The two main variables for me are if the rope is to be cut or not. If I'm cutting it then yes, a double braid or kernmantle is better as it makes it possible to "core" the rope which allows you to use the sheath of the rope for the effect retaining the size but making it easier to cut. If it is for the Professors Nightmare I prefer a 1/2" single braid nylon which tends to wear better for the friction of the rope sliding on the same area over and over. Most "Magician's Rope" creates more friction and tends to wear out faster. Then again, it's just money. I don't even consider Fiber Optics... I just go back to thee originator George Sands and his brilliant Ropesational/Sandsational from which it was all taken from.

Memory-Jah, what are you going to say, when someone ask you, why is your rope core so white. I never seen rope with a whit core. Rope is an everyday ordinary product, and as such, it is meant to be used in the real world. As long it keeps the object tied down, that is all that matters for the consumer.

Where have you seen cored rope that is all the same white color inside and out. It is very strange that you expect it to be that way, when initially you indicated you had no idea where to even purchase rope, from you previous posts here on The Café.

OK I will probably "shock" a few of you...

When I started with "Scotty's Sucker C&R Rope" (one dollar from Percy Abbott) For my dollar, I received a page of instructions (printed--NOT mimeographed!). I had to buy a hank (50') of nice white rope. I think it cost $.50! (and, Percy honored his catalog's "promise: ("We pay the postage)

It was "kernmantel" rope (I think that's a German word or term). Kernmantel (type) rope is a core of strands, encased in a woven sheath. I think I explained that last year in this same forum. The rope was made of cotton (core, and, sheath. BOTH WERE WHITE COTTON.

When the price of cotton "jumped", about 20 + years ago (possibly earlier than that) rope manufacturers reduced the number of cotton strands inside the sheath to keep the price of the finished product down. This reduced somewhat the diameter of the rope. Magicians didn't care much as they were just going to cut it (and restore it!) or, possibly tie knots in it. They weren't going to "tie their pet elephant to a tree with it", so strength wasn't important.

Years later, when I was on the road, and doing, then, a combination of Professors Nightmare, Cut & Restored (3 times) routine (somewhat similar to Pop Haydn's excellent "Mongolian", I would buy spools of rope, enough for the entire season (average 400 shows). A spool is/was 300'. I used about 7' per show. You can do the math yourself. My pal, the late Denny Loomis, who had worked with me to create the routine, started doing it. He was doing schools. also. I think Percy Abbott stared in disbelief at Denny's rope order. (It was the largest rope order that Abbott's had ever had! (At that time, I was getting my rope from Magic Inc.)

Cotton prices continued to climb. Most of the "magic" rope available in the USA was made by the FORSYTHE TWINE AND CORDAGE CO., of FORSYTHE, GEORGIA. Many of us pro's, if we were near Forsythe, would stop at the factory. and, pick up "mill ends", cheap. The "ends" varied in length, but, were cheap enough (priced by the pound!) than we didn't care. The last time I passed through Forsythe, and, planned to stock up, the factory had closed! Cotton prices had climbed. New owners planned to reopen and make "cheap" macrame cord.

Then, I made a deal with Frances Marshall to trade her my left over rope at the end of each season, for spools of new rope. My left over rope was already cut in PN lengths. I tell the rest of the story in my book. A few years later, when I was "living" in Colon, I made the same deal with Greg Bordner.

Cotton prices have continued to rise. I suspect that the rope factories have substituted a different material as the filler in magicians rope.

So! Memory-Jah! the audience, I'm sure, doesn't care what color the core of the rope is!

I use rope from the Baronian Trading Company that has been mentioned many times above. They have a sample package where you can order some from each size. Or you can order a 25 foot section of what you think you will like best and ask for samples of the others to be included. I didn't ask and still got short six inch samples of their other sizes.

Very important also. If you do any cutting of rope as part of the routine, and especially if you have volunteers cut the rope, make sure you get some good rope scissors. BTC sells a great pair of scissors. Cuts through the rope every time. I used to use cutters from Lowes which worked great for me but some volunteers still had trouble. My kids would have to cut the rope two or three times with those cutters. The rope scissors from BTC have never failed. My kids couldn't even get them to not cut the rope. Great scissors and well worth the cost.

