Getting to the Core: Top Hand Rope Co.
Tyler Magnus
For me, going with Top Hand Ropes was a no-brainer for quality of product. Curt Matthews [founder of Top Hand Ropes along with Randy and Joe Betsill and Steve Mitcham, also long known as a master rope maker] can build anything and build it the best. That was first and foremost for me. Then, as far as the rope line, everybody has a rope they like best. The biggest thing about Curt’s ropes is longevity. The waxing process he uses makes them last longer and they feel snappier in my opinion than any other rope I have used in the industry. The core then gives it a more forgiving feel. Most ropers in the industry are fours and fives; they don’t get to rope all day every day like some of us. Then cattle run harder with the World Series barrier, they are younger, have shorter horns, so the rope needs to be more forgiving—something that stays on when it hits the horns. It needs to be one that doesn’t have a lot of bounce, is pliable in the hand, and easy to use with good feel. That lets a larger majority of ropers use it.
Like I mentioned, the core is pliable and forgiving, but only with the yarn, fibers and waxing process that Curt uses, in my opinion. His ropes stay on better when they reach the target and aren’t bouncy. Add that with the longevity, those major things set Top Hand ropes apart in my opinion.
We use and endorse The Hand and The Reach. The weather doesn’t affect them, and they stay consistent. We started a year ago testing ropes; we wouldn’t use anything we hadn’t tested. We rope all day long at the house with schools, students, different conditions, and rated them. The longevity and feel really sets these apart.
Speed Williams
It is kind of ironic. I have always been a three-strand rope man, and I told Curt that I wanted something that was fast, and a little more durable than my three strand ropes because the weather affects them so much. He sent me probably 30 different ropes and the 8X is the one that I really felt comfortable with and got along with the best. It is durable, has a lot of action, you can swing it fast, and both my kids really like it. They put a core in it that my kids have started using a lot.
My son and my daughter really like the core ropes and prefer the consistency that the core gives. My son just won a roping last week with his. They tend to last a little longer than other ropes for sure. We use them all the time practicing at home. When Top Hand shipped them, the first three batches of ropes all felt good and lasted well. I also told Curt how I noticed that the core ropes tend to take a jerk and not change, which is really important. It is neat to see all the changes in the roping industry, and to wonder what we will come up with in the next few years.
