Rope colors?

[treeman82]

This is an idea that I have been pondering for some time now. I know that many of us will buy ropes at whatever lengths and then cut them down into smaller pieces.
Examples; 600 foot reel = (4) 150 foot ropes
150 foot hank= (1) 100 foot rope / (1) 50 foot rope

What I am suggesting is that the ropes be different colors. Let's say that the interval is 20 feet. So the first 20 feet of your 1/2" line would be let's say green, then the next 20 feet would be orange, then the next 20 feet would be blue, then the next 20 feet would be yellow, the next red, then back to green and start over again.

The benefits to this type of configuration I think would be;
1) more accurate way of measuring distances / heights
2) easier to distinguish between working ends of ropes (no 2 ropes 1 color)
3) easier to look for any twisted ropes before setting lines.

Has anyone else ever thought about this?

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Wow, i like that!

Thought of banded markings before, but like the psycho-delic thing you propose!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Cost factor in the number of bobbins in the weaving prosess. Some mountain ropes will changer color midline, ie got from red on black to black on red, this just changes the way the weve is set.

I think

maybe if you got a rope that was say white with green picks then green with white picks and altered theis every 20ft.

I'll ask a rope company.

 

[kf_tree]

the cost of ropes like that would be too prohibitive. in mountain ropes there called bi color. they change patterns at the half way mark to aid in finding the middle of the rope for belays. i climb with 8.6mm x 60m double ropes. so there is no need for knowing the middle to set up raps and with double ropes it lets you do full length raps instead of half a rope length. the bi color ropes are more pricey than regular ropes.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

To and from NE rope

Would it be possible to do an arborist rope, either climbing or bull, that changed its color pattern every say 20 ft, either changing from
green with yellow picks to yellow with green picks, or just having a fat band of one color at every increment?

There have been many disscussion about manualy marking ropes, I think something like this would have some market appeal

________________________
Hello John Paul,

Hope ISA went well for you. Thanks for your question. You raise an interesting point
and yes it is possible to change the pattern to indicate a change in length. We currently offer dynamic climbing ropes that change pattern at the mid point of the rope. The issue is really one of price. In order to change the pattern you have to stop the machine and manually have an operator rearrange the bobbins. A rope that you suggest would be nice but I think time and manpower required to make it would make this rope cost prohibitive.

Thanks again and maybe you might see a dual pattern climbing rope soon.

Best Regards,

Howard Wright
Climbing Market Manager
Maxim/ New England Ropes

________________________
Thanks Howard,

>>A rope that you suggest would be nice but I think time and manpower
>>required to make it would make this rope cost prohibitive.

I kinda figured, was not sure if something like that would be programable, like a Jacard loom.

It is rigging lines that have the most interest in increment markings, particularly so that the ground can put a stopper knot in the right location so it wont run through a pully, making the climber have to ascend to retrieve it, or worse have to reset it. also for judging distance when rigging over targets.

Could you do a ballpark estimate on an MSRP for something like this? Then I could run it through a few weboards
to see what people think of the price. I realize it would still be a bit of a niche market, only seriouse riggers would want it if it were significantly higher then standard rigging rope. But then there are a lot of seriouse riggers out there.

>>maybe you might see a dual pattern climbing rope soon.<<

This may be good for a bull/rigging rope, I dont see a need for marking midline in an arbo climbing line.

 

[Nickrosis]

Changing the color of the strands is a different scenario because the rope is usually dyed while the strand is thinner than a hair. Then they get bundled and braided until you have a rope.....

I did see Yale's machine that would coat rope after it was made - perhaps that would be something you're thinking of, Matt. The coatings would be for different purposes, depending on how the rope would be used. As I remember those coatings would be clear or colored.

Nickrosis

 

[treeman82]

JPS, I was thinking more along the lines of running ropes at a pretty rapid speed through some form of tube which has different spray heads in it. So you are really just dying the rope after it is braided together, not before it is made. So you go 20 feet and one color kicks on, another 20 feet and that kicks off while another kicks on. I wouldn't think that would be TOO expensive to do.