Choosing rope is a subject for almost endless debate. In the end, it is largely a matter of personal preference. In fact, it is not even essential to use rope. I am experimenting with different materials including rubber, plastic tubing and strips. Whilst saying this, there are certain basic characteristics required, which are listed below.

Stockings and silk scarves figure much in fiction and fantasy, but they have the major disadvantage of forming small, tight knots that are all but impossible to untie. Cuffs, manacles, handcuffs etc. are not covered here as that is a separate area of bondage, since it does not involve tying in the strict sense. This site's remit is rope bondage, specifically that in the Japanese style.

For beginners, 8mm is a good size. Thinner diameters are prone to cut into skin and risk nerve and/or circulation problems. It can also be very hard to untie knots in thin rope. Some practitioners favour 6mm but this will often be soft rope, e.g. cotton, which will flatten when used and spread the load. Traditional Shibari uses 6mm twisted jute rope. This is my preference as I like the aesthtics and find the knots are neater.

Cord thinner than 6mm is only useful for decorative use and for face/finger/genital bondage. If you are starting out, you will be a lot safer with thicker rope.

Thicker ropes,especially when learning, are useful for suspension because they spread the load better and are thus more comfortable. However, you should not assume that simply because a rope is thicker that it is stronger. You should always check that the rope that you intend to use will cope with a load several times greater than you intend to place upon it.

Interestingly, I have recently learnt that 'Japanese hemp' is a misonomer as, apparently, nobody uses hemp rope in Japan. The Japanese language does not differentiate between jute and hemp and it is merely a quirk of on-line dictionaries that first component of Asanawa, Asa has been translated as hemp rather than jute (nawa meaning rope). Source: TokyoBound

MULTI FILAMENT POLYPROPYLENE

Positives: I cant say enough good things about this rope! Its cheap, has great texture against the skin, comes in many designer colours, is easy to maintain, is lightweight meaning you can carry more in your toy bag, and to top it all off it is waterproof making cleanup a snap. Knots seldom jam and it has very nice handling properties.

Negatives: This rope degrades quickly when exposed to ultraviolet light. But since the reasons perverts like us use rope indoors most of the time, this is not really an issue. It does stretch so it might not be a top choice for suspension. Also, it can sometimes be tough to get knots to hold as it is somewhat slick. And like any synthetic rope, there is no smell.

Availability: This is not normally found in hardware stores, or in craft and hobby shops. A good kink-friendly online retailer is Rainbow rope and they have it in a multitude of designer colours.

MONO FILAMENT POLYPROPYLENE

Positives: There is one use for this that makes it stand out as a choice for bondage rope. If you can get it coloured light brown in bulk twist construction it will look for all the world like it is manila. But it will be twice as strong and lighter by a third. It is as easy to maintain and clean as multi filament polypropylene and is about the same cost. It holds knots very well without jamming.

Negatives: You will need to prep and condition this rope a lot before it has been broken in enough to use for erotic play. It stretches quite a bit making it of limited use for suspension. It also has “memory” meaning that if you leave it tied into a coil for a long time between uses, when you untie it the rope will tend to stay in the shape of the coil you had it in. Like multi filament polypropylene it degrades in direct sunlight and has no smell.

Availability: The larger hardware stores may have this in its raw unfinished state.

NYLON

Positives: The texture of this rope is rather soft and pleasant, but it still has enough surface tooth that it holds knots well. It has very easy handling properties as well. Its main advantage is in its maintenance properties. The durability of this rope is second to none and it cleaned or even sanitized with ease. It is also one of the less expensive kinds of rope.

Negatives: This rope stretches. A lot! In some cases it can stretch up to 20 percent. You can forget about using it for suspension and even escapology scenes would suffer from a little. It can be a little tricky coming up with an adequate method to keep the ends from fraying. It has no smell.

Availability: Its Everywhere! Its everywhere! Try eXtreme Restraints.

