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Beside hand cuffs and Tape, rope is one of the all time favorites in bondage.
Make
Ropes come in two makes - twisted and braided. Twisted ropes are almost always made of only one material while braided ropes can be found using several different materials. Most commonly that is used to create a very strong rope with a softer outer casing to make it feel nicer against your skin.
Materials
There are many different types of rope but the main classification is between natural and synthetic rope.
Natural Fibre Ropes
Rope made of natural fibres are usually preferred by bondage enthusiasts because of their feel. However, natural ropes require maintenance and some people have reported skin irritations from prolonged contact.
Cotton Rope
Cotton has one of the lowest strengths of all natural ropes. Because of this they are used mostly for decorative work or static bondage. Use thicker rope when working with cotton rope. Cotton also absorbs water - and sweat - very well, so make sure you dry your cotton rope well after each use.
Hemp Rope
Hemp rope is popular in the BDSM community because of its rough look and texture. Hemp can be bought conditioned (also called finished) and unconditioned. For bondage, conditioned rope is recommended even though some people prefer to finish hemp rope themselves. Common thicknesses are 4, 6 and 8 mm. Because of the texture of hemp, hemp rope can easily be colored. This can easy lead to discoloration of hemp rope that is virtually impossible to be removed. On the upside, the colors used for hemp rope are not known to cause skin irritation.
Hemp rope shrinks about 10% when wet. Sometimes just a little sweat is enough to start the shrinking, so be careful to not cut off your blood circulation. To get hemp rope to its original length it needs to be dried and stretched.
Silk Rope
Silk is very soft, flexible and not abrasive. If it wasn t for the high price, silk would probably be the most popular bondage rope because of the feel and the exotic appeal.
Jute
Jute is one of the stronger ropes and not too abrasive. It is most commonly used in japanese suspension bondage.
Manila & Sisal
Manila and sisal rope is unsuitable for bondage because of the mineral oils used to condition it and keep it from developing mildew.
Coir
Coir rope is very light and low strength. It stretches but its rough surface makes it unsuitable for anything but decoration.
Synthetic Ropes
Synthetic rope is usually considered less hassle to maintain but can cause abrasion.
Nylon
Nylon rope has a similar feel as cotton rope but is much stronger. It is fairly sleek and knots easily slide. It also stretches nicely without cutting.
Rayon
Rayon is similar to nylon but withstands aging and stress better.
Polyester
Polyester (Dacron) is usually cheaper, less flexible and stretchable than nylon.
Polypropylene
Polypropylene is used in many sports is unsuitable for bondage because it is too rough and inflexible
Thickness
Another point to consider for a successful bondage experience is the thickness or the rope. Thin rope can easily slide, cut into the skin or interfere with blood circulation. For beginners, large diameter rope (>= 1/2 inch, >= 10mm) is recommended. The drawback of using larger rope is that many more fancy bondage styles and forms (i.e. rope bra) require thinner rope. Rope thickness is most important for suspension.
Knots
Finding the right knot for your bondage can be almost as difficult as finding the right rope. Depending on the style you are trying to achieve, knots do not only need to be safe but also need to look good. More on knots can be found here.
Care
Synthetic rope is easily cleaned with warm water and some mild soap. They can also be machine washed if placed in a bag (a pillow case would work too). You should not dry the rope in the dryer since the heat can cause damage. Synthetic ropes can also be damaged by some forms of lubricants. This damage can not be cleaned.
Damp conditions, dirt and insects are the main cause for damage in natural rope. To keep your natural fiber rope in good shape, make sure you clean it carefully with warm water and a mild soap. Hang the rope to dry at normal room temperature. If the rope shrinks too much, you may have to let it dry under tension. Natural ropes, especially hemp, used in moist conditions can be kept in shape using small amounts of natural oil based lubricants. Do not use Vaseline or mineral oil based products.
When storing rope, make sure you properly coil it. Start at one end and feel which direction and in which diameter the rope wants to curl. Try not to force it into another direction or coil size.
