My wife took a gift request off a “sharing tree” at church and the guy wants 200 feet of 3/8″ jute rope. Anyone know a source for this? Or is there an alternative–sisal, manilla, hemp? We don’t know what this guy wants the rope for. We have looked locally and jute is not available; I have gone on line and even places that say they specialize in jute rope don’t seem to actually have it when you look in their web site (the joys of internet exploration).
Thanks.
Replies
I wanna see the replies here also.
Jute is a fiber I've not had much use of, DW used Jute cord 40 years ago when macramae (sp) was an 'in' thing.
Think it takes dyes better than manilla or sisal, so maybe for crafts, or shopping bag handles? (no plastic bag syndrome)
If for use as rope, think tensile strength is on the same useless par as sisal ?
Can you discreetly inquire what the use would be??
Looked in my 1934 edition of Mark's handbook:
"Jute .. becomes weak and brittle...lack of durability...brittle and weak......principal uses are for gunny sacks ..... and owing to its cheapness, to adulterate better fibers..... " .
Mark's does not even mention use for crafts, just that is it the most inferior fiber for any engineering application, but does say it is smooth and lustrous .
Try Thomasnet.com and search for "jute rope".
I found several references to jute rope via a google search. One appeared to be a twine-like diameter "crafty" material.
Thomasnet listed a manufacturer of jute rope with 450 - 600 lb breaking strength.
Yet another reference noted that the term "jute" is commonly mis-used to refer to manila or hemp ropes.
Good luck with this one! Maybe wrap a note to contact the church and offer to buy it anonymously after some clarification.
Jim
Sorry to wait so long to reply--all #### has broken loose around me--Dad needs care, sibs cannot come to help, or may come, but they aren't sure, etc. So I decided to put him in assisted living for three weeks while wife and I visit her parents (including her 90 year old dad who is ill) and may not have enough money for that (he swore his ins. would cover, but it appears that it won't. I got mad at sibs and now they are mad at me and may not help Dad at all--that'll teach me!)
Anyway, I looked at Thomas and didn't have much luck--may need someone to conatct the person, as you mentioned, and see if they really mean to have jute.
Danno - You are part of the sammich generation - courage!
http://packandseal.com/TwineJute.html
Get the #120 10lbs.
See it here: http://packandseal.com/Images/Catergories/Twine/Jute/AllJute.jpg
Edited 11/18/2008 7:23 pm ET by Dam_inspector
Thanks for the link--just looked and I see only twine, not rope--I think the guy doesn't really know what he wants and maybe meant hemp rope or Manilla rope or even sisal rope. Will see if church can contact him and get back to us! Fortunately, he also wanted a plaid shirt--that we can handle!
Is jute the same as hemp?
No, but I am wondering if the guy who wants it thought it is.
"Is jute the same as hemp?"I've never heard of anyone smoking jute. :)BruceT
Bruce T. Really? You have never smoked jute? That's all we had out in West Texas. We couldn't afford to smoke our ropes. Needed them for ropen steers. Bruce S.
Yeah, here in Ohio, we had to smoke corn silk.