Rope Splicing Technique

beach and rope image by Lars Christensen from Fotolia.com

Sometimes simply tying knots in your rope does not give you the binding strength you need to tow boats, bundle logs, lash a raft or shelter together, or any number of heavy-duty tasks. For jobs like these, only a rope splice will do. One useful technique for splicing rope is the eye-splice, which creates an eye-loop on the end of any three-strand rope.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Scissors
Tape (optional)

Step 1

Cut the taped, waxed or resin-bound end off one end of your three-strand rope, if necessary. Unravel the three strands of rope 10 to 12 inches down the rope, and fasten at the still-bound starting spot with tape.

Step 2

Place the still-bound, taped base of the rope back against the main length of the rope, so that it forms a loop. Loosen the rope strands in the still-bound length of rope here. Then arrange the three loose strands out in a fork-like pattern.

Step 3

Take the center strand of loose rope and thread it under a still-bound strand in the area from Step 2. You are now starting to splice the rope back on itself and into a solid eye-loop.

Step 4

Thread the lower loose strand from the fork under the still-bound strand underneath the strand used in Step 3. Thread the upper loose strand from the fork under the upper still-bound strand as well.

Step 5

Repeat the process of splicing first the center strand, then the lower strand and finally the upper strand into the still-bound rope. Continue until there is not enough rope to go on splicing.

Step 6

Pull the rope tight and trim away excess rope with scissors. You may wish to bind up the end of the splice with tape for extra strength and to protect the strand-ends from fraying, but the friction among the spliced ropes give the splice plenty of grip.

Tips & Warnings

The size of your loop depends on how much still-bound rope you bend back on itself, not the 10 to 12 inches of unraveled rope you splice together. You can shorten or lengthen the loop at will prior to starting the splice, and even splice the loop together around a bundle or pole.

Article Written By Edwin Thomas

Edwin Thomas has been writing since 1997. His work has appeared in various online publications, including The Black Table, Proboxing-Fans and others. A travel blogger, editor and writer, Thomas has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam in pursuit of stories. He holds a Master of Arts in international affairs from American University.

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