• A rope is basically a length of cord made from tightly threaded fibers. Rope making has been a skill applied by humans for thousands of years. Traditionally, rope was made from natural fibers such as hemp, cotton, jute and a few others. Today, rope is made from both natural and synthetic fibers. Regardless of the fiber type, the fibers need to be threaded to form the rope. Threading a rope by hand takes time. To speed up the process, rope-threading tools were constructed.
  
  

Hackling Board

• A hackling board is used in the first process of rope-fiber preparation, essentially to comb and separate the fibers The hackling board is typically a wooden block fixed with sharp, tapered steel prongs, looking somewhat like a giant comb. Traditionally--with making rope by hand--a series of hackling boards are used, each one having a larger amount of prongs than the other, used in succession to comb the fiber. A hackler grabs a handful of fiber and wraps one end tightly around his hand, then pulls a "streak" of fiber through the hackling board pins, thus straightening and splitting the fiber.
  
  

Threading Key

• A threading key, often referred to as a rope wrench or simply as a rope tool, is used in conjunction with a traditional rope-threading machine. Traditionally threading keys were made from wood or iron, such as a forked piece of wood or iron for working a three-strand rope, or a cross shape for working a four-strand rope. The forked areas, holes or corners of the threading key are used as guide-paths to allow twisted rope to slide past, while the machine twists the rope.
  
  

Threading Machine

• A hand-operated rope threading machine was used for all rope-making needs during the 1700s and 1800s up until the later 1920s, when motorized versions became available. The machine was typically mounted to a bench, post or other solid base for stability. The machine was hand cranked by a rotary handle, which spun a board with three or four hooks mounted to it. The action of turning the handle would spin the rope together using the hooks, as it was fed via a rope wrench or threading key.