In the future, if you ever need to reset a rope, here’s the technique. This will help remove high stranding and reset the twist into the rope. The older the rope, the more often you will reset it, but honestly, it will probably take quite a few months before you need to reset it the first time. This technique is also suitable for stretching rope when it is new, it won’t require a lot of twisting in that situation.

Resetting the rope involves:

Attaching one end only to something solid (a pole etc) which also has the ability to walk the distance of a length of rope away from it (ie. eight metres). The best way to do this is using an old piece of rope, tie around a pole doubled over so you end up with a bight, make a larks head in the bight and put larks head over the knot on one end of the rope you want to reset. At the other end, walk it out until the rope raises off the floor about a foot (but is not completely tight, it should have a gentle curve).

Undo the knot at that end, and with fingers about an inch from the end, start twisting the rope (with the twist), so that the twist gets tighter and tighter. You should see the rope slowly raising higher and higher. Every 10 twists, stretch the rope and lock in the twist by leaning your whole body weight away (obviously you have made sure that larks head is real tight at the other end! lol) so that the rope stretches. Then step back and start twisting again, usually with a new rope it will probably be about 30 twists total, with an older rope it may be more. You are twisting until you start to feel it “kick back” at your fingers. I usually check by still holding the unknotted end (don’t let go!), step back towards the pole and let some of it dangle to the floor…if it starts to twist on itself, it’s done.

Tie the stop knot back into the end (nice and tight), then I throw the rope up in the air a few times to allow the “snake” to uncurl a bit (you’ll understand when you do it lol). Voila, you’re done.

Popup Plugin