Kinky November Day 5: Types of Rope
Nov. 5th, 2014 07:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beta_vulgarisI recently had a good friend ask me for suggestions about where/how to get good starter rope. I... wrote her a novel-length email in response. I had a lot of feelings, okay? I have rewritten and expanded that email for today's post.
Disclaimer: as with all of these posts, this is personal opinion/advice based on my experiences, and other people have wildly different preferences!
photo from Knot Normal Rope
What's in your rope bag, Beta? I am glad you asked, unknown interlocutor! Right now my rope bag consists of 2 or 3 longish (30ft) and about medium to short (10-15ft) pieces of rope in 5mm and 6mm jute, hemp, and dyed linen, with a couple of pieces of scratchy coconut in 10 and 10ft lengths. I have kind of a mixed bag, literally, because I keep buying sets from various vendors to try different fibers and vendors out.
What kind of rope should I get? In general most shibari works best with hemp, jute, or linen--they have a grippiness to the fiber that allows for the friction bends in most of the ties to work and stay in place without slipping, and they aren't stretchy the way, say, cotton is, which can be an issue of safety in that you can't keep as careful of control of your medium and it can pull tightly, especially if you're restraining or suspending.
Some people swear by synthetic rope (the common types are MFP and nylon webbing rope, in bondage usage). Pro: it's cheap, easily washable, and can come in lots of bright colors, and can be sold at hardware stores. Con: it's got a bit of slip to it so doesn't hold frictions as well, and I have a personal dislike of synthetics that is totally about skinfeel, so I don't own it or use it so I can't speak to particular manufacturers. It's perfectly acceptable to use--just make sure you get a kind that has a solid braid rather than webbing around a core. The latter can be dangerous to use for bondage because it will tighten. I just did a quick google and several bondage sites I've never used sell it, and again, you can go to like a Home Depot or wherever. You can also go to a sporting good store and get climbing rope but it's probably going to be more expensive than you need.
**Make sure you get a pair of safety shears, too. Most rope bondage sellers have them in the extra stuff section of their site. If they don't, I might not plan to order from them full stop.**
I hear hemp is really great though, where else can I get it? If you decide to go for hemp, processed hemp can be pretty smooth. The best hemp rope around is definitely Twisted Monk--he makes it himself. His site is also a great resource for beginner videos.
Boss Bondage rope is the stuff that my partner has and I like working with it, too (also hemp), though IDK if they are still in business.
I recently ordered rope from DeGiotto, hemp in 5mm. They have ABSOLUTELY the best dyeing I've seen, as they dye each strand individually and retwist. I have not yet had a chance to try the rope itself for play, though initial inspection looks good.
The rope I use the most frequently is linen from Mauikink, who recently reopened their online store. It is the smoothest of the shibari-type fibers so I'd rec it to you, and I have anecdotally heard that is is better for people who are allergic to hemp in some cases. Unfortunately, it's also the most expensive. For a beginner kit I would get two lengths of 30ft and one or two of 15ft. They do some of the best hand-dyeing I've seen, too, and it keeps through multiple washes. This is what I would recommend to you to start with if you can spring for it. I will say that for some reason the rope from Mauikink tends to be thicker than rope from other vendors, so definitely go 5mm from them and 6mm from anyone else.
I generally get the overhand knot ends, but whipped ends are also great. It's a matter of personal preference. I think whipped are easier to use so maybe go that route. Don't get unfinished ends b/c learning how to whip or do a thistle knot is a pain.
There's also some fancy rope like silk and bamboo which are very smooth and also very expensive :p I have never used these kinds. I have a length of cotton rope I picked up at the local sex toy shop but it's too stretchy to use in my opinion so I never do use it. It's also really not much cheaper than buying decent shibari rope.
Is there a way to check it out without making a big investment? Sure! Many vendors willingly provide samples so you can feel it. Rope gets super personal, and I have rejected things just based on touch alone. I also often ask friends at events if I can see their rope and ask them about its source and how they like it. Rope enthusiasts love to geek about that. Also, vendors sometimes sell their wares in person at larger kink events, and a few sex toy stores sell it as well.
It seems so stiff! How do I soften it up?The more you use the rope the softer it gets, too. You can soften up your pieces by washing them when you get them and rubbing them with a mineral oil (no vegetable oil, as it will go rancid!) and dragging them through a heavy cloth (I use discarded jeans) to help sand down the poky bits. If you get dyed rope, just know that it is likely to lose some dye with each wash.
