How to Cut a Paracord Without a Knife: 6 Tips 

Paracord is an incredibly useful and versatile material that can be used in various emergency situations. Even if you are not a survivalist, you can find multiple everyday uses for the material. However, paracord is extremely strong, and cutting it without a knife isn’t easy. To be honest, many of us do not have a survival knife lying within easy reach. So how to cut a small section from a long length of paracord without a tool?

The good news is, there is a simple and effective way for cutting paracord without using a knife. Here, we have listed down six tips that can help you do that.

Cutting Paracord Without a Knife

Keep in mind the commonly available military-grade paracord is strong enough to withstand 550 lbs of load. It is highly resistant to tears, abrasions, and even the sharp teeth of rodents. But nylon is not resistant to heat. So you can use friction to generate sufficient heat for cutting a piece of paracord. One of the easiest ways of generating friction is to use the cord on itself. Paracord comes with a core and an outer mantle that is made from multiple woven strands. While the toughness of the strands makes the rope durable, they can also help you to cut it without a knife.

Start by picking the required length of paracord that you need and mark the cut point. Place the cord on the ground and stand on it so that you can hold it down by your toes. Loop the free end around your toes if needed. You can also form a knot at the end and place it around your toes. Securing the paracord between your feet is important as it needs to stay in place when you are making the cut. Loop the other end around and pass it below the cut point so that you have two strands of paracord in both hands. Now you need to pull up and rub the rope against the cut point between your feet in a back and forth sawing motion. Due to the heat generated by friction at the cutting point, the paracord will easily come apart at the point of contact.

6 Tips for Smooth Paracord Cutting

• The time taken for the cut depends on the force you apply and how fast you rub the cord against itself. The faster the movement, the more is the generated heat. In most cases, you can cut the paracord in less than 30 seconds.
• The paracord should not be placed too tight between your feet. It should have the right amount of slack to allow you to pull it up by 4 to 5 inches while applying the force. This will also reduce the force of the rope on your toes.
• Make sure you grip the cord securely with both hands. You can wrap it around your wrists to help you exert the maximum force during the sawing motion.
• You should have enough length of cord on both hands so that you need not bend too far forward for the sawing action. Around two feet of rope should be good enough for applying the right amount of cutting force.
• By generating enough heat through friction, you will ensure that the tips of the cut ends do not get frayed. The heat will singe the ends to provide a clean cut.
• If there are frayed ends, you can use a lighter to melt the edges. While heating apply the right amount of heat to prevent the paracord from burning and turning black.

So this is one of the easiest methods to cut paracord without a knife or any other tool. Now you are ready to use a piece of paracord whenever the situation demands.