Yes! Good scissors are important! Watching the magician "hacking" and "chewing" the rope with an inadequate pair of scissors, becomes ludicrous.

For years, magic dealers sold a pair of scissors with short blunt nose blades, that looked like "tin snips".

Jay was "playing" with the VISH NU technique of cutting and restoring a rope, and I asked him where e got the scissors that he was using. He said, "They're Clauss #468 moly." They were about the same size overall as those most dealers sold, BUT, the blades were a bit over 3" long. They looked like scissors!

I grabbed a scrap of rope and Jay's scissors. They cut the rope "like a hot knife cuts through butter"!
There was one pair in the drawer, down in the stock room. I bought them. That was about 1969, and, they have seen thousands of audiences. I think I paid about $20. then. Odds are that they cost more, now. If you're in a large city that has a store specializing in scissors, they can probably order a pair.

I've seen other brands since, and, most likely they will do the job. Take a hunk of rope with you to the store, and test them.

wwhokie1 has recommended a pair sold by BARONIAN. I'm retired, and not going to buy a pair to compare them with mine! "Howsomever", wwh1 aint no liar! Thanks wwh1 for the tip!

This particular post concerns me. If you are the owner / represent a company and this is how you treat a customer who has, in my opinion, a pretty honest complaint about your product, I'm not sure I want to do business with you. You may want to think about how you word things on a public site like this as everyone who reads this is a potential customer.

Based on your website, I would assume the ropes are all white inside and out. This may or may not affect certain tricks and routines but I would not know to ask that question when buying rope.

If you had explained on this forum why some ropes have a different color core, and what to order if you don't want that core, it would have been much more helpful, and I bet if you had offered to send the OP a free sample pack or something you would have had a customer for life.

I know you have a lot of high-end clients... and I have personally seen your rope and it looks lovely. I guess I saw a hollow rope because it was all white.

Actually it does show the different color core on their site.... I've only looked at the hollow rope on their site.

Wanted to clear that up from my post above. The photos do show it on the website.

Hi Thomas,
I appreciate your comments. I had reached out to Markus in a PM and offered to help him out with the ropes even though he didn't buy from me directly but did buy my product after-all, but he never responded. I think my response was justified based on his comments. If someone doesn't like my product, it's ok, everyone has his/her own preference and opinion. But to call out that he was ripped off and discredit BTC is uncalled for. You can ask anyone on here that has bought rope from me that I have treated all of the with respect and professionalism.

Dany Baronian

I understand your frustration. He was a little rough on you! ha. But I did feel a little bad for him too... this whole thread he's been debating about which type of rope to order.
While not happy for him, I'm glad I read this thread, I learned something about rope! Would never have thought to ask what the color of the interior is.

ThomasR, you are being over critical and insulted dbarionian on this matter. He had nothing to do with the initial purchase, and if you think asking question is putting off someone, you have a lot to learn.

In the history of magic, the core color of rope has never come up. Your hind sight may be 20/20, and in your case, why didn't you tell the Original Poster this information to begin with. If you think everyone else should have all the answers before they are brought up, you failed to do the same. You should have known to go put this information out, even though you only looked at cored rope.

I'm sorry for sharing my opinion and thoughts.

I didn't share my knowledge with the OP because I didn't have that knowledge until it happened to him and he reported it here.

I use Baronian BTC-4 rope in my routine, and tin snips instead of scissors. They are not sharp--they don't have a sharp edge--but they will cut through thick rope like butter. They also have a rounded point that won't poke a hole in your back pants pocket.



I use about 15' in each show. The longer the rope is, the better the Prof Nightmare plays, and the more life and size is added to the performance. I have played this routine for very large audiences--9000 people when I opened for Conway Twitty--and it always plays well.

I used to use the camirand elite rope and it was excellent. Hard to find. I got some of the Baronian 10mm rope and this is the best rope I have ever used. Makes the moves for fiber optics or any routine work like a dream

Best rope I've bought was from Michael Finneny's web-site. Nice to work with!