Mistress Ariachne's BDSM Workshop: Choosing and Maintaining Bondage Rope

While many types of BDSM scenes have a nice aesthetic element, one of the most beautiful is the rope bondage scene. Rope bondage play has a lot going for it. It's easily accessible to beginners, requiring just a few basic knots to get started. Unless you are doing a suspension or long-term bondage scene, it is relatively low risk. It can be completely pain-free, which widens the pool of potential rope bottoms considerably. It's showy and eye-catching, with many gorgeous patterns possible with just a few knots and techniques. And it's relatively inexpensive, rope is quite a bargain compared to other BDSM toys like floggers, cuffs, paddles, etc.

If you want to learn some simple rope bondage techniques, there are a few good books out there, most notably "The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage" by Midori and the "Erotic Bondage Handbook" by Jay Wiseman. Without extensive illustration, I can't really give good instruction in this column. I can, however, talk about something key to good rope bondage: the rope itself. I admit that I have a bit of a rope fetish. I dye my own bondage rope in custom colors and am quite particular about the type of rope I use and how I store and care for it. The aesthetic appeal of the rope itself is a crucial aspect to a satisfying rope scene for me.

Types of Rope

You may have started out tying up your sub with an old clothesline, but it's probably time to move on to something nicer. While you can technically tie someone up with anything you can get your hands on - boating line, yarn, electrical cords - certain types of rope lend themselves especially well to rope bondage work. Which type you choose is really a matter of personal preference. I have rope bondage expert friends who swear by poly/nylon rope and its soft shiny properties, while others won't use anything but natural hemp. Your best bet is to buy a few short lengths of different materials and play with them until you find your own preference. A good place to start buying rope is the website RainbowRope.com.

Poly and Nylon

For many beginners, rope made of synthetic fiber is the easiest to get and to work with. Rope may be made of nylon, polyester, or polypropylene ("poly"). Any of these materials can make a satisfactory bondage rope. These types of ropes can often be found at your local hardware store. Make sure to feel the rope before you purchase it - synthetic rope can also be hard, rough and stiff.

If you are using synthetic rope, you're going to want the braided, not twisted, variety. Braided rope most often has an outer, braided sheath over an inner core of strands (although the smaller diameters may not have a core and may be termed "solid braid"). In my experience, braided rope is easier to work with and lays along the skin better. Note that this does not necessarily hold for natural fibers, where many people prefer to work with twisted (also called "laid") rope.

Although it is more difficult to find (rainbowrope.com carries it), some people prefer what is called "flat braid" synthetic rope. This is what it sounds like - the braid is flat. This style of rope lays more easily along the skin, and knots don't dig into the flesh. It takes a little getting used to, but it allows for some very beautiful designs.

So what's the advantage of poly and nylon ropes? For starters, they're very easy to find. A large hardware store like Home Depot or Lowe's almost always has reels and reels of different diameters in stock in varying colors (black, red, and blue are often available). Second, they are soft and smooth, making the rope bondage experience more comfortable for the bottom. The flip side of this, however, is that they hold a knot less well than natural hemp or cotton rope. Third, they are durable and don't require any kind of preparation, other than securing the ends, before you can use them. Many people like the aesthetics of synthetic rope. It comes in many bright colors and is nice and shiny. It can also be dyed easily - I've used RIT dye with great success. A dye tip: if you're trying to dye your rope black, add purple to the black dye. I don't know why, but otherwise you'll just get grey.

Natural Fibers

The alternative to synthetic materials are natural fibers like hemp, cotton, and jute. Cotton rope can be either stiff or soft, and may be braided or twisted. Some cotton rope may be too stretchy for effective bondage, so make sure you feel it before you buy. Cotton feels rougher and holds knots better than synthetic. It tends to come in fewer colors, but if you buy white or natural, you can dye it.

Jute is extremely scratchy, and not recommended for beginners. If your rope bottom is really into scratchy rope, however, it is an option.

Hemp rope has a very dedicated following. Undyed hemp is the type of rope used in traditional Japanese rope bondage ("shibari"), and many rope bondage practitioners feel it is more in line with the spirit of the craft to use it. In its raw state, hemp rope is very stiff and scratchy. It must be treated (or "seasoned") before use, which can be a rather involved process. The basic steps for seasoning hemp are the following:

1. Cook the rope in boiling water for 1-2 hours, stirring often.

2. Hang the rope over a support to dry thoroughly.

3. Using a candle or other flame source, carefully singe off the rough frayed bits from the entire rope. This process requires care, time, and attention.

4. Rub in a bit of oil (your choice), massaging thoroughly into the rope.

5. Hang the rope up for a few more days. At this point, it should be soft and supple.

Seasoning hemp is a lot of work, which is why it's great news that you can now find already-conditioned hemp bondage rope online. Both RainbowRope.com and TwistedMonk.com carry excellent pre-conditioned hemp rope.

Length and Width

The most common mistake beginners make when buying rope is buying it too thick. To hold knots well and be practical, rope should be much smaller than 1" thick. The most popular diameters are ¼", 5/16", and 3/8".

As far as length goes, you'll probably want a few different lengths of rope. I tend to use lengths in the 12-foot, 25-foot, and 50-foot ranges most often, saving longer lengths for extensive rope harnesses and the like.

Sealing the Ends

Most people like to seal the ends of their rope to stop it from fraying, although you can just let the rope fray to wherever it's going to if you wish. I find the easiest way to stop the ends from unraveling is with a few tight wraps of electrical tape. Some people dip the ends in tool dip or some other substance; some people melt the ends. If you do use the melting technique (which only works on synthetic rope), melt a section where you want to cut the rope and cut it after you melt it. This will help avoid big rough globs of melted rope at the ends. Some traditionalists "whip" the ends of their rope, which involves stitching them so they don't fray. Which technique you choose is up to your personal preferences.

Washing and Storing

Almost all good bondage rope (I believe hemp may be an exception) can be washed in the washing machine. Just put in a bag--a lingerie bag or a simple pillowcase tied in a knot will work fine. Wash it on the warm cycle. Rainbowrope.com says you can put your rope in the dryer *without heat,* which sounds right to me, although I hang my rope up to dry. Whatever you do, don't use heat on your rope, especially the synthetic stuff.

Try not to store your rope using the "big tangle in the bottom of the closet" method. Instead, a simple way to coil up your rope is to grab the middle of your rope and double it. Hold one end in your hand and use the other hand to wrap the doubled rope around from your hand to elbow. Then wrap the last loop around the bundle and knot it with a half-knot.

Choosing and using the proper rope should be an enjoyable adventure. I hope you have as much fun with rope bondage as I have had.