Rope Material Selection

Article:

Comparison of Materials

There are many good options for bondage rope; a lot of it comes down to personal preference, but each variety has its own pros and cons.

Things that are underlined in the below table have additional notes; hover over to see them (the hover text will take about a second to appear).

Material
Popularity (0 - lowest; 4 - highest)
Roughness (1 - softest; 5 - roughest)
Suppleness (1 - stiffest; 5 - most supple)
Knot Holding (1 - slippy; 5 - jammy)
Friction (1 - slippery; 4 - high friction)
Burn Tendency (1 - low; 3 - burns easily)
Breaking Strength (6mm or 1/4") lb
Weight (6mm or 1/4") lb/ft
Cost, Raw (6mm or 1/4") USD/ft
Ease of Cleaning (1 - hard; 4 - easy)
Maintenance Required (0 - none; 2 - much)
Service Life (years)
Compatible with Water Bondage
Compatible with Dye
Nylon 3 1 4 2 2 2 1200-1500 0.016 0.06-0.22 3 - Holds up to gentle machine washing; hang dry 0 0-5+ - There's a lot of variation in the quality of nylon rope you may find; some starts high-stranding after one use, some will survive years of abuse Yes Yes - Rit works but acid dyes are best Notes - Watch out for cheap hardware store "nylon" with polypropylene or polyester blended in, which will create a flecked appearance since the non-nylon parts won't dye.
MFP 3 1 4 2 2 2 1100-1300 3 - Holds up to gentle machine washing; hang dry 0 5+ Yes No Notes - MFP is essentially the same to tie with as Nylon; it comes in a wider range of colors, but can't be dyed at home.
Spun Polyester 2 2 3 2 3 2 1200 0.60 0 5+ Yes No - It's possible, but very difficult and toxic Notes - POSH is one example of a spun polyester, and is available in hemp-color; most people prefer over Hempex for a natural-looking strong synthetic
Hemp 4 2-3 - Sometimes starts rough but with sufficient use becomes very soft, similar to the texture of old jeans 3 3 3 1 400-500 0.017-0.019 0.21 2 - Holds up very well to machine washing, but should be dried under tension 1 - Some people like to oil occasionally to restore moisture; I've never found this necessary 2-5+ - High-quality 8mm seems to last forever; 6mm will likely eventually want to be retired to light-duty use No - Shrinks and jams when wet Yes - Rit works but fiber reactive dyes are best Notes - The biggest disadvantage of hemp is that the most commonly-available Romanian hemp rope is constructed in a way that makes it look chunky in photos/videos; you don't get a visually smooth spiral twist. It can also become kind of sticky in humid weather, making it behave poorly.
Jute 4 3-4 4 4 3 1 200-300 0.012-0.014 - The actual range is probably wider than this, these are the only numbers I have so far 0.18-0.58 1 - Easily damaged when wet, machine washing not generally recommended (dishwasher works though); may want to dry under tension 2 - Requires oiling/waxing fairly regularly, and definitely after washing 0.5-2 Yes/No - Can be used wet, but easily damaged; must not be left wet Yes - But doesn't seem to produce as good colors as hemp Notes - The biggest advantage of jute is that it is very light and supple, making it easy to tie quickly and smoothly with it.
Cotton 2 2 3 3-5 - Very jammy; but this is partly due to the construction and quality of commonly available cotton line. Tight-laid high-quality cotton is less jammy than loose-laid jute. 3 1 200-600 0.10 Yes Notes - Watch out for cheap cotton rope that has a core; only 3-strand twisted cotton is likely to be of a quality suitable for bondage
Flax / Linen 2 3 - Moderate; varies but similar to hemp or cotton 3 3 3 1 Yes Notes - Flax is increasing in popularity; the flax rope I've seen seems to combine the physical properties of hemp with the visual qualities of jute.
Coconut 2 5 2 4 4 Notes - So rough that it is more of a torture implement than a bondage one, but good at that. Can be just stuffed under harness for fun effect. May want gloves if you're going to actually tie with it.
Silk 1 1-2 3-4 3 3 1
Rayon ("Bamboo") 1 1 5 1
Alpaca 1 1 4 3 3 0.60 1 - Difficult to clean without unraveling 0 0-1 - Very delicate No Notes - Apparently this is a thing that exists. Based on review by Jeff-The-Bear. He comments: Exceptionally supple and sensual rope. Fiber is very similar to wool yarn, only softer.
Filament Polyester 1 2 3 1 1 3 2000 0.02 4 - Holds up well to machine washing; hang dry 0 5+ Yes No Notes - This stuff is insanely strong, and has an interestingly different feel than most synthetics because it is so hard. It holds knots very poorly, so you need to be careful when using it. I personally find it a fun rope to use for bondage in 3/16" diameter, but it's not for everyone. It's good for outdoor use because it's very rugged and doesn't pick up dirt easily.
Filament Polypropylene 0 - Not suitable for bondage 5 1 1000-1200 0 No Notes - This is the yellow rope attached to the front of your canoe. It floats. That is its only good property.
Sisal 1 5 2 3 3 500 Notes - Slightly less harsh than coconut, but also mostly useful for creating pain rather than restraint.
Manilla 0 - Not suitable for bondage (see notes) 5 2 4 500 0.02 Notes - Common wisdom is that manilla is full of harsh chemicals and may get splinters under your skin, thus unsuitable for bondage. I've never actually tried it.
Hempex 1 3 3 3 3 1 1100 4 - Holds up well to machine washing; hang dry 0 5+ Yes Notes - I don't like Hempex because it comes with fuzzies for an authentic hemp-like look, and you can't burn them off because it's synthetic and they just melt.

