Spike mark goes into the rope lock.
It's a school and a couple students use the rigging a few times a year but normal use is me and another guy. Can't say that it's never been used as a brake -- could see why it'd be tempting for the last few inches of the rope travel, but I can say with some certainty it doesn't regularly get used for speed control.
Should add that a few months ago one of the nuts from the rear of a rope lock (on a different set) fell off the bolt and into the tension block, getting jammed in their and preventing the set from moving. Subsequent review found more than 1/3 of those nuts were barely finger-tight, some of them not even.
It's a school and a couple students use the rigging a few times a year but normal use is me and another guy. Can't say that it's never been used as a brake -- could see why it'd be tempting for the last few inches of the rope travel, but I can say with some certainty it doesn't regularly get used for speed control.
Should add that a few months ago one of the nuts from the rear of a rope lock (on a different set) fell off the bolt and into the tension block, getting jammed in their and preventing the set from moving. Subsequent review found more than 1/3 of those nuts were barely finger-tight, some of them not even.