www.BoundAnna.com

Hey

I have a question on how to prepare newly bought ropes.
I just bought several different ropes from a ropemakers store.
What do I need to do to prepare the ropes so I can use them and they don't leave lasting marks?

The rope material is:
Hemp
Sisal
Cotton (braided)

Thank you for your help.

- Cotton I think is pretty much good to go right off the bat. You could just give it a normal wash in the washing machine at 60C/hot and hang it to dry (for longevity I don't think you should put it in the dryer. That's how I treat my rope, just a run through the washing machine at the "mixed load 60C" program or 95 degrees C if they are particularly dirty)
- Hemp requires more work. It needs to be boiled, dried under tension, polished and (optionally) oiled. (https://blog.thehempshop.co.uk/how-to-s ... hemp-rope/)
- Sisal I've only ever encountered as rough rope for use as things like packing twine and I wouldn't really choose it for bondage. Some googling seems to indicate it's sometimes used for those with a more sadist/masochist streak as it's rough and scratchy. No matter how you treat it it's probably going to leave marks. For preparation I can't really find much reference, best I can find is boiling, then drying under tension with added twisting to prevent unravelling. It doesn't get oiled as far as I can find. Polishing would also probably be counter productive as sisal fibers are more likely to break, so polishing the rope might weaken or destroy it.

The hemp ropes I have were ready to go when I got them. Check with the seller to see if they need prep, and for care instructions.

If the cotton ends are unfinished, cut them square, then dip the last centimetre into glue (PVA or rubber solution or polystyrene cement for example) put a heat-shrink sleeve over to cover the glue and protrude slightly, shrink and cut clean. They they won't fray and if you're sufficiently OCD, you could colour code them for length.

Hadn't considered finishing the ends but yeah, if the ends of the rope aren't finished then you'll have to do that too. Personally I prefer a sailmakers whipping on my rope. Leaves a much softer end that you're less likely to accidentally whip yourself with.

Sergio wrote: if you're sufficiently OCD, you could colour code them for length.

Shannon SteelSlave likes this.

Gregovic wrote:Hadn't considered finishing the ends but yeah, if the ends of the rope aren't finished then you'll have to do that too. Personally I prefer a sailmakers whipping on my rope. Leaves a much softer end that you're less likely to accidentally whip yourself with.

And that is despite the technique being known as “rope-whipping“!
Personally, I prefer this kind of finish over any other I've ever tried (quite a few). If you use different colours of yarn you can colour-code the lengths with this technique as well, which I think is a really good idea.

This is a fascinating question. On very rare occasions, I can afford to be tied by a very good shibari practitioner. They have used treated hemp on me and that was of course fantastic. However, they then made the move to good quality, purpose-made bondage hemp and used it untreated, the idea being that over time, the rope would naturally "wear in". As the bottom, the difference was incredible. I guess this is where personal preference comes in, but I found the tactile, scratchy bite of the rope added so much to the overall sensation of being bound. Subsequently, along with the cotton braid I had used solo for so long, I have now invested in untreated "bondage-ready" 6mm hemp, and, over some months, the fibre-shedding has died down, the rope is becoming a little more pliable, but that more "up-front" natural feel remains. I almost exclusively use this rope in my solo play these days. Mind you, the cotton braid is still very useful, especially if I want to be tied wearing pantyhose....untreated hemp tends to turn tights and stockings into small, shredded "tumbleweeds"!