Shibari Academy

The first thing you need to know is that there is no right kind of rope for Shibari. All ropes have pros and cons. The perfect rope for your session will depend on what you are doing, your kinks, and how sensitive your skin is. I’ll give you a few pros and cons of different types of rope so you can make up your own mind about what is best for you

In this article we will go over Hemp, cotton, nylon, climbing rope, and posh, the most popular rope materials.

HEMP and JUTE

Hemp and Jute are the most commonly used rope materials in modern shibari. That said, hemp is more flexible and softer than jute which makes hemp ropes more comfortable for the person being tied. That said, hemp is considerably more expensive than jute.

The pros of using natural fiber ropes such as hemp or jute are:

1. Their rough texture enables you to create knots that are tightened by friction. In other words, the rope will not slide as easily and your knots will hold better.
2. Their lack of elasticity ensures the rope will not be deformed under tension and that the tightness of your knots can be controlled with your hands. In other words, the knots will not become impossibly tight under tension.
3. Rope width can be really thin, which is great for aesthetically pleasing knots. 

Pre-treated hemp rope kits are expensive, that said, if you treat the ropes yourself they can become quite affordable. Learn how to treat your own Shibari hemp ropes at shibarirope.com. 

COTTON

It is also a relatively common Shibari rope material, more so amongst beginners. The pros of choosing cotton are:

1. It’s cheap. A complete rope bondage kit can get really expensive and if you are just beginning and are not entirely sure if you want to pursue Shibari seriously, this is a great alternative that will allow you to explore Shibari without taking an economic hit.
2. It is softer than hemp which means it is more comfortable for the person being tied.
3. It is great for beginners because it takes a lot of speed or pressure to cause rope burn. It takes time to fully master the art of tying and untying and unfortunately, rope burns can happen especially with inexperienced riggers. Using cotton reduces the likelihood of these kinds of accidents.
4. It becomes even softer when you wash it.
5. It is very easy to dye, so you can color it any way you want. This is great if you want to customize your rope kit and infuse it with your personality.
6. It is also very light, which means that you can carry lots of rope around with ease.

That said...

1. On the down side, unlike hemp, it is elastic which means that it stretches under tension. This makes it difficult to control the tightness of the knots and make these knots difficult to untie. It can get a little frustrating and dangerous so make sure you have your shears close by.
2. Cotton does not absorb lubricating oil and when it’s dry, the rope can feel coarse and there is not much you can do about that.
3. It can get dirty and fuzzy easily which makes your ropes look a bit gross.

NYLON

Nylon is commonly used in Europe and America. Because it is smoother than ropes made with natural fibers it does not hold knots very well, different techniques are needed for the knots to stay tied. We will not be going over these techniques in our tutorials.

1. On the plus side, it is cheap, smooth and very flexible
2. It takes a lot of tension and pressure for it to cause rope burn
3. It is very easy to clean and maintain. Just stick them in the washer and let them dry on their own. 

CLIMBING ROPE

In a nutshell, don't use them.

1. They are very stiff which can make it difficult to tie detailed knots
2. They are quick to cause rope burn which makes them dangerous for the person being tied.
3. They feel very rough on the skin which makes ties extremely uncomfortable.
4. On the plus side, it is sure to hold a lot of tension
    

POSH 

Posh is made from synthetic material but can visually blend with hemp rope. Because they are synthetic they are considerably cheaper than hemp.

1. They are a lot more durable than natural fibers.
2. They are more stiff than hemp, so detailed knots can be more difficult to make.
3. They are difficult to find because not many stores offer them.

There are lots of different ropes, we recommend you explore a bit to figure out which one is best for you. I personally use hemp because it has the right balance between flexibility, tension management, friction, and softness to the touch.