In terms of how to learn to do it, there are lots of websites that can teach you but they can be a bit of a pain to sort through. I would start with Midori's videos and Lee Harrington's. I'll talk about rope learning resources in another post!
Disclaimer: as with all of these posts, this is personal opinion/advice based on my experiences, and other people have wildly different preferences!
photo from Knot Normal Rope
What's in your rope bag, Beta? I am glad you asked, unknown interlocutor! Right now my rope bag consists of 2 or 3 longish (30ft) and about medium to short (10-15ft) pieces of rope in 5mm and 6mm jute, hemp, and dyed linen, with a couple of pieces of scratchy coconut in 10 and 10ft lengths. I have kind of a mixed bag, literally, because I keep buying sets from various vendors to try different fibers and vendors out.
What kind of rope should I get? In general most shibari works best with hemp, jute, or linen--they have a grippiness to the fiber that allows for the friction bends in most of the ties to work and stay in place without slipping, and they aren't stretchy the way, say, cotton is, which can be an issue of safety in that you can't keep as careful of control of your medium and it can pull tightly, especially if you're restraining or suspending.
Some people swear by synthetic rope (the common types are MFP and nylon webbing rope, in bondage usage). Pro: it's cheap, easily washable, and can come in lots of bright colors, and can be sold at hardware stores. Con: it's got a bit of slip to it so doesn't hold frictions as well, and I have a personal dislike of synthetics that is totally about skinfeel, so I don't own it or use it so I can't speak to particular manufacturers. It's perfectly acceptable to use--just make sure you get a kind that has a solid braid rather than webbing around a core. The latter can be dangerous to use for bondage because it will tighten. I just did a quick google and several bondage sites I've never used sell it, and again, you can go to like a Home Depot or wherever. You can also go to a sporting good store and get climbing rope but it's probably going to be more expensive than you need.
**Make sure you get a pair of safety shears, too. Most rope bondage sellers have them in the extra stuff section of their site. If they don't, I might not plan to order from them full stop.**
I hear hemp is really great though, where else can I get it? If you decide to go for hemp, processed hemp can be pretty smooth. The best hemp rope around is definitely Twisted Monk--he makes it himself. His site is also a great resource for beginner videos.
Boss Bondage rope is the stuff that my partner has and I like working with it, too (also hemp), though IDK if they are still in business.
I recently ordered rope from DeGiotto, hemp in 5mm. They have ABSOLUTELY the best dyeing I've seen, as they dye each strand individually and retwist. I have not yet had a chance to try the rope itself for play, though initial inspection looks good.
The rope I use the most frequently is linen from Mauikink, who recently reopened their online store. It is the smoothest of the shibari-type fibers so I'd rec it to you, and I have anecdotally heard that is is better for people who are allergic to hemp in some cases. Unfortunately, it's also the most expensive. For a beginner kit I would get two lengths of 30ft and one or two of 15ft. They do some of the best hand-dyeing I've seen, too, and it keeps through multiple washes. This is what I would recommend to you to start with if you can spring for it. I will say that for some reason the rope from Mauikink tends to be thicker than rope from other vendors, so definitely go 5mm from them and 6mm from anyone else.
I generally get the overhand knot ends, but whipped ends are also great. It's a matter of personal preference. I think whipped are easier to use so maybe go that route. Don't get unfinished ends b/c learning how to whip or do a thistle knot is a pain.
There's also some fancy rope like silk and bamboo which are very smooth and also very expensive :p I have never used these kinds. I have a length of cotton rope I picked up at the local sex toy shop but it's too stretchy to use in my opinion so I never do use it. It's also really not much cheaper than buying decent shibari rope.
Is there a way to check it out without making a big investment? Sure! Many vendors willingly provide samples so you can feel it. Rope gets super personal, and I have rejected things just based on touch alone. I also often ask friends at events if I can see their rope and ask them about its source and how they like it. Rope enthusiasts love to geek about that. Also, vendors sometimes sell their wares in person at larger kink events, and a few sex toy stores sell it as well.
It seems so stiff! How do I soften it up?The more you use the rope the softer it gets, too. You can soften up your pieces by washing them when you get them and rubbing them with a mineral oil (no vegetable oil, as it will go rancid!) and dragging them through a heavy cloth (I use discarded jeans) to help sand down the poky bits. If you get dyed rope, just know that it is likely to lose some dye with each wash.
In terms of how to learn to do it, there are lots of websites that can teach you but they can be a bit of a pain to sort through. I would start with Midori's videos and Lee Harrington's. I'll talk about rope learning resources in another post!
no subject
Date: 2014-11-06 03:40 pm (UTC)