A Note on Scale

The quantities given arbitrary number values aren't meant to be on any type of exact linear scale -- I've assigned different rankings where there seem to be meaningful differences, but many of the measures are sufficiently variable and subjective that it's hard to be more exact than statements like "jute tends to be rougher than hemp" or "mfp holds knots the same as nylon". That's the type of data I'm trying to loosely quantify for easy skimming.

What about stretch?

I didn't include stretch in the table, because it's so hard to make general statements about -- measurements of stretch are confounded by differences in construction, interaction of elastic and inelastic stretching, differences in strength and load regime, etc. For instance, MFP is a stretchier material than jute, but a jute rope might stretch more than a similar diameter MFP one under the same load because of its construction and lower strength.

Not All Rope Is Created Equal

Always check the manufacturer's specs, and get a small sample of any rope before purchasing it in quantity; I tried to represent in the above table the common range of properties you're likely to encounter, but there's tremendous variety in both the quality of raw materials and the construction of rope from different suppliers. For instance, cheap hemp rope from China bears almost no resemblance to the hemp rope commonly used for bondage, due to the fibers being cut shorter during processing.

Retail Bondage Rope Suppliers

For an amazing database of rope vendors, see here. For another insanely comprehensive list of rope vendors, see this post. (note: I don't maintain either of these lists)

Sources for Bulk Rope

Below are a few sources of wholesale rope I've personally had good experiences with.

Cotton

This 3-strand cotton is a great beginner option at a price of $0.10/ft. It's soft and ready to use out of the box. The 1/4" will feel a bit thick to anyone used to 6mm hemp/jute but is quite suitable. Note that I've always wound up with about 10-20% less rope than I ordered; I don't know if they're measuring it under tension off the spool, or what.

Hemp

I've always gotten my raw hemp at Rawganique. Their rope has been of consistently high quality for many years, but sometimes comes stinking to high heaven; smelly batches really just need to be aired out in a warm dry place for a couple months, I've never found anything else that works. When broken in, this rope is very supple and soft, and will last for years. It does not photograph well, however.

Jute

MyNawashi has raw 5-6mm jute for as little as $0.20/ft. It takes a little more breaking in than most jute I've used, but comes out reasonably well with some effort.

Coconut

I got my most recent batch of coconut rope off Amazon. Normally 1/8" is really thin for bondage rope, but I've found it perfectly delightful in the applications at which coconut rope excels.

Miscellaneous

R&W Rope is a good source for a variety of rope, especially harder-to-find special purpose synthetics.

Comments

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    Dhyana | Jan 1st, 2015 8:27pm PST #

    Personal preference: hemp or jute fiber

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      77MadalaISThOldUn | Jan 30th, 2015 5:44am PST #

      Hemp

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      MicroGecko | Feb 2nd, 2015 12:26pm PST #

      Jute and coconut rope are my preference :)

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        masterwitch | Mar 2nd, 2015 5:27am PST #

        I like Hempex for public play. The wash factor is a plus when playing with multiple people. My first rope and love however is still hemp.

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          UberDomSwitchsubmissive | Mar 2nd, 2015 7:22pm PST #

          Hemp for suspension, for its feel, its tooth, and its strength. MFP for crotch ropes for playing with people I'm not intimate with, for its wash-ability.

