Question about a trick for old climbing lines

Overheard a crew chief at the supply house say he soaks his retired climbing lines in a bucket of water for a day before cutting them up for disposal. He claimed it keeps the fibers from flying everywhere when you cut them. Has anyone else tried this, or got a better method?

4 comments

4 Comments

finleyl393mo ago

My uncle used to wet down old rope before cutting it for the same reason. I mean, it's one of those little tricks that gets passed around in trades but you never see it online. Makes you wonder how much practical knowledge just lives in people's garages.

sagecooper3mo ago

Ever try a spray bottle for that, like @wyatt135 said?

ivan_murphy802mo agoTop Commenter

Wait, you cut a tow strap with a knife? That's the part that got me. Those things are crazy thick. I'd be scared of the knife slipping and going right into my hand. I use a hacksaw for stuff like that, or even bolt cutters. Just the idea of forcing a blade through all those layers of nylon under tension seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

wyatt1353mo ago

Yeah, that water trick is totally a thing. I did it last summer with an old tow strap before cutting it with a knife, and it made a huge difference. The damp fibers just sort of fall down instead of going airborne. It's one of those weird little hacks that sounds too simple to work, but it really does.