HEMP

Positives: Smell! People just go totally ga-ga over the smell of this rope. As years of use on sailing ships will attest, this rope holds up great to water so any method of cleaning it works well. It handles well and holds knots extremely well. The texture, though not super-soft, is very pleasurable. There is nearly no stretch to it at all

Negatives: The cost of this rope makes it an upper-end item. In addition, the amount of maintenance needed to keep this rope in good working order puts it outside the range of all but the most dedicated rope-geek.

Availability: See Rope Sales for supplies of Eurpoean Hemp at great prices.

MANILA

Positives: About the only good thing I can say about this rope is that it is easy to get in thick diameters. It does hold knots well and handles ok.

Negatives: This requires an excessive amount of conditioning before it can be used for bondage. Straight out of the package it will leave splinters in the skin. And no matter what you do, you will never be able to get the oily/gasoline smell out of it. The texture is harsh and inflexible. When cleaning, it is best to dry it under tension least it change into a coiled spring.

Availability: Pretty well every large hardware store will have this if you really want some that badly.

SISAL

Positives: Cheap as dirt. Even cheaper if the dirt you are buying is fancy pottery soil. It wont cramp your budget at all to use this for a scene and then cut the ropes away instead of untying it (Insert blade-play fantasy of your choice here). There is a distinct smell that some people might like also

Negatives: Rot and mildew set in quick if this rope is left wet, making cleaning of it a pain. Shedding of fibres is going to continue no matter how long you own this rope and that may make for a messy play-space. Knots jam often meaning you might be forced to cut away the rope even if that wasn't part of the scene. Its got an itchy/tickling sensation that very few people would be into.

Availability: Again, this is in every hardware store. However, they are most likely only going to have it for sale in packages. It wont be available in cut-to-order

COTTON

Positives: This is the only rope that is soft while simultaneously having a high surface tooth for holding knots tight. Cleaning it is as simple and straightforward as cleaning cotton clothing.

Negatives: This stretches somewhat. More importantly it compresses. So a jammed knot is going to be irreversible jammed. It can be rather expensive depending on where you get it and why diameter you can find it in. It is also is one of the few natural fibre ropes that doesn't have a distinctive smell.

Availability: Its easy to find this in small diameters (for example, eXtreme Restraints).

JUTE

Positives: It handles and holds knots at about the same level as hemp and is slightly cheaper. You also need less maintenance on the rope to keep it in good order. It has a very distinct smell. It has also been pointed out to me that jute will not show up as looking green on film the way hemp does.

Negatives: Cleaning this is the biggest drawback. I find it to be very prone to any kind of water damage. The texture against the skin isn't the best you can get from a rope.

Availability: See Rope Sales for supplies of Jute at great prices. This Jute is fantastic quality and is the rope I use myself. You'll see it in use in all my latest gallery pictures. It isn't as soft as Japanese rope but it certainly isn't harsh...as has been proved extensive testing on some very sensitive parts.

SILK

Positives: Nearly indistinguishable from nylon in my experience. It handles the same. It holds knots the same. The texture against the skin is the same. But it has nearly no stretch to it at all.

Negatives: Everyone knows that cleaning silk is tough. Maintenance is a bit of a pain as I never have found an efficient way to keep the ends from unravelling. This is another natural fibre rope that has no smell.

Availability: Army surplus stores that carry vintage parachute cord is about the only option. Anyone who thinks this can be found in an average hardware store is an idiot. Multi Filament Polypropylene feels soft so a lot of people assume its silk.

FLAX

Positives: A friend of mine turned me on to this rope within the past year. It is ultra super soft and has excellent handling properties. The knots hold well without jamming. Cleaning is rather straightforward and without complications. Its also rather inexpensive if purchased in bulk.

Negatives: A big, big downturn for this rope is that there tends to be small “husks” that are woven into the rope during the manufacturing process. These create a pinprick sensation on the skin from time to time if left in. They are easy enough to get out, if time consuming. Its unique smell somewhat like a freshly cut lawn can be somewhat of a distraction.

Availability: Beale’s in Shaftsbury Avenue, London.

Credits

The article is based on an original produced by Kinky Ropes and is reproduced with permission of TheHungryTiger.

