Forums > Technical Discussion > The best kind of rope to make a rope dart?

Posted: 31st Jan 2010
A fire rope dart or a practice one?
I've just made a fire one and the rope on that is a soft acrylic type that you'd find on a dog lead. strong but comfortable when it flys through my hands. (and of corse for fire i have a legnth of chain between the rope and the wick)
Also for fire you can use kevlar rope

I'd say Go look for comething comfy, cos trust me rope dart with a hard nylon rope will give you mad blisters.
I've played with a few HOP practice ones and still found the rope uncomfortable.

Posted: 31st Jan 2010
Something soft.

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Posted: 5th Feb 2010
For non fire you can use normal climbing rope, the thinner the better, but not thicker than your pinky finger. I never had problems with blisters and by now the skin on my hands is hard enough to use pretty much any rope and not get burned. Also, climbing rope gets softer with use.

For fire dart I would do as LiveWire suggests (I never burned fire before so Im only guessing). A chain (as thick as the rope you use) between the rope and the dart would do the trick, about half a meter to one meter maybe? I heard kevlar ropes arent the best for rope darts, they are to rough.

Aliens abducted me! They made me wear a funny hat.

Posted: 5th Feb 2010
for non-fire: 1/4 inch solid braid nylon.

it may be more useful to tell you what NOT to use. never use "twisted" rope, or "twine." watch out for "diamond braid" rope - this is a braided sleeve w/ a textile or who-knows-what inner core.

solid braid is the best. for fire, i would use 1/4" solid braid hemp or cotton rope, but i haven't been able to find it in any of the hardware stores where i live.

Posted: 5th Feb 2010
See if you can locate a braided bondage rope. All of the ones I researched are twisted, but you can imagine they'd be softer on flesh.

Think about a length of thin silk, which can be super soft on your hands, like the ones from here: https://www.shaolinropedart.com/

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow

Posted: 10th Apr 2010
Is colecord a valid option for rope darts? I know that the flowtoys dart uses a very similar, albeit slightly rougher cord, but I have never tried it. It's so soft for use with poi, and relatively cheap.
Is there a minimum recommended thickness?

Posted: 10th Apr 2010
Kevlar

Posted: 10th Apr 2010
^^^Kevlar

The only luck is bad luck.

Shut up before I stall my poi up your ass

Posted: 14th Apr 2010
go to a martial arts surplus and buy one that way u can get and actual feel for it

float like a butterfly and sting like when i pee

Posted: 14th Apr 2010
u might wanna change the metal wieght at the end untill you get comfortable enough with it

float like a butterfly and sting like when i pee