Ropey

Rope companies are not necessary experts on splicing either. Some companies like Samson have in house Riggers/Splicers so do offer a gimmick like a certificate once you have completed a splice based on there instructions on there Rope. There is no independent Splicing certification that I know of down here but there may be some rigging courses that you could do. Maybe someone has done one that can help? That begs the question can a Factory certified splicer teach anyone ot splice and certify them??

Been there done that got the tee shirt. Found girls and beer. One way trip for me I'm afraid! :evil:Somehow I don't think I will be alone.............

As funny as this may sound but the colour of a rope can make them look quote different in size, some of the fleck systems that manufacturers put in rope play tricks with your eyes. You can control the diameter of a rope when its made but depending on the construction it can reduce in diameter after use. Most fibers will creep which means by applying constant load to them they will permanently elongate, this is different to stretch which returns. With permanent elongation the rope increase in length, to do this it must decrease in diameter. I think it is Samson that have a "Machten" system, this simply preloads the fibers to help reduce the amount of shrink the braid has during use. I have a Sterling static rope here that has seen constant shock loading to 10% of the breaking load, the rope started life as a 13mm and is now MM. It has been retired of course but still retained a very high break load when we tested it.

Ian is right, Elongation is the stretch in the rope as it comes under load (like a person) the % is how much this stretch is. this tends to increase starting from 0% as weight comes onto the rope. I.e if you have a M rope ad it elongates or stretches 3.3% then you rope stretches 3.M over the M. that can be a lot This can be good if you are reaching to get to a branch and you don't want to adjust your prussic but some people think you expend more energy climbing on a rope with higher stretch.

One this I have learnt very quickly is not all ropes are created equal..... The other is not all Arabists like the same type of rope.... There are good ropes and there are bad ones, some climbers prefer low stretch static ropes while others prefer ropes that are classified as semi static which allows a freer movement in the tree. There are nubby ropes like XTC and Spark then there are sports type ropes like Blaze and NEG specifically developed to work better with micro pulleys or ascenders There are pros and cons for both types What rope work best for you and why???

We've got the "Spark" pictured to the left which is simular to the XTC and a sports climbing line called "nrg". It just so happens we make them as well so it is really interesting reading the feedback from you guys on what makes a good line and what doesn't. I might have to start a thread Steve is climbing on them now so i am looking forward to his review.

I still think it may be a toy motor:001_smile:

What the main difference?

Just had a look on the web site, What is the difference between "gecko" and Salamander?. The specs all look the same and with an elongation of 3.3% it doesn't seam over elastic. Arbormaster quote between 2.5% and 5.7% elongation so you would think Salamander would be less "bungee" than Arbor Master?

Its Marlow that make the Salamander isn't it?

Could be a Japper like a Toyota?

16mm is pretty standard, make sure you use a good quality. I would recomend a braided rope over a 3 strand, a good 50/50 double braid will give you both long life and strength due to 50% of the material being in the cover. As steve says Double Esterlon is a good option, a Polyester like Donaghys Rhino is a good cheaper option.

That a nice looking rope you have there Drew I have some data on the effect that Knots and Splices have on ropes that you may find interesting. This information was published by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Reduction of strength caused by knots and splices on synthetic ropes. Ropes made from Nylon Reef Knot - Ave 55.6% loss of strength Sheet Bend - 47.8% Bowline - 31.8% Splice - 10.9% Ropes made from Polyester Reef Knot - Ave 47.3% loss of strength Sheet Bend - 47.5% Bowline - 32.0% Splice - 13.9% These were results from standard ropes. With the more modern core dependant type ropes i.e. kermantle and the cover dependant 16 plait ropes greater retention of strength can be obtained as drew has found. Common sense is required with any splice or knot. Constant inspections should be made on all ropes and if they show signs of damage they should be retired imediately. Replacing your rope is cheaper than loosing your life! Happy Climbing..................................................

Hey Guys, Great to keep up to date with whats going on in the UK and with the latest gear and gadgets available. Big Hello from NZ:001_tongue:

If you are into knots there are several great websites you can look at. For great animated knots have a look at the Donaghys web site. http://www.donaghys.co.nz/splicing-instructions.html Enter Knot tying instructions and have fun.