Introduction: How to Cut String or Cordage Without a Blade

Along with a knife, cordage or string is one of the most useful things you tin accept on yous in the wild. Whats stinks is when yous have a cord only no knife or pair of scissors. What do you lot do? You could try and champ your way through the string, merely you could exist dead before that happens especially with thick string. And so why non effort these helpful tips? Because you don't like me? That could really be a valid reason, but for everyone else lets get to information technology!! (I was going to put a third exclamation point, only that would take felt cheesy, don't you agree?)

Footstep i: Materials

Here I accept compiled a lengthy, in-depth materials list.

  1. Cord or cord of varying thickness (not a total size rope delight)
    • note: it must be synthetic cord for these methods to work
  2. Another piece of cord that is the same thickness or thicker
  3. Matches, a lighter or other controllable flame source (firebreathing?)

Pace 2: The Peppery Friction Saw

In this corner we accept a string and in that corner we accept . . . a string. Should exist a practiced fight folks. At present sit back, relax, and bask the show. Just kidding, unless someone else is doing this for you you are going to have to get up. Okay, now that we are all gear up lets exercise this. If you have e'er held a rope while someone yanked information technology through your hands y'all know that rope can really rut up. The crusade of this is friction equally most people already know, but information technology can be used to your advantage. If you have two pieces of string and one of them needs to be cut this is what you practise. It'due south called a friction saw. Take the string you lot want to cut and tie two overhand knots in the centre of it. Make them about an inch apart. See the annotation beneath on this. Anchor the string that you want to cutting loosely between two solid points (trees, fence-posts, chair legs, etc.). It should have a considerable amount of slack. Now take the other string and tie a stock-still loop in both ends, I adopt a bowline for the loops. If yous want a demo of a bowline just ask in the comments. Now take the string with the loops and pass it under and over the string you want to cut and grab both loops. Pull the cutting strings ends slightly autonomously and begin to saw back and forth with the cord keeping it in-between the 2 overhand knots. Gradually increase speed until the string cuts from the friction. The string will snap in threads so don't wait the whole thing to go at in one case. If you look at the pictures you can see that the overhand knots prevented the string from unraveling. Congrats, you only made a friction saw!

**the string that I am using is three strand twisted. This is an older style where three smaller strands of string are all twisted together equally opposed to a braided kernmantle rope (like paracord). The problem is that these strands tin untwist when they are cut. By tying the two overhand knots and making the cuts between them you preclude the string from unraveling after the cut.**

Step 3: Notes on the Friction Saw

Some of y'all may exist wondering, how did that work? If you aren't wondering then skip this pace, or read it to make me feel like I am appreciated. Even though you lot are using the exact same type of cord each i is experiencing different amounts of friction. The string y'all are cutting with is being sawed back and forth then the friction and resulting heat are dispersed along it's length. It nevertheless does estrus upwardly and if y'all look at the pictures you can see my cutting cord is a petty fuzzy. The other string has the friction concentrated on that one spot then the oestrus builds up and eventually cuts/melts through it. This method might work with natural fibers, but be careful because the friction could lead to the string catching flame.

Stride 4: Melting With a Match

This is my preferred method for many reasons. It is faster, more efficient and leaves a finished end on the cord. It might accept a while with thicker cord or rope so I would propose to use this method on thinner strings or cords. As I mentioned earlier synthetic cord tin can untwist which makes it a pain to cut with whatever method, but using a match is so efficient that I do it in place of using a knife or scissors. All y'all need to do is take the length of string y'all want to cutting and drape it over ii raised platforms similar cups, chair backs etc. This is to go on the string and the flame off the footing. I used drinking glass cups considering they won't take hold of fire if I do something dumb. Now strike the friction match and agree it right under the spot you desire to cut. Make certain not to actually touch the cord with the lucifer or they could melt together. Keep it in that location until the string melts, leaving 2 perfectly finished ends. See the pictures if you are confused. Information technology is also a practiced idea to weigh the cord downwards with something then information technology doesn't fall off the cups. This method should NEVER exist used on natural string as it will grab fire instead of melting.

Step 5: Final Words

Now this Instructible is washed, finished and complete. You may be happy that you lot don't have to endure information technology any longer or you may be sad that it is, at last over. As usual if you accept questions, ideas or suggestions for a new Instructible, I would love to hear them in the comments section. Thanks yous for reading and skillful night! Unless information technology'south the daytime while you are reading this, but who knows?

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