Method Why should rope be covered in soap first?

[mossyfox]

It sounds like the opposite would be true, there should be more grip to the rope, no?

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

The purpose of full-suspension hanging isn't to strangle; that'd be a very prolonged and painful way to die. It's meant to instantly break the neck.

A well-designed full suspension is meant to break the neck, not strangle. During hanging, the rope slides along the neck. Then it hits the cheekbones, which are wider that the neck. But it continues sliding due to gravitational inertia from the falling body. That's when it separates the head from the spine, effectively severing the head and all connected to it: bones, neck muscles blood vessels, nerves, everything. But in order for such slipping to happen, the rope must be slippery. Otherwise, the friction of the rope against the skin will slow it down. Not only will the impact be much lower, the duration of death will be longer. Which is not good when using full suspension CTB.

Historically, when gallows was a common method of execution, it was built high up, requiring the use of a ladder or stairs. The greater the height, the greater the impact on the cheekbones, the faster the death. It fact, doctors even checked the gallows, to make sure it killed humanely.

Look up "gallows" on Wikipedia.

 

[mossyfox]

So the soap isn't necessary for partial?

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

I don't know enough about partial suspension to comment. I just know that it doesn't rely on gravity, so the soap's role in it is unclear.

 

[Anonymous_A]

Applying soap to the rope allows it to pretty much tighten more easily.
It makes the rope less rigid..I think that's the word. When the wet rope is around yo neck it slides easier pretty much. Reduced friction on the neck too iirc

Tie a knot around your leg (just somewhere random) when you tighten a wet/damp rope it closes easier.

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

Tie a knot around your leg (just somewhere random) when you tighten a wet/damp rope it closes easier.

If you tie a knot around your leg or any nonlethal part of your body as an experiment, make sure you have a cutting tool ready. You want to be able to sever the rope if it gets too tight. Otherwise, it could cut off circulation and you could lose a limb, becoming handicapped forever. And the last thing we SS'ers need is more difficulties in life.

 

[summers]

Fun fact, if you ever have to drive a large screw into dense wood, it's much easier if you drag the screw across a bar if soap first :)

 

[Anonymous_A]

Fun fact, if you ever have to drive a large screw into dense wood, it's much easier if you drag the screw across a bar if soap first :)

Even funnier fact, if you ever want to moonwalk across some laminate flooring, its much easier if you soap your feet first ;)

 

[mossyfox]

Fun fact, if you ever have to drive a large screw into dense wood, it's much easier if you drag the screw across a bar if soap first :)

does the screw still grip well after? if that's true I've wasted so much time...

 

[Silent_cries]

Tysm for the soap idea, I'll keep that in mind :)

 

[GenesAndEnvironment]

The purpose of full-suspension hanging isn't to strangle; that'd be a very prolonged and painful way to die. It's meant to instantly break the neck.

A well-designed full suspension is meant to break the neck, not strangle. During hanging, the rope slides along the neck. Then it hits the cheekbones, which are wider that the neck. But it continues sliding due to gravitational inertia from the falling body. That's when it separates the head from the spine, effectively severing the head and all connected to it: bones, neck muscles blood vessels, nerves, everything. But in order for such slipping to happen, the rope must be slippery. Otherwise, the friction of the rope against the skin will slow it down. Not only will the impact be much lower, the duration of death will be longer. Which is not good when using full suspension CTB.

Historically, when gallows was a common method of execution, it was built high up, requiring the use of a ladder or stairs. The greater the height, the greater the impact on the cheekbones, the faster the death. It fact, doctors even checked the gallows, to make sure it killed humanely.

Look up "gallows" on Wikipedia.

You're thinking of long drop "hanging".

I don't know enough about partial suspension to comment. I just know that it doesn't rely on gravity, so the soap's role in it is unclear.

If you tie a knot around your leg or any nonlethal part of your body as an experiment, make sure you have a cutting tool ready. You want to be able to sever the rope if it gets too tight. Otherwise, it could cut off circulation and you could lose a limb, becoming handicapped forever. And the last thing we SS'ers need is more difficulties in life.

Or just, you know... pull it back by grabbing the knot.

 

[OnlyTheWind]

The purpose of full-suspension hanging isn't to strangle; that'd be a very prolonged and painful way to die. It's meant to instantly break the neck.