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            Cronch | Apr 7th, 2015 2:04am PDT #

            Turkey foot traders are my go to hemp supplier

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              Technomage | Oct 17th, 2015 9:15am PDT #

              Hemp or Jute is also what I prefer. I've gotten great photo results from nylon though.

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                sugaryhines | Oct 25th, 2015 6:32pm PDT #

                Bamboo is softer than Hemp. Can it be used and or is it available? My very first time here and totally new interest for me. Please excuse my ignorance if I missed something obvious.

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                  Topologist | Oct 26th, 2015 12:32pm PDT #

                  Most "bamboo" rope is actually just rayon derived from bamboo cellulose, and it has less desirable properties than other, more widely available synthetics such as nylon or MFP. For a soft beginner rope, I'd recommend high-quality 3-strand cotton.

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                  Mal | Jan 28th, 2016 6:07am PST #

                  I love hemp, like jute. I am waiting on some knot_head Nylon and very excited to try it out

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                    fidddle | Feb 6th, 2016 9:03am PST #

                    No mention of nettle rope. Am amazed the rope scene has expanded so much yet supliers of this seem to have died out :(

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                      Arthur4040 | Aug 7th, 2016 3:12pm PDT #

                      So far my preference is Jute

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                        laivinia | Aug 26th, 2017 2:02pm PDT #

                        I'm curious about suspensions - if the weight should be able to take x10 of the expected load, so for an average woman around 130 pounds it should be 1300 pounds? But often you can see people doing suspensions with jute/hemp, while according to this table it's 200-500.. anyone can advise? :/

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                          Topologist | Sep 5th, 2017 7:55pm PDT #

                          While calculating the required breaking strength is a little more complicated than you propose, in spirit, you're right -- jute is generally too weak to be used for suspension support lines without there being a risk of it breaking. There have in fact been numerous reports of jute rope breaking during use for suspension, just as the math would suggest you should expect.

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                            Vagab0nd | Aug 10th, 2018 1:04pm PDT #

                            How do I calculate or consider the strength of the material used in the harness? I can't find anything on harnesses breaking. People in the scene seem very comfortable using well-worn jute. Aren't cotton, rayon, silk, and alpaca as strong?

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                              Topologist | Aug 12th, 2018 3:07pm PDT #

                              Based on incident reports, it's far less common for the rope in harnesses to break than ropes used for support lines -- in fact I can't bring to mind a single case of harness ropes failing catastrophically. Generally, a harness that is reasonably comfortable for the human in it will necessarily be distributing the load across more than a single pair of lines; even with a single-point hip/futo/ankle hang, you've got at least 4 lines sharing the load, typically 6 or more. Also, the peak forces in a suspension lift don't ever reach the harness, they're only experienced by the support lines. So on the harness side you've got more safety margin and less force, explaining the observed lack of rope breaks there and why people don't tend to worry about it as much.

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                              TheDongSmith | Jun 28th, 2022 5:03am PDT #

                              There is lots of variables to consider when it comes to rope strength and the forces opposed on them. 200-500 I belive would be for a single 6mm rope so if you have 2 that's doubled your breaking strength (as long as there loaded evenly) but has also doubled your safety margin in the fact that if one breaks there is still another.. but realistically if your putting enough force to break one the other isn't far behind.

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                              WhiskeyPriest | Nov 30th, 2017 8:09am PST #

                              I am a fan of jute. Most of my rope is from Mynawashi and I have had no issues. It does take some time and effort to condition.

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                                tracieattimes | Jan 25th, 2018 7:07am PST #

                                Why is manila rope not mentioned?

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                                  tracieattimes | Jan 25th, 2018 7:08am PST #

                                  oops. nevermind

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                                  Awhitin2 | Jan 30th, 2018 1:41pm PST #

                                  Do you process your hemp rope from Rawganique? Boil, singe, and all that?

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                                    Topologist | Jan 30th, 2018 2:21pm PST #

                                    I experimented with boiling, but found that all it did was stink up my kitchen. It's not necessary for softening most modern high-quality rope, and it doesn't do much for the smell if your hemp comes stinky.

                                    I do singe, and then run it once or twice through a washing machine. For washing, loosely daisy chain the rope, then put it in a lingerie bag or something similar. Dry it stretched tight between two posts.

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                                      MulticlassRogue | Apr 12th, 2018 9:37pm PDT #

                                      I've seen people talk about lightly oiling their hemp; is this something you do?

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                                    MulticlassRogue | Apr 13th, 2018 11:24am PDT #

                                    Has anyone ever used braided aramid rope? It's more expensive than nylon or MFP, but 1/4" line has an MBS of 7000 lbs.

