Page 31 - Randy Penn Everything Knots Book

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THE EVER YTHING KNOTS BOOK

Natural ropes handle well and are good at holding knots. They
are often chosen because they are inexpensive and natural in
appearance. They are almost always in the form of twisted rope,
because that is the only way to group the fibers. An exception is
cotton or silk, which has a fine enough structure to be spun at
thread size and can be woven.

ALERT!

If natural ropes are to be used where safety is a concern, the
rope must be evaluated for condition. Even a 1-inch-thick
rope can fail to hold a person’s weight if it is weathered or
aged—even if it does not look “that worn.” It’s true that you
can tell something about a three-strand rope’s condition by
slightly untwisting it to look at its center, but it’s best to
know a rope’s history of use and abuse and make a judgment
call accordingly.

Fibers Stiff and Soft
The stiffer and rougher fibers of larger ropes are usually made
from the leaves of manila and sisal. Manila is darker, stronger, and
more expensive then sisal; it weathers better than other natural
fiber ropes, but should still be dried before storing, even if it has
been chemically treated for protection.
Softer fibers are made from the stems of plants like jute, flax,
or hemp. These are seldom used in larger ropes anymore. Jute
appears as inexpensive garden twine and in decorative cords, and
hemp is often used for small jewelry cord, which gets smoother
over time when worn as a bracelet.
Cotton is being replaced by synthetics but still appears as both
large and small cordage. It is used in handling farm animals
because it is smooth and does not burn skin with repeated rub-
bings nearly as much as other rope materials. Both cotton and silk
are used in small sizes for decorative purposes.

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