TIL a $4 wire brush on my climbing line's sheath saved me a new rope

Last month I noticed my 150 foot climb line had sap and grit worked into the sheath near the splice, and it was grabbing in my hitch. I tried wiping it down with a damp rag, but that just pushed the crud deeper into the weave. Out of ideas, I grabbed a soft brass wire brush from the hardware store and gently brushed along the lay of the rope, then rinsed it in a bucket with a tiny bit of dish soap. The rope came back slick and it's still passing my pre-climb inspection with no glazing or fuzz. Has anyone else cleaned a line this way, or am I risking damage I can't see yet?

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spencerl326d ago

I read on a climbing forum that brass brushes are actually fine for rope as long as you go with the twist and don't press hard. Some guy over there said he's been doing it for years on his arb lines with no issues. Just keep an eye on it over the next few months I guess.

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