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                                      AlSam | Jul 8th, 2018 8:53pm PDT #

                                      Each rope has different application. Nylon being the softest and bigger diameter I found Models on the heavier side feel more comfortable in.

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                                        mrkodiak | Jul 18th, 2018 3:49pm PDT #

                                        Degiotto has spooled and finished hemp rope (285+ feet). It was on sale last christmas season, may be on sale again. (note free shipping required padding the order a bit)

                                        https://www.degiottorope.com/product-p/sr-6h300.htm

                                        R&W also has christmas sales. Without sales, Spun Polyester POSH the same that's sold at Twisted Monk is available for $0.60 per foot or $0.54~ if you buy a 720 foot spool, significantly cheaper, though obviously you'll have to whip it yourself, as I did.
                                        Cheaper spun poly, available only in white, is $0.25 cents, which I haven't used myself. https://rwrope.com/boat-rope/new-england-ropes-spun-polyester-3-strand-spun-dac/

                                        If you are whipping your own rope, I recommend hemptique 10lbs (0.5mm) polished twine. It is available in multiple colors on amazon and often goes on sale. https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?keywords=hemp+0.5mm&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ahemp+0.5mm&qid=1531953557&sort=price-asc-rank

                                        You can get a useful set of varied needles, suitable for rope whipping with the above, from aliexpress if you are willing to wait for slow shipping. I've seen prices as low as $0.44, if you use the phone app. You pay ten times that at a craft store or on amazon.

                                        Also have some cheap hardware recommendations at https://crash-restraint.com/ties/241#comment_afb4d1

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                                          Topologist | Jul 22nd, 2018 7:54pm PDT #

                                          Thanks for all the links, good stuff.

                                          People may wish to read up / ask around a bit about Giotto's personal conduct before deciding to support him with their business.

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                                          Brachypelma | Aug 16th, 2018 6:53pm PDT #

                                          Can you comment on the ways that hemp, linen, and jute rope differ in reaction to water. My specific question is how washing effects the strength of the 3. Assuming post washing the rope is treated the same as it was before hand, is there a significant decrease in strength?

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                                            Topologist | Aug 17th, 2019 2:39pm PDT #

                                            Jute is much more prone to be damaged by washing than hemp or linen; but I'm not aware of any quantitative data on the relative decrease in strength. It will depend a lot on the quality of fiber and construction of the rope.

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                                            masterwitch | Feb 12th, 2019 9:39pm PST #

                                            I started with hemp and jute but moved to hempex as it has all the positives of natural fiber rope without their weaknesses.

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                                              LionessArt | Jul 10th, 2019 4:43pm PDT #

                                              I got the cotton rope from Knot and Supply based on the recommendation and I already love it. Thank you for the info!

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                                                Nuisance1991 | Jul 17th, 2019 7:01am PDT #

                                                What’s everyone’s opinion on bamboo rope?

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                                                  Topologist | Aug 17th, 2019 2:36pm PDT #

                                                  "Bamboo" fiber is almost always bamboo-derived rayon (a deceptive marketing practice that has resulted in FTC fines for major companies). Rayon is not a great synthetic for rope; if you like the feel of synthetic rope, MFP or nylon are better choices.

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                                                  TheLittleSnailWhoCould | Oct 18th, 2019 8:17am PDT #

                                                  "The 1/4" will feel a bit thick to anyone used to 6mm hemp/jute but is quite suitable."

                                                  Is the 1/4" a typo? 1/4" is 6.35mm.

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                                                    Topologist | Nov 4th, 2019 3:30pm PST #

                                                    Not a typo. It'll seem slightly thick if you're used to commonly sold bondage rope. I haven't tried to measure to determine if there's an actual difference greater than the nominal diameters or not; it's possible there is, rope diameter is frequently an approximation.

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                                                      TheLittleSnailWhoCould | Nov 11th, 2019 9:35pm PST #

                                                      I see. Thank you.

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                                                    Morrigan | Dec 12th, 2019 10:26pm PST #

                                                    For suspension - is it possible/advisable to combine two kinds of rope, hemp for the harnesses, and a synthetic with a higher breaking point (nylon or MFP or Hempex) for the suspension lines?

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                                                      Topologist | Dec 12th, 2019 11:53pm PST #

                                                      Absolutely, plenty of people do that. POSH comes in a natural color that's a pretty decent visual match for hemp.

