Is this look done with row after endless row of tiney buttercream ruffles (nooooo!) : ) or is the cake iced & perhaps some type of a 'comb' used to get the uneven lines? anybody have any real experience with this technique? Puzzled.

Hum... Good question

that's what i thought. : )
might have to play around with to come to my own conclusion. would definitely be easier to try a 'comb' & play around w that idea. but usually for something to look this nice,, more time & work is involved. just wondering as a bride-to-be that my daughter grew up with is loving this cake...

What if it s a round tip going around like ropes really close to one another?

what it looked like to me is the smallest rose tip, piped in consecutive lines. however, they are done in fairly straight lines as they continue to go around, which makes me think the lines were possibly 'marked off' first onto the cake as a guide.

Maybe you could practice with a rose tip and see what it looks like?

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2384904/rustic
this is very similar & give how tos.
hope this helps anyone else wondering same thing.

so easy, really! all that worry for NOTHING!!!

Lol! Good!