The rope-maker’s old craft: from the past to the present day
The rope-maker ¹ is an ancient profession that consists in the production of ropes.
In ancient times, rope-makers² were artisans who made ropes by twisting threads made of natural fibers, mainly hemp. They did their work outdoors, along beaten earth tracks, turning a simple wooden wheel by hand and using other tools of their trade.
The rope-makers played an essential social and economic role in the community, as ropes are essential in a wide range of activities and sectors, including:
- lifting and moving loads
- traction and transport
- anchoring and suspension
- construction
- agriculture
- fishing.
Rope making was a very tiring job, which required great skill and precision. The rope-makers had to be able to choose the most suitable type of fiber for the specific application, twist the strands carefully and ensure that the ropes were strong and durable.
In coastal areas, such as the Piceno region and in particular the town of San Benedetto del Tronto³ , rope-makers produced and supplied the ropes to arm fishing fleets and their work has long been a pillar of the local and national culture and economy.
Over time, rope production methods evolved. With the advent of industrialization, machinery began to replace handmade craft, and steel and synthetic fibers supplanted natural ones. Mechanization and the use of higher-performance materials have made production more efficient and safer and ropes more resistant and durable.
Nonetheless, the figure of the rope-maker has been able to renew itself over the years and keep up with the times. The modern rope-maker is in fact a specialized worker who is required to have specific training and experience, as well as a profound knowledge of materials and production techniques.
It is also thanks to the evolution of this ancient craft, together with the spirit of initiative and determination of the sector’s entrepreneurs, that today rope production continues to represent a well-established national manufacturing industry capable of regularly exporting its Made in Italy products abroad..
Ropes are now available in a wide range of sizes, formations and materials, to meet the needs of a wide range of applications and business sectors in Italy and around the world.