Marking Ropes

[Fred]

Interesting reading for those who Sharpy their ropes.

MARKING OF ROPES

That marking a climbing rope with a felt pen can damage it was first reported in 1998. The German Alpine Cub tested a Sharpie felt pen (made in USA and sold in Germany), which apparently was advertised for use on climbing ropes (to mark the middle of the rope, for instance). In the tests the ropes were marked and the marked area was placed at the orifice plate in the standard UIAA drop test. Five unmarked samples held 10 - 12 falls, while three marked samples held 6 - 8 falls. This information was published at that time in the Gazette of The Alpine Club of Canada as well as in The American Alpine News.

Last year this topic re-appeared on the Internet as well as in Climbing and Rock & Ice. In both magazines the use of felt pens was recommended for the (middle) marking of ropes, while the Internet correspondence centered on the damage. The press, despite being told about the possible damage, did nothing about it. Among the users there was doubt about the sources of the information.

Last year two rope manufacturers (Lanex and Mammut) and the German Alpine Club visited this problem again. Various samples of non-dry and superdry rope were tested using a variety of felt pens (Sharpie was not among them). Testing was done seven to 30 days after application. Reduction varied from zero to 50 % in the number of drops held. Superdry ropes generally had less capacity reduction than non-dry, possibly because the saturation was less. However, one particular rope sample had an insignificant increase in capacity for the non-dry rope, but a 35 % reduction for the superdry. This rope, by the way, was the only one, which did not have a reduction in capacity for both the non-dry and superdry sample.

Middle markings, which come with a new rope and were applied by the manufacturer, are safe. Do rope manufacturers sell trustworthy markers? Mammut tested the "Rope Marker", a pen sold by Beal. The reduction was 50 % for the non-dry and 17 % for the superdry rope. Mammut tested five days and four weeks after application. The capacity reduction was more for tests done four weeks after application.

Sanford, the manufacturer of the Sharpie pens, will apparently not guarantee a consistent product. The ingredients of the pen may vary. There is no "standard" formula for the chemicals that are contained in the markers. The company has also stated that "Sanford will not endorse or in any way recommend use of these markers for rope climbing (sic), and will not accept liabilities, which may arise from its use."

The recommendation: do not mark your rope with any kind of felt pen. Water-soluble acrylic paints are apparently safe. No information is available how long they stay on.

The bottom line: (for a rope, which would be safe under normal circumstances) there is a risk when the marked area is loaded by a fall over an edge. Who buys lottery tickets?

[ben smith]

small sample size in the first paper- I would like to see at least 10 samples of each rope type tested under each treatment. hopefully this was rectified in the second set of experiments although no reference is given... interesting results but not necessary satatistically meaningful as presented here (i.e apparently poor experimental design).

[Burley]

I won't be putting Sharpie on a rope of mine again. I marked a Beal Golden Dry and the Sharpie area became stiff and would actually make squeaky / crackly noises when bent or twisted. Likely it was just sheath damage, but who knows. I problem didn't seem to appear until after a second sharpie application because (done due to fading over time). Just one swipe with the marker and only one application might be ok. Just don't lay it on thick and you might survive, but again who knows. There are other ways of making sure both ends are down the same distance that don't come with the possibility of death.

Yeah Bowles, that's the pink bad-boy I made you climb on in Bar Harbor.... now retired and attached to various trees.

[Fred]

duodess

[chossmonkey]

There was some "redneck" testing done with some old ropes and a pickup truck. I forget where I saw it posted. Anyway, the ropes broke everywhere but where they had marked it with a Sharpie. YMMV.

[Mike V]

I marked my Elderid 10.3 mm rope in the middle and at both ends with a Beal rope marker that I purchased from MEC, it is not felt and claims to be safe for climbing rope. Should I be concerned anyway?

[*Chris*]

My rope is marked with a sharpie. I'll continue to climb on it as I believe if it were to fail... it would have done so by now. I also think the risk due to pilot error when trying to make raps in less than ideal conditions frightens me more than any weakening of rope fibres. Others are free to decline climbing on my rope if they wish. That said, my future ropes will be duodess.

[Fred]

I marked my Elderid 10.3 mm rope in the middle and at both ends with a Beal rope marker that I purchased from MEC, it is not felt and claims to be safe for climbing rope. Should I be concerned anyway?

You'll likely be ok. My recommendation would be to avoid it on future ropes.

[martha]

The extra $15 or $20 for a duodess is worth it for rope management. I don't remember buying a rope that wasn't a duodess actually. I think Fred got one a year or so ago that wasn't but I'm not sure. We have so many friggen ropes in our basement it is hard to keep them all straight and untied...

[Murph]

Sorry for digging up an old thread but I recently got a new rope (not a Bi-colour) and I need to mark the middle. I "sharpied" my previous rope (twice) with no apparent issues but was wondering if I should bother with the "beal rope marker". Also, has anyone tried the dental floss through the sheath method??? Seems like it would last about a week and be hard to find as well.

[mick]

Dental floss is actually pretty tough stuff, I reckon it would last for a long time.

I've seen ropes that look like they have bits of orange hunting tape stuck through the sheath at the midpoint - I wonder how hard that would be to do...

[*Chris*]

Ryan,
I did the thread trick. Cool idea... but lasted about a week. After that, I reverted back to a sharpie and I'm not dead yet. My next rope will be bi-patterened though.

[Shawn B]

http://www.bdel.com/scene/beta/qc_kp_archive.php#120308

[Murph]

http://www.bdel.com/scene/beta/qc_kp_archive.php#120308

I've read that article and he makes a good point, a ropes mid-point mark rarely receives the high impact forces as in the UIAA tests...

"Think about that for a second: to have the middle of your 60-meter rope be the point where the rope is loaded during a fall, then you would have to be taking a HUGE 60-meter whipper—not very common."

[cory]

couldn't you just bleach half your rope to make it bicolour?

[STeveA]

Or you could cut the rope in half and then join the middle with a reef knot. This would make the middle easy to find.

[jeremy benjamin]

Or you could cut the rope in half and then join the middle with a reef knot. This would make the middle easy to find.

Even better, hook up with a friend that has a different colour rope than yours, cut both ropes in half and trade one half with each other. Then tie the halves together with a reef knot and you will each have a sweet bi-colour rope without any marker weakening at the mid point.