Help me out here folks. I've recently started playing with ropes. Already I've found a ton of good information here at the Café as well but I'm curious. I'm looking at purchasing a spool of rope from Baronian. It looks like the BTC2 or BTC3 at 10mm or roughly 3/8 would work well. It is available with or without a core. Most everything I've read seems to point to coring the rope regardless of where you get it. Is there any reason to purchase the rope with the core? Or should I just save myself the hassle and go straight to the rope without the core? Any guidance before I purchase over 300 feet of rope would be super helpful.

Thanks,

~Rogue

Hello Rogue,
It really depends on what type of rope work you are getting into. Each person on here has his/her preference when it comes to rope. The BTC2 and BTC3 are completely different ropes, the BTC3 is not the same as BTC2 without the core. The BTC3 is a lot softer and loose. Hope this helps. Looking forward to working with you.

Dany Baronian

Just go with Core and decore as needed, easy to do, I had the spool of rope with core,,, cut my length then de cored. If I needed good ends.... Not Frayed, I rolled them in and glued,,,, then if you need a sturdier rope for any effect, use the cored rope, then de cor e a bit off each end and roll in and glue,,, works great, Best of luck

The cored rope has never had a core, it has great body to it and retains its shape as you perform. A rope that has been de-cored was not meant to stay together or have body.

Also, you have to do some R&D investment. Get both types of rope and decide. If you get cored and de-core it you will not have the advantage which (as Baronian says) of using the coreless rope which is a different style of rope.
The cored rope is a tight casing made up of thread, like a stuffed shoelace. The coreless is a thick diamond braided rope casing.
cored

coreless

Thank you so much one and all for the feedback. The detail of the responses has helped tremendously! Dany, I too look forward to working with you. Ian, those pictures truly spoke a thousand words. Tropical, what you say makes sense. Again many thanks!

~Rogue

Flat rope looks odd.

Wow! Just...WOW! Friday evening about 5:30pm my time (Central) I went to the Baronian Trading Company website and ordered Dany's Sampler Pack of ropes. In the Sampler pack you receive 25 foot of each of the rope available. The BTC1, BTC2, BTC3, and BTC4. I gotta say I was truly impressed. Within 10 minutes of placing the order I received my invoice via email along with the calculation of shipping charges. I paid the shipping charges as well. This was Friday. I arrived home this evening to find the ropes had already been delivered!! Each rope is very nice though I must say I am madly in love with the BTC4. Big, White, Soft...just beautiful rope. All told 100 feet of rope for $20 plus shipping. Dany - You sir are just fantastic. Thank you!

~Rogue

Give a man enough rope and he'll hang his wife...


(Baronian is a square deal company)

I still have some of the rope that Fran Marshall (Magic Inc) sold 30 years ago! If I ever run out, I'll need to talk to Mr. Boronian!

I like rope with a core, because of the weight. For knot routines and ring and rope routines, it works better (for me!) Also, I do the Norwegian YoYo (see Denny Loomis' DVD on knots) and the weight of rope with core helps.

Magicians:::I'm curious regarding whipping the ends by rolling (or tucking) in the ends AND GLUING. I learned from the late Roy Kissell (who got it from June Horowitz) to just tuck in the ends. My ropes have been machine washed for well over 20 years. Occasionally one thread will start to 'back out' but it tucks back in easily.