The invention provides a rope sheave having two substantially opposed faces, each face having a plurality of ridges extending from an inner circumferential region of the face to an outer circumferential region of the face. The ridges are arranged such that those portions of the ridges on one face at the inner circumferential region substantially oppose those portions of the ridges on the opposite face at the inner circumferential region, and those portions of the ridges at the outer circumferential region on one face substantially oppose regions between those portions of the ridges at the outer circumferential region of the other face. The faces may be separable to provide two sheave parts.