Rope Types

[pappyld04]

Someone asked for opinions on types of rope on a mailing list I'm on. Here's what I wrote. I figured it might give people some insight on the different types of rope out there.

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I paint. I would not want to limit myself to one brush, or one type of paint. Some applications will want acrylic, some enamels, etc. Much in the same way, I find having different types of rope in my bag to be a worthwhile practice.

Nylon is mentioned very commonly, and oft-maligned by those who prefer hemp. I find it dead useful in certain situations, and the entry-level cost consideration is hard to miss. Personally, I tie at parties a bit, and frequently do not know my bottoms terribly well. I'm not so well-heeled that I want to risk treated hemp on a bottom that may randomly freak out and need to be cut out. And, frankly, it's easier to wash synthetic ropes, thus doing my bit to prevent disease transmission. If I bring my own bottom to a party, or am tying someone I know and trust, I don't use nylon. In short, I use nylon in situations where I want disposable rope.

Pros: Inexpensive; easy to maintain; simple to dye

Cons: Doesn't look, feel, smell, or tie as well as hemp or other natural fibre rope; a little stretchy; slippery

MFP, such as that by Rainbow Ropes and others, is a step up from Nylon. Still has all the advantages of a synthetic rope, and, from what my bottoms report, has a better feel than nylon/poly at least. It takes knots well, but is slippery. Possibly even more slippery than nylon. I really love the vibrant colours of the MFP sold by Rainbow Ropes. Good stuff, though probably visually grating to the more traditional minded amongst us.

Pros: Same as nylon, though it cannot be dyed after the fact; better feel than nylon/poly blend

Cons: Same as nylon, cannot be dyed

Polypropylene is another synth rope. It floats, doesn't rot, and is thus used in marine applications. It will degrade is left exposed to sunlight. I think it feels awful, and doesn't turn worth a crap. I dislike this stuff with intensity. I do use it in some cases for support lines in suspension, but it is largely because I don't have enough hemp to run my support lines with it. The most common use I have for poly rope is for work uses such as rigging stuff that I'm moving, using it to hoist my motorcycle when doing suspension work on it, etc. I've got climbing rope that is poly and that's what I use.

Pros: Good load capacity; cost

Cons: Feels awful, turns poorly

Hemp is probably the king of natural fibre rope. It ties well, holds a knot beautifully, looks great (though it can look green in photographs), smells great, and leaves lovely ropemarks. Hemp is just flat good stuff. It does require a LOT more maintenance than synthetic ropes, but most people that use matural fibre rope will tell you that the maintenance is worth it.

Pros: Feel, turn ability, holds a knot, smells great, rope marks to die for, dyable though not to the colour intensity of MFP; doesn't stretch much at all

Cons: Maintenance requirements, harder to wash, cost

Flax is another natural fibre rope that is gaining in popularity (or so I'm told). It has similar characteristics to hemp, though the flax I have is softer, and has a better feel per my bottom. It has a distinctive smell that some people, like myself, love, and others hate. Pros and cons are similar to hemp.

Cotton is another natural material, used in waterborne tasks with some frequency. Has a lot of stretch and has some issues with rot. It's right soft though, and feels lovely.

Pros: Feels wonderful

Cons: Stretchy; rot is an issue; cost

I'm not up on jute or silk or other fibres. I've played just a bit with Madame Butterfly's silk rope. It's wonderful, just like Madame Butterfly herself =) No experience using it to tie though. She also had some bamboo rope at her booth. Really neat stuff. I've played a bit with promilla, but not any tying, so can't really say anything about it.

These pros and cons are based solely on my personal experience with these types of ropes. Others are likely to have had different experiences with these ropes. I also do not do much suspension just yet, so my perspective is that of someone doing mostly floorwork. Take what I say with a grain of salt.