clutch

The bite point is about an inch of pedal travel. Find it in an empty parking lot and the rest of driving a manual is just repetition.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Build an overnight shelter before the light goes

Stop walking three hours before dark, build a bed before you build a roof, and you'll be uncomfortable instead of hypothermic.

GuideCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

Pulling Someone Out of the Water Without Drowning Yourself

Drowning is quiet, fast, and it kills rescuers too. The order of operations that gets both of you back on dry land.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

GuideCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

How to stop serious bleeding before the ambulance arrives

Pressure, packing and a tourniquet, in the order you'd actually use them, plus the mistakes that cost people the five minutes they had.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

5 min

Purify Backcountry Water Without Guessing What's In It

6 min

Sew on a button and mend a seam so they stay fixed

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

Ask it

GuideCal BrennanSep 23, 20265 min

Choking rescue for an adult, a child and a baby

The hands go in three different places depending on who's choking, and the one that works on a grown man will hurt an infant.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

PartnerCancerDefying.com

6 min read

Replace a broken window pane without butchering the sash

The glass is the easy part. Skip one step and your fresh putty cracks out by next winter.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

Older articles

Older Skills stories

Skills

An eye splice keeps the strength a knot throws away

Fix the fuel first, then adjust the carburetor

Sharpen a handsaw at the bench and keep every tooth

Stream water looks clean until the week after

Strap the load like it's planning an escape

How to tie a bowline in the dark and trust it

From the Skills archive

Reset the breaker, then find out why it tripped

Changing a tire in the dark and the rain

Iron a dress shirt properly in four minutes

Sharpen a knife, an axe and a mower blade the same way

Fix the rocking toilet before it eats your subfloor

How to negotiate hard and stay easy to deal with

Worth an hour of your evening

Quiz yourself, then your friends

Teach your family SOS before they ever need it

Bow saw, folding saw: cutting firewood and poles without bleeding

A needle, heavy thread and a few feet of tape will get you home

Put a knife in your kid's hands, and teach the rules first

Spot shock early and keep someone steady until help arrives

Splint a broken arm or ankle with what's in your truck

Rope, poles and a camp table that doesn't wobble

Four emergencies, and the instinct that makes each one worse

How To Use An AED And Where To Find One First

Change a tire in the dark and the rain without getting hit

Learn Stick in an Afternoon Without Cooking the Clutch

Build an overnight shelter before the light goes

Pulling Someone Out of the Water Without Drowning Yourself

How to stop serious bleeding before the ambulance arrives

Purify Backcountry Water Without Guessing What's In It

Sew on a button and mend a seam so they stay fixed

Choking rescue for an adult, a child and a baby

Replace a broken window pane without butchering the sash