(Basic material of fastening technology)
Everyone who deals with the topic of shackles will sooner or later ask themselves these or similar questions:
I'll try to answer these 7 questions as best as possible to the best of my knowledge and my own experience!
Jute or hemp ropes are definitely the right choice if you want more restraints than tying your partner to the bed! Only twisted, or more precisely twisted, ropes are used, as these hardly stretch in comparison to braided ropes. Both types of rope have a long tradition and are indispensable when talking about bondage or Shibari. Of course, the two natural fibers also have their disadvantages, which I will go into in more detail later, but the advantages speak for themselves. And it is precisely these advantages that make both the jute rope and the hemp rope the clear number 1 for me! The two ropes are characterized by high load-bearing capacity, flexibility, suppleness and very low elongation. Furthermore, the knots are very stable and firm, but can be opened again without any problems!
Now for the negative side of hemp and jute! These are natural fibers that are not weather-resistant and would dissolve or rot fairly quickly if kept wet. For us, this means always keeping the bondage ropes dry! If you still want to wash the ropes (hemp ropes can even be boiled; jute ropes should only be cleaned with a damp cloth or, if necessary, only washed briefly at a maximum of 30 °) or if they get wet, you must dry them under permanent tension. Wet ropes contract, twist and can therefore no longer be used without proper drying!
The biggest disadvantage, however, is probably the problem with lint or dust. The ropes consist of individual fibers that are twisted into a yarn and then twisted into a rope! Through use, parts of these fibers become detached or break off and so we have this unsightly lint effect. If you use and care for your rope regularly, things will soon get better!
The last point is the smell, which can be very intense with both types of rope. Jute ropes can have an intense smell, but hemp ropes sometimes have a really strong smell. I would even call it stink. But the emphasis is on can, since this is not always the case, but a question of quality. The smell becomes less and more pleasant over time! I will explain this in more detail below.
Now it's time to get a closer look at the two candidates! As you can see, jute and hemp ropes are very similar in terms of their properties and look pretty much the same at first glance. However, there are some differences
Light gray
Neutral to reasonably intense
(a neutral smell is rather the rarity)
Almost twice as heavy as jute.
Stronger than jute rope, around 200 to 240 at 6mm thickness. This is a guideline and varies depending on how it is processed from rope mill to rope mill.
More load-bearing capacity, less fluff, usually a firmer consistency than jute ropes.
Light brown to golden
(also called golden fiber)
From very pleasant to neutral with good goods. Partly strong mineral oil odor when using batching oil in production
Very light
Slightly less load-bearing capacity than hemp ropes. About 170-220 kilograms. Depending on the production and further processing.
Smoother, easier to walk and more supple when the ropes are tied up correctly.
These are the classic differences between the two types of rope. However, this is not always exactly the same, i.e. it depends more on the manufacture of the ropes. Which basic materials are used, how the rope is processed, how tightly the individual strands (rope strands) are twisted and how tightly a rope is laid and of course how the rope is refined at a later point in time are the decisive criteria! For example, I looked for a long time until I found a rope factory that makes ropes the way I imagined.
Normally ropes with a length of about 8 m are used. It doesn't matter whether it's 7.80m or 8.20m, but it should be somewhere around 8m! The bigger the captivating person, the longer the ropes can be! This length has caught on because it is best for most bondage heroes. Since you usually take the rope twice, you have about 4m of rope that you have to move. Of course, other lengths can theoretically also be used. It is similar with the diameter. Bondage ropes made of jute and hemp are usually offered in thicknesses of 5mm, 5.5mm and 6mm, but here, too, you cannot exactly rely on them, as the information usually varies a little from rope maker to rope maker!
Which diameter you choose, I think, is a matter of taste. But you should think about what I want to use the ropes for and with which partner! Yes, the ropes are used for bondage, I know! I recommend rope thicknesses of 5.5mm and 6mm for beginners, as these have a little more contact surface than the 5mm ropes and are therefore more comfortable! The same applies to suspension (hanging bondage). More load capacity and support are decisive for this choice. The bigger and heavier the partner, the more pressure there is on the body and this can quickly become uncomfortable with a thinner rope! The 5mm ropes are of course the most suitable for artistic tying, because it simply gives a nicer picture and you can use a little more rope! It has also become established that rope sets with 7 x 8 m are offered. This is ideal for the beginning. Seven ropes are usually sufficient. With hanging bondage, however, it can happen that one or the other rope might be needed! I still offer short ropes with a length of about 3 meters in my online shop, because you often come to a point where you only need a small piece of rope to complete the bondage and with a length of 8 m you have to process a lot of rope somehow .
Now we come to the quality of ropes. It would be best if a rope had very little lint, is super pliable, has no odors, knots or impurities, and has hard fibers built into it. But unfortunately it is not as simple as it sounds! Many, I would even like to say, most ropes that you can buy anywhere in a hardware store, on the Internet or anywhere else are completely unsuitable for bondage. Since the ropes are made for other purposes, little emphasis is placed on the points mentioned above. The fibers' own odors are often even masked by chemical and fuel-like odors that cannot be rid of even by washing them several times. In addition, some ropes have many knots, because when one strand runs out, a new one is knotted on it and the rope continues to be tied. If the quality is poor, some fibers are very dark and wooden or small pieces of wood are sometimes incorporated. In addition, many ropes are impregnated and twisted very tightly, which makes them smell-intensive and less pliable. I have already been confronted with all these negative properties and therefore advise everyone against buying or using such ropes for bondage.
The prices vary as well as the quality. Experience has shown that jute is a little more expensive than hemp. But it all depends on the manufacturer and the basic materials!
And now to the all-important question:
The perfect jute or hemp rope cannot be bought. This is how a rope is made!
It starts with choosing the fibers that will become a yarn and eventually a rope. If the ropemaker pays attention to quality and suitability for bondage purposes, the first step has been successful! Now the finishing follows. Here too, if the quality is right and done correctly, you have already taken the second step! But even a well-finished rope is far from perfect, i.e. it will fluff and feel a bit scratchy at first. The last step is to use a rope frequently! Only with time - with sweat, with body fat and the right care - does a rope become the perfect rope!
I think most of the questions have been answered and everyone can now do it for themselves decide which type of rope you prefer! If you want to try to refine your ropes yourself, now knows what quality you should pay attention to.
And for those of you who would rather buy a rope that is ready to be tied up right away, There are enough of them in my online shop
Personally, I prefer jute ropes because they are lighter and a little more pliable! Unfortunately, compared to hemp ropes, these lint a lot
All the ropes that I offer in my online shop have almost no odor of their own, i.e. they only smell minimally of the Treatment oil, have no knots or impurities and are of the highest quality!
Have fun with the ropes and many wonderful hours!
Greetings Andreas
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