Disclaimer

By no stretch of the imagination am I the end all be all authority on the issue of ropes. If you disagree with my evaluation of any of these materials please post and explain what you think.

Consider the requirements of the use you intend. Obviously, if the rope will be under strain, strength is an issue. Always allow a breaking strain many times your requirement to ensure a proper safety margin. Where strength is not needed, you have a massive choice of materials, not necessarily conventional rope. For example, the rubber 'rope' I have used to create the decorative body bondage at Torture Garden can easily be snapped but, since it is not intended to restrain or for suspension, it is irrelevant. As long as you can untie it and it won't cut in, be creative.

Tying styles vary and so do the ideal lengths. Some people prefer to use a number of shorter ropes and join them. This allows a lot of flexibility and is easier to handle. Others like to use entire lengths of each layer of bondage. The downside is that there can be a lot of rope to pull through. This can be turned to advantage by pulling it sensuously and theatrically, whilst taking care not to get it tangled round everyones' feet.

For Westernised Japanese-style bondage, a 15m length is exceedingly useful. This will do a body harness or breast with arm tie on an average sized body. Also very handy are four lengths of 4m or a bit longer for hand and leg ties. This is really the basic kit and is incredibly versatile. A second 15m length is also useful.

However, traditional Shibari uses typically ropes of around 7-8 metres. I often use at least 6-8 ropes in a single bondage.

However, temptation will always present itself, particularly if you start experimenting with new materials. I never seem to have too much rope, in spite of having a hold-all stuffed with it.

It is most convenient to fold a rope in half before coiling it. Since many ties rely on starting with the rope folded in half, this saves a lot of time. To ensure the rope does not develop bad habits, e.g. twisting, I fold the rope rather than coil it. Coiling from hand to elbow will put a nasty twist in it. Folding is done as follows:

Traditionally, jute and hemp are boiled for several hours but the washing machine is the lazy man’s option. I have experimented with a dishwasher and this shows promise since it doesn’t tangle the rope. However, it does not seem to be so good for removing loose fibres.

Most rope can be machine washed on a hot wash, adding conditioner helps soften it. To avoid tangles put it in a bag or pillowcase first. It can be looped in a simple knitting type stitch and the ends tied. To stop it unravelling, pull the end through the final loop and tie it in a circle to the two loose ends. See below:

I favour ‘daisy-chaining’ as above and using a pillowcase to keep the lost fibres out of the washing machine filter.

It is advisable to dry natural fibre rope under tension, e.g. stretched between two trees. This will remove unwanted elasticity. Once dry, the stray fibres (natural fibre only!) can be burnt off over a gas flame. You can do this carefully over a gas cooker or with a blowtorch before you take it down after tensioning. Don’t use a candle unless you want very sooty ropes. Finally, lightly oil the rope with suitable oil such as Mink, Bayu (Horse) or, if you prefer an on-animal product, Tsubaki Oil (natural plant oil). This is best done by using an oiled rag, sponge or cotton glove and pulling the rope through it. You will be amazed in the difference conditioning makes to the rope. I find rope tends to improve with use, becoming softer, silkier and less prone to shedding fibres.

The ends of ropes should be finished to stop fraying. Thin ropes can be finished with a knot, although this can make pulling the ends through bindings more difficult. It does, however, allow ropes to be easily joined using a hitch and is therefore the preferred method for finishing kinbaku (shibari) ropes. Typically, kinbaku uses 7m-8m ropes.

If you don't want to knot the ends, whip with waxed whipping cord (the wax helps keep it in place), or, less durably but quicker, use electrical insulation tape. Leaving a little frayed rope protruding from the whipping creates as useful little brush to stroke sensitive areas. Colour coding the whippings helps not only to identify your own ropes (useful when playing in clubs), but also to show the length. For example, the pictures above show a red whipping, which denotes a 4m length. This avoids fumbling around to find the right rope.

Synthetics can be fused by melting the end with a lighter. Don't be tempted to dab the end into shape with your finger as it gets very hot. The disadvantage of melting the end is that it becomes very hard and can produce sharp edges.