Tensile strength
The load a rope withstands before breaking; a quoted breaking strength is an average from testing and says little about the safe load of worn, knotted rope in use.
Tensile or breaking strength is the pulling force a rope takes before it fails. Epic Rope explains that a quoted breaking strength is the average failure load in testing and ignores wear, conditioning and the momentum of a moving load. General references stress that a safe working load is far lower than breaking strength, and that knots weaken rope, which tends to fail at or near a knot (Wikipedia: Rope; Knot). Shibari Study describes rated synthetics as much stronger than natural fibers, and both it and Shay Tiziano of Twisted Windows favor rated rope for load-bearing suspension lines. Strength also changes with treatment and age: Shibari Study reports that boiling can significantly weaken rope, and Karada House that dry rope breaks more easily. This page deliberately gives no figures.
Sources
- Beginner's Guide to Buying Rope — Epic Rope
- Rope — Wikipedia
- Knot — Wikipedia
- Shibari Study Rope Guide Part 1: The Basics — Shibari Study (Mo Bights)
- Contents of a Basic Rope Suspension Kit — Twisted Windows (Shay Tiziano)
- How To Treat Jute Rope For Shibari — Shibari Study (Mo Bights)
- The Complete Guide to Shibari Rope Care & Maintenance — Karada House