Responding to the original post, there's something to be said about elegance. For any kind of system, the more elegant solution is usually the better solution, aesthetically and practically. That goes for hitches, electrical circuits, a surgeon's stitches, plumbing, bikes, cars, bridges, etc. Elegance is a mark of professionalism and pride, while big and sloppy are marks of amateurism. Elegance separates the gentlemen from the boys.
If I'm hitching to a tubular object, I'm more likely to use a wrap-type hitch because they're more elegant than a noose-type hitch like a Slipped Buntline or a Gnat. More importantly, a wrap-type hitch is much less susceptible to tampering compared to a Slipped Buntline (or any hitch that requires a slip). Consider the Timber for example. I bring this hitch up because nobody mentioned it and because it's a hybrid between a wrap and a noose. I have some ropes in my garage that are under tension in some exercise equipment I invented. Some of the rope systems are anchored with Timbers. Where a Timber is viable, it is absolutely exquisite compared to a Slipped Buntline. While under tension, a Timber is virtually impossible to loosen by tampering, and is super easy to untie after the tension is released. Also, a Timber sits snug and neat against the object. In a word, a Timber is more "elegant" than a Slipped Buntline or a Gnat, etc. Other wrap-type hitches are more elegant in their own way as well (e.g., a Sailor's ease of untying is pure joy).
Regarding the Gnat, this is perhaps the most elegant noose-type hitch. It's small, doesn't require a slip, is tie-able on many different object shapes, and is difficult to jam. If I need a noose-type hitch, I tend to think of a Gnat first and then move down the list from there.
Regarding the Slipped Buntline, this hitch is for when all else fails. It's like a nuclear bomb. It's not pretty. It's big. I don't like how it requires a slip. HOWEVER, it just works on almost everything. Heck, a Buntline almost works as a fishing knot. (I said almost.) By the way, I would tie a Buntline (non-slipped) only if I wanted a hitch to be permanent. Outside of fishing, a permanent hitch is something I rarely (or never) have needed, but I can think of at least one application. When I was in Jamaica, workers would tie buoys to anchors on land. They would tie a bend to connect the buoy's rope to a permanently hitched rope, which they would just leave there on the beach when not in use. That's a situation where I'd want the rope on land to be jammed to help prevent it from walking off.
This is a great thread topic. I went through this exercise awhile ago when I was organizing hitches in my head. Note, it's difficult to talk broadly about these hitches because each has their own characteristics.
