How To Make a Leather Jump Rope

Why Make a Jump Rope?

Jumping rope is one of the best pound-for-pound workouts ever invented. A good session gets your arms, legs, cardio, rhythm, and mental sharpness, so it's no wonder athletes from all sports warm up with jump ropes before workouts and competitions.

But jump ropes are not all created equal.

In Rocky, Sylvester Stallone famously used a leather jump rope with wooden handles to train for his big fight. But over the years, jump rope manufacturers have largely substituted those timeless materials for plastics that use their low cost to mask their durability, performance, and sustainability issues.

In this lesson, you will learn how to build a timeless leather jump rope for a lifetime of great exercise. This jump rope does not contain any fasteners or connectors, in fact, this one is made entirely from one piece of leather.

Without any additional moving parts, the leather cord itself is the only possible point of failure.

Can I Make a Jump Rope?

Anyone with a basic understanding of how to tie knots can make this leather jump rope. This project takes roughly one hour of work from start to finish, and all you need to get started is a leather cord and a pair of scissors.

You can optionally use copper wire or string to wrap the end of your leather knots, but this wrap is mostly for aesthetics.

What Equipment Do I Need?

• Round leather cord (6-8mm)
• Scissors
• Bowl of water (optional)
• Copper wire (optional)

Round Leather Cord

Round leather cord can be bought at most craft stores, and we recommend a cord with a diameter between 6mm and 8mm. Since the jump rope and both handles are all made from the same cord, any changes in thickness will be observed in both the rope and the handles, but will be more noticeable in the handles as they consist of multiple cord layers.

Scissors

You will need a pair of scissors to cut your leather cord to size.

Bowl of Water

Soaking the tips of your round leather cord in a bowl of warm water can make the leather more pliable and easier to tie into a knot. This is especially helpful if you pick 8mm leather cord instead of 6mm.

Copper Wire

Since the handles of this jump rope are made from the same leather cord as the rope itself, there will be a loose end to your knot that you can optionally wrap in copper wire to keep it secure.

How Much Do I Need?

To determine how much leather cord you need, work backwards from the length of your jump rope. Take your height and add 3 feet for a reasonable jump rope length, not including the handles. Advanced users should add 2.5 feet to their height instead for a faster rope.

The handles will also require 4 feet of rope on either end to make the heaving line knot. Therefore, someone who is 6 feet tall should start with a 17 foot long cord (4+(6+3)+4).

If you are unsure, it is always better to start with a longer cord, you can cut off the excess once your knots are complete. You can even undo the knots that form each handle if you find your rope too long and want to shorten it.

Steps

1 - Prepare Your Workstation

• Pour a bowl of water
• Measure your leather cord

2 - Cut Your Cord

• Cut your leather cord to length
• As a rule of thumb, add 3 feet to your height, and another 4 feet on each end to account for the handles

3 - Soak Your Handles

• Place the last 4 feet of your leather cord in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes
• This softens the leather so it is more pliable when forming knots

4 - Make One Heaving Line Knot

• Use the last 4 feet of your leather cord to make a heaving line knot
• 15 loops in your knot produces a reasonably sized handle
• Modify the number of loops to make your handle bigger or smaller

5 - Measure And Repeat

• When your first handle is complete, measure out your preferred rope length
• This will determine the starting point of your next handle
• Make a heaving line knot using the extra cord beyond your rope length marker

6 - Wait For Leather To Dry

• If you soaked your leather before tying your knots, wait for it to dry
• Leather shrinks when it dries, so your handles will loosen up
• Once your rope is dry, tighten up your handle knots
• If you did not soak your leather, you can tighten your handle knots right away

7 - Cut Loose Ends

• Trim the ends of your handle knots so only 1" of extra leather remains
• Secure the loose end to the main rope with copper wire or string if desired