Tags :: §rope care §jute rope §hemp rope
Raw jute and hemp require treatment off the coil before they are comfortable to tie with. This is to "break them in", and is mostly optional. You can "wet-treat" rope, to clean impurities from its production, but this weakens the rope by an estimated 50%. The alternative is to "dry-treat" it, in which wet-treatment steps are skipped or replaced by baking, which also weakens the rope but not as severely.
However, jute rope is often manufactured with §jute batching oil (JBO); some people have a rare allergic reaction to JBO, and so if your jute is not known to be JBO free then it is best to wet-treat it.
- "Getting the fuzzies out" by frictioning the rope against itself: looping it around a smooth pole or §carabiner, put 2-3 twists in, and pull the ends back and forth to rub it against itself. Repeat this down the length of the rope. This breaks in the fibres and makes the rope more supple.
- "Burning off the fuzzies": with a gas stove (a candle works in a pinch), run the length of the rope above (not through!) the flame - you want to be fairly quick, and
- Wipe off any soot with a cloth
- Wet treatment: boil the rope in a pan for ~3m, then tension and leave to dry (several days). Alternatively, bake in an oven on a low temperature for 10m.
- Apply §rope wax.
- Hang up, untensioned, to dry.
- §Finish the ends.
Videos
- §Haven Kink
- three-part video series: frictioning, burning, oiling.
- §WykD Dave
- m0co jute treatment