What does "Core Rope" mean? In short: it means that the rope has a core next to each strand in the middle. But what does that mean exactly and what are the advantages? I would like to briefly tell you about it in this article.
The ropes not only have a different number of strands such as 3-strand, 4-strand or 5-strand ropes. There are also ropes made of different materials such as nylon, poly or mixed forms with and without lead. All of these properties have particular advantages and disadvantages. The art of rope making is figuring out how to balance the pros and cons of each for a specific purpose. There are always new technologies to develop the "perfect rope". One of these technologies is the "Core Technology". Not only are individual strands twisted together, but the strands are twisted around a core. You will now find out what effects this has on the rope and how this balances the advantages and disadvantages.
The core of a rope brings decisive advantages in terms of longevity and stability. There is constant movement in a rope. Every time a rope pulls apart and pulls together again, the individual fibers vary in their position. The fibers stretch, retract, and twist on themselves. A relatively straight core helps each fiber return to its original position.
When fibers are dyed they lose flexibility. This means that the fibers wear out faster when the rope is used. With a core rope, it is possible to color only the core, which then gives the entire rope its color. The outer strands and their fibers are then not colored and thus retain their own flexibility.
The core also has an advantage in terms of stretch. The core can be used to determine more precisely how the rope should behave when it expands. Depending on how much stretch a rope should have, the core can be selected accordingly. This gives the rope a consistent feeling from day one.
Thanks to the core, you can also equip very thin ropes with a lot of tip weight. With thin ropes, you can use the core to influence exactly how the tip should feel. For a certain tip weight, the rope also needs a certain mass. Mass, on the other hand, needs space and so ropes with a lot of tip weight usually have a corresponding diameter. Thanks to the core, a lot of mass can be accommodated in a small diameter, which results in a clearly defined tip weight even with very thin ropes.
consistency
The stretch properties as well as the longevity and the coloring of a core rope ensure that it always feels the same and does not react so sensitively to external influences. It doesn't matter whether the rope is new and fresh from the manufacturer or whether it has already caught a few bulls. It always feels the same.
