A member was having a heck of a time finding Nylon rope for a snubber, as we recommend, in Europe. After some research I think I have found out why:
What we call Nylon in North America, and the UK, is known as H.T. Polyester in Europe and staff in stores sometimes refer to it as “polyester with stretch”.
Check out this page at Gottifredi Maffioli. One of their mooring line products has a heading of “Nylon Braid” but the detail says H.T. Polyester on the English language page.
Also claims “Elasticity, ease of handling” for this rope, so I think that is a Nylon equivalent.
Anyone have specialized knowledge on this? If so, please leave a comment.
Also see this tip for a source of Nylon in Europe.
They are different fibers with different strengths. Both are often marketed for mooring lines. Both are available in Europe, but h.t. polyester three strand is more common in some places. Plam in Italy offers both:
https://www.plam.it/en/product/h-t-double-twisted-polyester-rope/
https://www.plam.it/en/product/h-t-double-twisted-nylon-rope/
We found both fibers were also available in South America, but it varied as to which was more commonly found. Often the industrial suppliers have both even if the easily accessible marine or hardware stores only stock polyester. The large fishery suppliers are also always a good place to look for both in Europe and South America.
HT polyester fibre is a form of polyethylene terephthalate, just like ordinary polyester (Dacron etc.), and is unrelated to nylon.
Nylon 66 fibre is more commonly known by its generic family name, polyamide, in many places. Of course, I’ve never heard anyone actually use its true name: Poly(azanediyladipoylazanediylhexane-1,6-diyl).
Front-line store staff not knowing the materials and chemistry is certainly a global phenomenon. Likewise for qualitative marketing claims without actual numbers attached to them.
I don’t have particular knowledge on this, but I was in the same situation a year ago, pretty much completely unable to find a nylon rope for a snubber here in Norway. I ended up at a fishery supply store where I had to buy something like 150 meters of line, and at the price of a small country… At least I now have enough snubbers… and spare snubbers… and dock lines… and other lines… for all my hearts desires…
Anyway, I also suspect it is being sold under a different name, and I found quite a lot of mooring lines that claim to have stretch etc. but I can’t remember all the names the different suppliers used.
I think you are seeing sloppy editing. Nylon is a Dupont trademark for polyamide, period, just as Dyneema is a trademark for HMPE. Combining both polyester and nylong in the same rope has been common practice in industry as long as I have been alive. Logging was probably one of the first applications, where toughness and abrasion resistance needed to be combined.
Not really that new.
Hi Drew,
I’m betting you are right, that and language issues.