Page 25 - Patty Hahne "The Pocket Guide to Prepper Knots"

1. The first method is using heat to melt the loose ends into
one solid mass. This method is commonly used for rope
such as 550 paracord. It should be noted that this method
won’t work with rope constructed from fibers that don’t
actually melt when heat is applied to them. For example,
natural fiber rope will just burn when heat is applied to
it. This can be accomplished by cutting the rope with a
“hot knife” or melting the end with a flame from a match
or lighter. If you choose to use this method, there are
some very important things to remember. When you melt
plastic, it will emit some nasty fumes that are hazardous to
your health. Only do this in a well ventilated area and DO
NOT breathe any of these fumes. You’ll be using a hot knife or
open flame so never melt the ends of rope around combustible
materials. Lastly, melted rope is HOT AND STICKY! It may

Figure 4.

Treating the Cut Ends of Rope 19