Knot for Robands
 

What knot can I use other than a reef knot to tie robands to the spar. I've seen alternatives posed in the past that reportedly hold tighter and better than a square knot.

Just checked several references, and none have any suggestions other than the reef knot and (Sailmaker's Apprentice) an eye-and-toggle affair.

Assuming the spar you're talking about is a boom or gaff, most any reasonably small bend knot should do the trick. I would probably suggest the Ashley bend or the Carrick Bend.

I use the reef (square) knot because it's easy to tie and secure. The Ashly and Carrick bends are not readily tied while hanging on the boom with the boat lurching in the stark and dormy. The simplest loop and toggle - a figure eight at one end and a figure eight on a bight at the other - works perfectly but does not look so well as a nice eye and button.