I’ve gotten a lot of email about reata ropes so here’s some more information.
All ropes will break but reata ropes are more likely to do so, especially if not maintained. After use they need to be washed with water (just hold the coils under a faucet and rinse) and then conditioned by rubbing beef suet (fat) or a commercial product like Vaquero Rawhide Cream along the length of the rope to keep it soft and flexible. If it is warm out I put the reata in the sun to help melt the conditioner into the leather. Let it sit for a while and you might need to wipe the excess off with a clean cloth.
As with any hand made specialized product, workmanship is key and cowboys look for even diameter and evenly spaced strands. Like silversmiths or custom saddle makers there are a few famous reata rope makers and they typically have two year waiting lists. Expect to pay in excess of $10/foot for a good new but broken in (stretched) reata rope. There is an unwritten law that if you own a reata you need to know how to repair it – because it will eventually break. Now that’s real cowboy.
Look for my previous blog posting about reata ropes by clicking here: HERE.