A retired climber in Ohio taught me the pencil trick for tight crotches

Last spring I was fighting a split in a red oak and an old guy watching my rigging said to rub a pencil lead on the rope where it crosses the bark. He said it cuts friction enough to save the cambium on hard pulls. I tried it on the next three removals near Dayton and it honestly works better than any lube I've bought. Has anyone else used graphite or chalk dust on their rigging lines?

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pipera5023d ago

Funny you mention it, my grandfather used a soft lead pencil on his old climbing rope back in the 70s. He always said it was better than any store bought wax, and I've never had a reason to prove him wrong.