A non-rotating rope, comprising 3 or 4 strands of of clam-shaped cross section so arranged around a flexible core equidistantly from the rope center that the principal axes of the clams are on the equiangularly spaced radial lines radiating from the rope center and the sides of the clams are in contact with one another with the apex and base of each clam directed inwards and outwards respectively, is closed in a direction opposite to the direction of the lay of the strands.