"J.P. Tolman, member of the first graduating class at MIT (1868, Mining Engineering), founded the J.P. Tolman Company in Massachusetts in 1878.Not only do they make crane cables, winch lines and marine ropes, they also make some of the toughest arborist and climbing ropes around. Bam.
Five years later, Tolman patented a new switch braiding machine (the first of 13 patents that would be issued to him through 1915). By 1888, Samson Cordage Works was incorporated in Massachusetts, with Tolman as its president.
The company's keystone product was a braided cord that incorporated a reinforcing core to enhance performance and durability.
The company's famed trademark, depicting Samson slaying a lion, was registered in 1884 and is the oldest, active, registered trademark in the United States." via Samson Rope.
They also have a ton of great literature on how to splice ropes together and more. Here.
