Tricks to cutting rope?

Larry- here's an example of how it turns out on a very abused piece of 8mm cord. Notice that you can kinda see through the melted nylon and make out the core strands... This is due to the slow heating, and is key to making a good termination. Also note that the sheath is melted in at the end. No need to glaze it down very far so long as you have it melted into the puddle.

I agree with a few here. Wrap with tape, cut, burn and then whip. In a pinch you can use waxed dental floss. Losing a core sucks! I've never had a core slip on dynamic, but a few on static