Step 1: Collecting Retired Climbing Rope

All FORMA belts start with retired rope.

That rope comes from two main places:

Climbing Walls

Climbing walls typically buy rope in bulk hundreds of metres at a time. It’s usually:

• Plain brown.
• Plain blue.
• Occasionally red..
• Simple, consistent colours.

These ropes are functional. Built to last. Not necessarily flashy.

Individual Climbers

This is where the “pretty rope” comes in.

Climbers tend to buy ropes with more character:

• Red with green stripes.
• Yellow with white flecks.
• High-contrast patterns.
• Three-tone colour systems.

These are often far more visually dynamic  and perfect for making climbing rope belts.

If you’ve got retired rope and you’re not sure what to do with it, donating it is one of the best options. It can be reused, repurposed, and turned into something functional again.

Step 2: Washing the Rope

Because this rope will never be used for climbing again, I don’t need to worry about preserving UIAA climbing safety standards.

When rope is still in use for climbing, you have to wash it with specialist rope cleaner. No harsh detergents.

For repurposing, that’s different.

I wash all retired climbing rope using biodegradable washing up liquid. The goal isn’t to preserve dynamic fall rating it’s to remove:

• Chalk.
• Dirt.
• Grease.
• Skin oils.
• General wall grime.
• Rubber from the matts on the floors.

Then comes drying.

Drying is slow.

• Small batches → around a week.
• Large batches → up to a month.

The key is airflow. If rope sits wet in piles, it can go stale and develop odour. If that happens, it gets rewashed. No shortcuts.

I hang rope near radiators.

I split it into smaller bundles.

I avoid letting it fester.

Clean rope is non-negotiable. Pluss it needs to smell nice ;)

Step 3: Stripping the Core

Once dry, the rope is stripped.

Climbing rope is made of:

• Outer sheath (the patterned part).
• Inner core (load-bearing fibres).

For belts, I only use the outer sheath.(for now... though im working on pelletising the nylon internals for other products.

In a full day, I can strip up to 5 kilometres of rope.

By the end of it:

• Your traps are tight.
• Your back is tense.
• Your hands are sore.

It’s a workout disguised as production.

But this step gives you the clean, flexible outer sleeve that becomes the belt material.

Step 4: Sorting by Colour (Bundling)

This is where design thinking kicks in.

Most good-looking climbing ropes use three colours:

• A dominant colour.
• A secondary stripe.
• A tertiary accent.

For example:

Red rope with green stripes and white flecks.

When I make a three-rope belt (the thicker style), I use basic colour theory:

• Two outer strands match
• The centre strand pulls the tertiary accent

So if the rope is mostly red with white flecks, I’ll use:

1. Red outer strips.
2. White-dominant strip in the middle.

This creates balance. (Most of the time... sometimes I just think it looks pretty and do what ever colour looks good).

I pre-determine these combinations before they ever go on the website. This process is called bundling.

Each bundle is tied and draped over a chair.

By the time I sit down to sew, I’m not designing. I’m executing.

Efficiency comes from planning.

Step 5: Sewing the Blanks

Each belt starts as what I call a “blank.”

Three ropes are stitched together twice.

Over and over. Individually.

I batch these in cycles.

Around 100 per week.

Eventually building up:

• 400
• 500
• Sometimes more.

These blanks sit ready for hardware installation.

Step 6: Installing the G-Hook & Reinforcing

The buckle loop is folded and double stitched.

That double stitch matters.

It creates a strong, thumb-sized grip point when fastening the belt.

At the opposite end, I use a double zigzag stitch.

This serves two purposes:

1. Prevent fraying.
2. Allow long-term repair.

If the belt frays after years of use:

• You can re-burn the end.
• If needed, trim and reseal.
• The stitch still holds.

It’s designed for longevity.

Step 7: Cutting & Sealing

Ends are cut with a hot knife.

Then lightly sealed with a flame to remove loose fibres.

Because the sheath is nylon, heat sealing prevents unravelling.

The goal isn’t just aesthetics.

It’s durability.

Step 8: Packaging & Storage

Belts are packaged in recyclable cardboard sleeves (separate blog coming soon).

Then sorted by size using Kallax units with shelf inserts one of the simplest, most efficient storage systems I’ve found.

Organisation matters.

If production isn’t structured, you drown. (Not that I would know from experience....)

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about making climbing rope belts.

It’s about showing that retired climbing rope doesn’t need to go to landfill.

There are options:

• Donate it.
• Repurpose it.
• Turn it into products.
• Extend its life.

If you’re searching for:

• What to do with old climbing rope.
• How to recycle climbing rope.
• Can you reuse climbing rope.
• Climbing rope upcycling ideas.

This is one solution.

And it’s only the beginning.

The Bigger Picture

FORMA has been developing for about a year.

I’ve been full-time for three months.

It’s been long days. Real learning curves. Constant iteration.

But the mission is simple:

• Turn waste into revenue.
• Respect materials.
• Design for longevity.
• Build circular systems that make economic sense.

Climbing rope is just the first material.

More coming soon.

Got Retired Rope?

If you have retired climbing rope and don’t know what to do with it:

Get in touch.

07717135559

georges.designs@outlook.com

Especially if it’s colourful.

Pretty rope makes very good belts.