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                                                        Broccolitruck | Apr 25th, 2020 11:16pm PDT #

                                                        i assume the goal is because hemp feels better.

                                                        in engineering, a suspension system is only as strong as the weakest link. If the hemp is rated safe, then you're good to go.

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                                                        tritan | May 2nd, 2020 2:23pm PDT #

                                                        It would be helpful to have an idea of how to condition jute rope. I've looked around but recommendations really vary and seem to depend on the initial state of the rope. For instance, for the MyNawashi jute rope, the post and comments say that it takes some conditioning. Do you have recommendations for how to condition it? I bought some of their jojoba oil with it, but not sure if anything else is needed/recommended. Thanks!

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                                                          Morgue | Dec 7th, 2020 2:10am PST #

                                                          What lengths of rope are good to have on hand to start with?

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                                                            cameron | Jan 10th, 2021 7:38am PST #

                                                            I'm going to get the cotton rope you recommend. I see you say, "It's soft and ready to use out of the box." Would you do any conditioning for maintenance or just use as is?

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                                                              Topologist | Feb 7th, 2021 5:10pm PST #

                                                              Cotton doesn't generally require any conditioning or maintenance.

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                                                              mars | Jan 21st, 2021 2:10am PST #

                                                              What's the difference in hempex or posh? Do you think these are fine as beginner ropes (no suspension)? I'm worried that natural hemp or jute is too much effort for maintenance currently.

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                                                                Topologist | Feb 7th, 2021 5:09pm PST #

                                                                In my experience hemp requires essentially no maintenance once singed and broken in; the only thing is you have to air dry it under tension after washing. It doesn't need regular oiling like jute, and will last effectively forever for floorwork purposes; I've got a set of hemp ropes I keep in the bedroom that are over 10 years old, have been through the washer many times, and are still great.

                                                                Hempex is rougher but less stiff than POSH. Both require a fair bit of breaking in to become pleasant to use. POSH looks and feels nicer IMO. But I wouldn't particularly recommend either for a floorwork kit, unless you really need something that can be sanitized.

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                                                                jeanpierre71 | Mar 18th, 2021 1:34am PDT #

                                                                vas pour le chanvre

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                                                                  xavvax | Jan 28th, 2022 1:45pm PST #

                                                                  Just wanted to let you know both the hemp and the coconut links above go to a product that is not available.

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                                                                    Astrophel | Jul 9th, 2023 7:37pm PDT #

                                                                    Anyone have thoughts on twistedmonk.com? I've found them well reviewed, especially for hemp, but are a little on the pricey end.

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                                                                      Patafian | Aug 16th, 2023 5:26am PDT #

                                                                      I started with Jute rope, but may want to switch to something stronger for the suspension lines. Can I get away with using thicker Jute for now? I have 8mm and even 2 10mm ropes that I could use for that I think. So 6mm for harnesses and 8+ for support lines

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                                                                        tyraeddy | Aug 26th, 2023 1:40pm PDT #

                                                                        There is a note on the chart about ease of cleaning, but I haven't found anything anywhere about methods for cleaning (I kind of thought there might be something when I received orders from some suppliers I guess). I have a few lengths of hemp, as well as a few MFP, but would love to see a page about how to care for my ropes to last!

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                                                                          MarcusP | Dec 18th, 2023 1:55pm PST #

                                                                          In the table above, hempex scores a 1 in terms of Burn Tendency. But I also found the quote below. So; What is your experience with chafing and burning?

                                                                          “ … Hempex creates much more friction and the rope really bit into my skin, chafing and burning if I tried to struggle in my binds. … “ TheGrittyWoman.com https://thegrittywoman.com/hempex-bondage-rope/

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                                                                            Room101 | Mar 17th, 2024 11:23am PDT #

                                                                            Any opinions on a reel of 3 strand hempex and cutting my own lengths. With the plan being trying different ropes as I progress. But would this be a beneficial option? Thanks. Take care.

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                                                                              SilverHallowed | Mar 23rd, 2024 5:09pm PDT #

                                                                              Found this directly on the site for anyone interested in why the cotton always comes shorter

                                                                              When the cotton rope for your order is cut to length and shipped it's possible that the fibers will expand. It's not uncommon for the ropes to increase almost a whole size in diameter. When the ropes increase in diameter, they will also shrink in length. Please be sure to order cut-to-length ropes a little longer than you will require. You may want to account for up to 15-20% shrinkage in length. This occurs because we offer a 100% cotton rope product with no fillers. If your rope application is dependent on a certain diameter, please consider ordering a smaller size than is needed.

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