rope color

[caleb miller]

Anyone know why rigging ropes loose their color so fast but climbing lines don't?

 

[Raven]

Hmmmm.... good question. They're made by the same companies so I would assume the dying process is the same. I'm gonna go with abrasion. Rigging lines get a LOT of abuse, much more than climb lines. And if you're climbing line gets all fuzzy and starts to fade it's color - you'd prolly buy a new one. Perhaps some rigging lines get used well beyond their safe working life.

 

[caleb miller]

I use a retired climbing line for a ton of light rigging , probably too often but it has no color loss

 

[treehumper]

Rope construction?

 

[evo]

I'd bet it's the dye/coating. I've had double braid rigging lines that seem like the yarns are dyed after construction, and coated with something. Granted I haven't had many rigging lines double braid lines, but if a strand is picked or pulled to the side the under laying strand is dyed less or not at all.
All of the climbing lines I've owned had the yarns dyed though out.

 

[TreeLogic]

Rope construction?

Stable braid for sure

 

[ReLeaf]

So this is a really interesting question and I have definitely noticed the same thing with my rigging lines so I asked Yale... (so add in the disclaimer that not all lines may be made like this) Basically what I was told is that the climbing lines have solution dyed polyester yarns, while rigging lines are coated with a urethane.

So a coated line will discolor or fade much quicker than a solution dyed yarn. Plus the fact that we are pretty rough on rigging lines doesn't help.

Does that help?

 

[TreeLogic]

Basically the exact thing evo said. Good info, thanks.

 

[ReLeaf]

Basically the exact thing evo said. Good info, thanks.

Yeah, he was pretty much right on!

 

[TreeLogic]

Yeah, he was pretty much right on!

Regardless, thanks for the research and vindication ReLeaf.
Totally makes sense.
Certain ropes strands are dyed (soaked entirely in color solution) prior to being woven, and then the rope is made with those colored strands. These will hold color the longest.
But some of the rigging lines are woven first and then coated, not necessarily soaked. These will not have colored internal areas and will lose their color faster.

 

[evo]

I'm not sure if the strands on climbing line are dyed by being soaked in a color solution. I would expect that it is an additive added in the process of making the fiber. So imagine dyeing your hair, vs coloring candle wax.

 

[NGD]

Solution died rope fiber has color as an actual part of the fiber makeup. It will never "wear" off. UV can make it fade as the fiber itself degrades.

 

[Raven]

Cool, thanks!