18th century rope and cordage

[eagle24]

Mods, forgive me if this is in the wrong forum.  I wasn't sure exactly where it fit.

What types of rope and cordage was available and common during the late 18th century?  What types and when became available during the 19th century? 

[Kermit]

Hemp, in a word. Some other stuff, like linen/tow, but not very significant. Ships of the time were dependent on hemp. George W. grew it.

Search out "rope walks" to learn how and where it was made. These days mostly you'll find three-strand right-laid rope. Four-strand was used as well. In the 18th century both right- and left-laid rope was made. Replica ships today use synthetic look-alike stuff, almost all three-strand and right-laid. I'm given to understand that ships then used one lay on the starboard side and the opposite lay on the larboard. Can't remember off the point of my brain which was which.

You can still get hemp rope in a variety of sizes. Sisal and manila are new stuff, and nowhere as good. One fella's opinion.

[eagle24]

I knew they had hemp (and don't mean that to sound like I don't appreciate your response).  The reason I asked is that I have seen pictures of some old accoutrements and bags that have cords/strings attached or as repairs to straps and such.  Most do not appear to be hemp from what I can tell in the pictures.  I'm sure some were repairs done much later than the time the said item was made (some probably early 20th century).  Just got me thinking about what they had (and when) other than leather thongs or hemp.  Some appear to be braided cotton/linen maybe along the lines of 1/8" diameter in size.

[Trkdriver99]

There was stuff made from dog bane and other plants, that the Indians used long before contact with the white Man. Hand rolled twine and rope.

Ronnie

[Canute Rex]

Hemp has a variety of appearances depending upon processing and use. It bleaches to near white in the sun, and it was often tarred (pine tar), which made it brown. You can still get it as rough twine or refined braided rope or anything in between. It was the go-to rope material for centuries because of its long fibers.

Sidebar: I once helped make basswood bark cord for constructing a wigwam on a reservation. The inner bark of the basswood tree is stringy and can be peeled off in long strips. We soaked 2 1/2" to 3" wide strips and then rolled them on our thighs. The end of one strip would be overlapped a few inches with the next and rolled. It was actually reasonably strong. There's one for the "raised my own flax and smelted my own iron" enthusiasts. 

[Joe S]

There's one for the "raised my own flax and smelted my own iron" enthusiasts.

Flax can be grown in your yard.  Hemp can be grown in your neighbor’s yard.

[Trkdriver99]

Or grown in on Forest Service or National Park land

Ronnie, who has read of such.

[Black Hand]

There's one for the "raised my own flax and smelted my own iron" enthusiasts.

Flax can be grown in your yard.  Hemp can be grown in your neighbor’s yard.

Wrong hemp.....
From Wikipedia:
"Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var. sativa is the variety grown for industrial use, while C. sativa subsp. indica generally has poor fibre quality and is primarily used for production of recreational and medicinal drugs.  Oilseed and fibre varieties of Cannabis approved for industrial hemp production produce only minute amounts of this psychoactive drug, not enough for any physical or psychological effects."

[Kermit]

I've been given to understand that you'd have to smoke a bushel or two of industrial hemp to get a buzz, by which time you'd likely be really sick. Never the less, our government--in its infinite wisdom--won't let OUR farmers grow the stuff, so guess where it all comes from?

[omark]

now kermit, you know theyre just PROTECTING US.      MARK

[Kermit]

Oh. Yeah. I forgot. Mea culpa.

[keweenaw]

The Canadians are growing lots of industrial hemp, just well regulated.  Basswood bark was the most common native cordage.  Early immigrants noted that it made stronger fishing lines than anything available in europe, i.e. hemp and flax.  Finer twine and cordage was made by the Indians mostly from nettle fiber or sometimes with dogbane.  Get dried nettle plants in the fall and pound them to release fiber and roll cordage from that on you leg.  It's a particularly good way to get rid of excessive leg hair.  Probably not a good thing to suggest to your wife...

Tom

[Kermit]

Nettle works well, but you need to rett and scutch the stuff just like you would flax.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutching

I've been meaning to try nettle fiber as tinder, like tow.

[Z. Buck]

although for an unpracticed person rolling on the leg gets the most consisten results, the native's of this continent did employ stick and drop spindles to twist their fibres. just a pet peeve of mine but i think its ethnocentric to continue the idea that indians weren't capable of making long strands of cordage. many people are unaware of some of the spinning methods because we see so few. even at reenactmenst there is almost always only modern reinventions of traditional methods and tools, regardless of the original region of the world. when i was younger i spent several years doing experiments dealing with a myriad of fibres and methods. mostly from north America and the British isles, quite a fascinating art and technology of its own , and often overlooked