You can reinforce jute, hemp and other natural fibre ropes with various synthetic or semi-synthetic fibres: rayon, polyester, dyneema, spectra, to name a few, as long as you can determine the correct length of the yarns so the elasticity of the added fibre doesn’t compromise the structure of the rope.

When you make your own rope, the easy option is to add one or more reinforcing yarns to the bunch of natural fibre yarns, and simply twist them together into a strand. Just make sure that those added yarns are under the same tension as the natural fibre yarns; the method shown here makes it easy.

The best way to find out, in my experience, is to try and see what you get.

Below are some sample of reinforced jute ropes, as well as 2 flax ropes:

To go back to “Steps”, click here

Next Step: Laying the rope, click here

Given the fact that it is difficult to rate the strength of natural fibre ropes, it is easy to see why reinforcing them with synthetic fibres may increase their resistance to both shocks and heavy loads.

The information provided here is the result of my own experimentations and observations.

When reinforcing a rope, you must make sure that the material you choose is compatible with your natural fibre material. The main issue, from my research on the topic, lies in the different elastic properties of the materials you intend to combine.

If the reinforcing fibre has too much elasticity, it will eventually stick out the more the rope is used. Washing/dying rope will also accelerate the process, as shown in this sample (the synthetic fibre is nylon, and proved to be incompatible with jute):

How to make both kinds of strands: click here