Page 56 - D. Raleigh "Knots and ropes for climbers"

Making a cordalette.

The beauty of the cordalette lies in its ability to self-equalize the anchor. Strung properly, each anchor
bears an equal load, and should one anchor fail, the others will be spared a shock load. Besides being
near foolproof, lightweight, compact, and practical, the cordalette spares the full end of the lead rope
for leading. You can construct an adequate cordalette from either regular 7-millimeter cord or the
better, stronger, and tougher 7-millimeter Spectra.
Both Spectra and Kevlar require feats of strength and patience to cut. Wire nippers are the most
effective; scissors and knives do as much fraying as cutting. Once you sever the cord, you must seal
the ends. To do this, pull the sheath back 3/4 inch or so, and trim the core a fraction shorter than the
sheath. Pull the sheath over the shortened core, and use a lighter to melt the end into a blunt cap. Use
the same method to cut regular nylon cord, although here a knife or sharp scissors will work fine.