Knowing the Ropes: A Twist on 18th Century Rope Making

Making and Demonstrating the Art and Craft of Natural Fiber Rope Making

Rope making is one of the first and most useful skills developed by humans. It predates other ancient tools and technologies such as the wheel and the ax. Not only was rope necessary for outfitting watercraft, it was needed to secure animals (and other humans), bundle goods, control horses, for tent making, for making simple footwear, and for team-based heavy lifting and pulling. And, in a pinch, holding up your pants. Without rope, the early Egyptians and ancient Chinese would be paddling their barges and feluccas up and down rivers, limiting the distance they could reasonably travel and the weight of goods they could hall. Both strong and flexible, the uses are endless. A rope might not seem very important, but it was critical to the emergence of early cultures around the globe. 

Rope making demonstration with a young apprentice.

Demonstrating 18^th century rope making is one of my favorite activities at events. It’s very hands-on and interactive, and it’s a process few people have ever put much thought into. Much like weaving or papermaking, it’s something we tend to view as the end-result (rope, cloth, paper) rather than considering the skills and materials that went into creating it. As a bonus, at the end of the day I’ve made a number of different lengths and types of rope which I use for everything from tent lines to...holding my pants up.

 The origins of rope making are unknown, but there is documented evidence of the use of rope dating back to 17000 BCE. The earliest ropes were made by hand-twisting or braiding vines, grass, reeds, hair, or strips of animal skin. The ancient Egyptians were likely the first to create tools to improve the process. The Chinese developed hemp fiber for rope making, and this type of rope became the most commonly used as it spread across Asia into Europe and on to Colonial America. In the native Americas, sisal was the tough and durable fiber of choice. Pacific islanders used manila; arctic circle dwellers used seal skin.

Twisted, multi-strand rope has been hand crafted using the “ropewalk” method since the Middle Ages, and by the late 18^th century there were a number of different machines available to construct different types of rope. For practical purposes the rope walk had to be sheltered indoors, so the term ropewalk came to denote both the process and the place. Ropewalk buildings up to 1,200 feet long were not uncommon and were often found in waterfront towns near wharves and ship yards. The fiber of choice would be combed and twisted to form yarn-like strands, which would then be spread the length of the building; these strands would be counter-twisted to form the rope. The length was limited to the size of the walk. The strength of a rope depends on the fiber used, the size of the circumference of the strands, and number of strands used to make the rope. Hemp fiber provides the strongest natural fiber rope. 

Fig. 1: Jack with rope in progress. You can also see

a length of thick rope I made earlier that day.

Only three simple tools were needed: a twisting piece called a “jack” which has three or four rotating hooks (Figure 1), a sledge or carriage with a single rotatable hook to secure the opposite end, and a grooved, device called a "top" (Figure 2). And of course, a bobbin or bundle of fiber “yarn.” While one person (sometimes children) turned the crank of the jack, another inserted the top among the strands, drawing ahead of the twist to keep it smooth, and to keep it twisting evenly. This is where the “walk” part of a ropewalk comes in, as the maker must walk back and forth along the rope in progress to keep one strand from “grabbing” another strand and to keep it smooth and tight. Twisting causes the lengths to contract, so the carriage has to move along the ropewalk, controlled by the rope maker. Once finished, the ends of the rope must be tied off to keep them from unraveling. Some rope makers included a “thief mark” or “rogues yarn,” which was a strip of tape or colored yarn that was placed between the strands of Navy ropes when they were being made. If the rope was stolen, it could be cut and identified as belonging to the Navy. Each rope factory used a different color of yarn or printed the company name on the tape.

Fig 2:"Top'' from the Ropery Hall Museum

For use on 18th and 19th century sailing ships, lengths could be as long as 300 yards.  The standard length for a British Naval Rope was 1000 feet and a large sailing ship or man-of-war would require over 43 miles of rope, weighing 78.5 tons!  Rope made for shipboard use, once it is cut to length and employed for a specific use, is called “line.” A line is a rope with a job, and would have a specific name, like shroud line, mooring line, sheet line, and so on.  

U.S. Navy’s first ropewalk was proposed by Naval Commandant William Bainbridge in 1813. The building, located at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, was completed in 1837 and operation began that year. Two other buildings were a part of the ropewalk complex: The “Hemp House” and “Tar House” which were completed that same year. The Hemp House served as a storehouse for hemp, and the Tar House was the place where the yarn was soaked in huge tanks filled with tar, to help preserve and protect the rope from salt water.

So, now you can say you "know the ropes." 

 

Rope making illustration from Diderot's 18th c. Encyclopedia of Trade and Industry 

Dr. Jerry Hedrick Chiropractor Board License Battery Commonwealth


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