Today is the feast day of St Catherine of Alexandria, patron saint of rope makers. Ten things you might not know about rope:
The oldest rope ever found is 50,000 years old, likely to have been made by Neanderthals, and was discovered in France. Although the sample was tiny and required a microscope to study it, archaeologists found that it was constructed in much the same way as rope is today, by braiding fibres.
Between 35,000 and 40,000 years ago, people began making tools to produce rope. In the Hohle Fels cave in south-western Germany a 20 cm (8 in) strip of mammoth ivory was found with four precise holes drilled through it. This device was most likely used for rope making. The ancient Egyptians were making similar tools at around the same time, not only for moving stones to build pyramids, but there’s evidence they used rope for skipping as well. A rope making machine was also one of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions.
There are many different materials which can be used to make rope. Hemp, linen, Cotton, jute, straw, and sisal are among the natural fibres which can be used. Ropes can be made from synthetic fibres too, such as Nylon and polyester, and out of metal, usually steel. Silk, wool, and Hair have been used at times, but ropes made from these substances are not generally available in modern times.
A rope is a rope until it is given a job to do, at which point the correct term for it is a “line”. This is especially true for ropes used in sailing and mooring boats (e.g. yacht line, dock line, float line). On land, think of a clothes line.
Rope is weakened when you tie a knot in it. This is because the rope then rubs against itself or the object it is tied to. This will become the rope’s weakest point, by as much as 60% depending on the type of knot used.
While on the subjects of knots, the Incas used knotted ropes as a form of writing between 900–1950 AD, most likely for record keeping. These were called ‘khipus’.
In the Middle Ages, ropes would be made in ropewalks, which would be a building or area outdoors where the entire length of rope could be laid out and braided by hand. This allowed for long ropes of up to 300 yards (270 m) long or longer to be made, and avoid having to splice ropes together. It’s a method some ropemakers today still use. Ropes made for the Navy would include a “rogue’s yarn”, a coloured strand which would identify the source and discourage rope theft. Sailors used to make decorative items from rope including baskets or bracelets as gifts for their wives on their return home. This became so common that flogging became a punishment for half-inching the ship’s rope.
The world’s longest rope was made in 2013 in The Netherlands, 5,440 meters in length. It was used in an attempt to break the world record for the largest skipping rope.
Rope can be left or right handed according to the direction of the twist. The ISO 2 standard uses the uppercase letters S and Z to indicate the two possible directions: Z-twist rope is said to be right-handed, and the S-twist to be Left-handed.
The average life span of a rope is 5 years. However, if a rope is being used for a mission or life critical purpose, such as a mooring line or a climbing rope, it must be inspected way more often than this. In the case of a climbing rope, before each use.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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