How does memory for how-to skills differ from facts, and can it explain recall?

[ScottQP]

I’ve been trying to understand why I can recall some procedural skills, like tying a specific knot, almost perfectly after months, yet I completely blank on the factual details I studied for a test just last week. It feels like my memory for “how” is on a different, more durable system than my memory for “what.” I’m curious if this distinction in long-term memory systems explains my experience.

[Aurora.M]

I can still tie that knot without thinking, but if you quiz me on the label or where I learned it, I draw a blank.

[AnthonyRH]

I tried practicing after months and the knot came back in a heartbeat, but the test material stayed foggy no matter how many times I skimmed it.

[Grace.M]

Feels like two parts of memory are living on different floors; one sticks to doing things, the other keeps the facts at bay.

[PenelopeWL]

Could the real issue be how I study or how I pay attention when learning facts, not a fundamental memory split?