A well-designed full suspension is meant to break the neck, not strangle. During hanging, the rope slides along the neck. Then it hits the cheekbones, which are wider that the neck. But it continues sliding due to gravitational inertia from the falling body. That's when it separates the head from the spine, effectively severing the head and all connected to it: bones, neck muscles blood vessels, nerves, everything. But in order for such slipping to happen, the rope must be slippery. Otherwise, the friction of the rope against the skin will slow it down. Not only will the impact be much lower, the duration of death will be longer. Which is not good when using full suspension CTB.

Historically, when gallows was a common method of execution, it was built high up, requiring the use of a ladder or stairs. The greater the height, the greater the impact on the cheekbones, the faster the death. It fact, doctors even checked the gallows, to make sure it killed humanely.

Look up "gallows" on Wikipedia.

Do you mean short/ long drop hanging? Full suspension is the kind where one steps off a surface with their head through the noose and hangs with both feet off the ground. This has the same end result as partial, by constricting the carotids.

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

Do you mean short/ long drop hanging? Full suspension is the kind where one steps off a surface with their head through the noose and hangs with both feet off the ground.

Yes, I do. I kind of conflated the two. But now that I think about it, they're different. There isn't much dropping in full suspension. It's only as high as most chairs. When I was a kid, I thought about doing what I now know as full-suspension hanging. I did have a rope at home that my parents used for clotheslines. I had chairs, obviously. And I had a ceiling light fixture that I could tie the the rope to. (I didn't know about the soap, though.) Since I was both smart and suicidal as a child, I did the math on how to CTB with those things.

Or just, you know... pull it back by grabbing the knot.

Sometimes that's not possible. The knot is too tight to slip a finger or an object inside it. And you don't have much time until the circulation cutoff damages the leg. Better safe than sorry.

 

[summers]

does the screw still grip well after? if that's true I've wasted so much time...

Yes, I built a whole deck off the side of a house using this. It was hundreds of 3" screws, and it's still holding up 15 years later.

 

[OnlyTheWind]

Yes, I do. I kind of conflated the two. But now that I think about it, they're different. There isn't much dropping in full suspension. It's only as high as most chairs. When I was a kid, I thought about doing what I now know as full-suspension hanging. I did have a rope at home that my parents used for clotheslines. I had chairs, obviously. And I had a ceiling light fixture that I could tie the the rope to. (I didn't know about the soap, though.) Since I was both smart and suicidal as a child, I did the math on how to CTB with those things.

I've always found it interesting how people have instinctively known that hanging leads to death. Even since ancient times.

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

I've always found it interesting how people have instinctively known that hanging leads to death. Even since ancient times.

That's a brilliant point! Perhaps even semi-educated ancient people drew a logical conclusion: the head is where the brain is, the chest is where the heart and lungs are, and the neck is the single point of failure between the two. (Much like the registry is the single point of failure in Windows.) So if you use a rope to constrict or break the neck, you kill the person.

 

[seamus]

It sounds like the opposite would be true, there should be more grip to the rope, no?

For hygiene reasons

 

[OnlyTheWind]

Regarding OP's question; I may be wrong, but isn't soap used to make the knot slide with greater ease? It is certainly not necessary.

That's a brilliant point! Perhaps even semi-educated ancient people drew a logical conclusion: the head is where the brain is, the chest is where the heart and lungs are, and the neck is the single point of failure between the two. (Much like the registry is the single point of failure in Windows.) So if you use a rope to constrict or break the neck, you kill the person.

Thank you, I see how they could come up with the concept from that angle. The compression of the carotids is pretty specific. It would require the understanding that blood is carried to the brain via these arteries and that stopping this flow for a period of time can cause death. Maybe the idea was linked to beheading?

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

Thank you, I see how they could come up with the concept from that angle. The compression of the carotids is pretty specific. It would require the understanding that blood is carried to the brain via these arteries and that stopping this flow for a period of time can cause death. Maybe the idea was linked to beheading?

Beheading was developed as a faster, more dignified alternative to hanging/gallows. Because once you cut the head off, the death is almost instant. Throughout much of European history, hanging or more cruel methods were used on commoners, and beheading by sword was used on nobles. France was an outlier in using the guillotine beheading on everyone, regardless of social status, during and after the French Revolution.

In fact, the guillotine was developed by French doctors as a quick, mostly painless method of execution, an idea ahead of its time. The 45-degree blade angle was meant to most effectively sever the head from the body. Even the guillotine operators treated the condemned in a dry, standoffish manner without mockery. Prior to that, executions were meant not only to kill, but to inflict pain and humiliation.