Page 13 - The Pocket Guide to Essential Knots

Braided Rope

The combination of an outer sheath surrounding an inner core

makes braided rope softer, more flexible, and generally a lot

stronger than other types of synthetic rope.

The outer sheath generally consists of 16 braided strands. This

surrounds an inner core that can be parallel fibers, or twisted, or

plaited. Both the sheath and the core contribute to the strength and
flexibility of the rope. Its flexibility makes it ideal for knot tying,

while the smoothness of the outer sheath makes the rope easy and

comfortable to handle.

It is very often thought that braided rope is only manufactured

in larger diameter sizes, but modern production technology also

enables this highly successful material to be manufactured in very

small diameter sizes.