Rope making was essentially a manual process. The length of rope that could be produced was limited to the length of the rope walk and production of large ropes was complex and time consuming. The twist in each thread and strand served to hold the rope tight and a whole tradition of knot work and rope craft was developed to utilise the properties of laid rope. Machine manufacturing followed and with it came the ability to produce infinite lengths. Widely used for the manufacture of nylon rope for dock lines and anchor warps, laid rope is still a very cost effective solution for ropes where ultimate handling characteristics or flexibility are not key issues.
Laid rope is simple to splice or knot and offers good strength.
The process does produce a stretchy material with a hard and nobbly finish that is neither free running nor easy on the hands. This led to the development of braided ropes which though produced in short lengths and at great expense by hand can only be made in economic quantities by machine. Similarly there are some super-specialised fourplat construction nylon ropes designed specifically for use as anchor lines. Soft and flexible they offer a better handling though slightly more expensive alternative to laid equivalents. The core and cover of braided ropes are often of different materials allowing optimum properties for each.