You don't need a knife to cut (okay, melt) a climbing rope.

• Take a meter or so of any kind of thin cord. In the video I'm using 2mm but I've also done it with 5mm.

• Tie a bight knot in each end, clip the loops to carabiners for handles.

• Rapidly saw back-and-forth through the material that's under some tension. You’ll cut it through in a few seconds.

Check out the message from an Instagram friend below, they used it to cut through a tether. Pretty much any cord can cut through any kind of soft good if you do it fast enough.

This should also be an outstanding reminder of one of the few “Nevers” in climbing: Never set up a top rope through any kind of cord or webbing. When you lower your partner off, all of that friction, and resulting heat, can potentially cut through or severely damage your anchor material!

This is more than a party trick. Here's a message I got the Instagram after I posted this.