Loose Knot

A loose knot refers to a knot in wood that is not tightly embedded or firmly attached to the surrounding wood fibers. When wood is cut from a tree, knots can form where branches grew from the trunk or where two parts of the trunk grew together.

Loose knots are generally darker and have shrunk away and detached from the surrounding wood during the growing process. They contain visible cracks or gaps and are often surrounded by a thin layer of scar tissue called callus. Some are loose enough to be removed by hand and require extra precautions when cutting