Rope is one of our key loves at Wicked Grounds. The feel of it, the look of it, how it binds and caresses the body — we love it all so much we have our own rope brand and offer many rope classes and workshops.
Buying bondage rope can be mystifying for the beginner, but it doesn’t have to be! Let’s talk through some of our favorite kinds of rope together and help you get started.
How much rope do I need?
It really depends on what you’re doing, but we find 15′ lengths (about 5 meters) to be best for things like cuffs, and 30′ lengths (about 10 meters) to be best for full-body ties. If you get two 15′ and two 30′ lengths, that will be enough for most beginner floorwork practice.
What about diameter?
6mm tends to be the most common diameter, and that’s what we’d recommend you start with. With multiple bands of rope in most ties, 6mm is generally comfortable on the body and has a classic look.
For tying larger bodied people, 8mm rope can sometimes be more comfortable and esthetic, while smaller diameter ropes are great for sadistic ties, or tying little fiddly bits like the hands, feet or . . . well, fiddly bits!
What else do I need?
Always, always, always have a set of strong safety shears with you. In an emergency these have a blunt edge to get between the rope and the person it’s laid on — super critical when cutting near delicate parts. (You really don’t want to be using regular scissors during an earthquake!)
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Okay, let’s talk rope varieties. There are a lot to choose from, but we have some clear favorites depending on the effect you’re aiming for.
Hemp
We tend to recommend hemp most often — it’s a strong, flexible and durable natural fiber rope. It has an excellent “tooth” to the rope, which means you don’t need to know a lot of boy scout knots, but it’s also flexible. This means you can use it for a wide variety of eastern and western bondage styles.
Hemp also holds color beautifully — especially if you use the right techniques for dying. Some hemp on the market starts with creating the rope, then dying it. We think that leaves a flatter color, which you’ll especially notice if you cut through the rope and see the natural color at the center. Wicked Bounds hemp is dyed at the thread level, then woven into yarn and rope, which gives you vibrant color through to the bone.
Wicked Grounds offers hemp in 15’and 30′ lengths, as well as 300′ spools that you can cut to your liking.
Hemp care
Hemp is the only one of our natural fiber ropes that we really recommend washing.
Cleaning rope: For longest life for your rope, wash your bondage ropes only when dirty with bodily fluids beyond sweat. Hemp and jute are naturally anti-microbial and will kill most germs. You can handwash your hemp rope in cold water by hand (recommended) or on the gentle cycle in the washing machine, unbundled and in a lingerie bag.
Drying rope: Hang the rope in loose coils until it stops dripping. Using a stable object or a friend, lay the rope out fully then stretch it tight. Let the rope hang in loose coils until it is barely damp. Using a stable object or a friend, lay the rope out fully then stretch it tight again. Let the rope hang in loose coils until completely dry. Depending on the climate, this could take several days. A fan blowing directly on the rope can speed the process.
Hempex
Hempex is a synthetic hemp, which is great when you want the general look and feel of tying with hemp, but you have a special circumstance, like:
- The rigger or rope bottom is allergic to hemp
- You want the rope to get wet or use it for “messy” play and wash it later
- You want to do underwater bondage — this rope is practically waterproof
It looks a little fuzzier than natural hemp, but generally has the same aesthetic. The care is the same as hemp above, with the exception that you can wash it more frequently without damaging the fibers.
Wicked Grounds offers Hempex in 15′ and 30′ lengths.
Jute
Jute is truly lovely to look at! If you care about the aesthetics of your rope artistry and want to take gorgeous photographs, this might be your rope!
Compared to hemp, jute tends to tie somewhat more quickly, has little to no stretch, and has the most tooth for wraps and knots — which means it tends to stay exactly where you laid it. (Experienced riggers love this; beginners may find this a little more challenging to learn with.) This rope is a little bit stiffer, lighter and scratchier than hemp, and will not last as long. We recommend retiring jute rope after 6 month to one year of continuous use.
Wicked Grounds offers jute in 15’and 30′ lengths, as well as 300′ spools that you can cut to your liking.
Jute care
Technically you can wash jute, but we honestly don’t recommend it. Jute fibers curl when they are wet, so this will require a lot of extra steps stretching the rope back to its normal length in the drying stage; otherwise you end up with much shorter and fatter rope than you had originally. If you really, really want to wash your jute, reach out to us! We’re happy to advise.
POSH
Spun Polyester POSH Rope is made to look and feel like natural fiber ropes. If you love our hemp and need a synthetic substitute for messy play or water bondage this rope is for you.
Unlike natural fiber ropes, POSH can be load tested. With a breaking strength of over 1200 lb this rope will stand up to the toughest ties. Because of its great strength and durability it makes great anchor lines for suspensions, and great rope to hang an anchor point. You might use this rope for your uplines in combination with hemp or jute on the body, or use POSH for the entire tie.
Wicked Grounds offers POSH in 15′ and 30′ lengths.
POSH can get wet, and can be washed following the guidelines for hemp above.
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Have questions? We’ve got answers! Feel free to write us at anytime at [email protected] and we’ll get you covered.