Tokyo, 2024 December 24th
I am often asked how to make good ropes. While it may seem straightforward, achieving ropes that feel nice to the touch, are soft and flexible, non-abrasive, and have low friction for easy handling requires careful preparation. This article is my response, sharing the methods I’ve developed through years of practice and experimentation.
Rope care is an essential skill for any Shibari or Kinbaku practitioner. Well-conditioned jute ropes are smoother, safer, and significantly enhance the experience for both the rigger and the rope partner. In the video below, I walk through the key techniques for treating jute ropes, ensuring they remain both comfortable and durable.
Why Condition Jute Ropes?
Jute ropes in their raw state are abrasive, stiff, and prone to shedding fibers. Untreated ropes can cause skin irritation, handle poorly, and even degrade faster due to mold and bacteria. Conditioning them improves flexibility, reduces friction, and extends their lifespan.
Key Steps in Rope Conditioning
The conditioning process can begin with boiling the ropes, though this step is optional. Boiling softens the fibers, removes residual manufacturing chemicals, and enhances flexibility. However, it is important to avoid over-boiling as it can weaken the fibers and compromise the rope’s integrity. Once boiled, the ropes need mechanical conditioning. This involves smoothing the rope surface to reduce its friction and breaking the fibers to improve flexibility. One effective method is pulling the rope under tension through a guide like a carabiner. This ensures even conditioning and helps maintain a consistent texture along the entire length. After mechanical conditioning, singeing the ropes comes next. Passing the ropes through a flame burns away stray fibers, leaving a cleaner, polished surface. It’s essential to move the ropes quickly to prevent scorching while minimizing soot buildup. Then oil conditioning follows as the final step. Applying a light mixture of beeswax and natural oils (such as camellia or jojoba) creates a protective layer, reduces friction, and helps prevent bacterial and mold growth by repelling moisture. Beeswax itself also has antimicrobial properties. The key here is moderation: too much oil can leave the ropes greasy, while the right amount enhances both durability and comfort. Over time, with regular use and proper maintenance, the ropes will gradually soften, becoming smoother, more flexible, and easier to handle.
My Personal Recipe
After extensive experimentation, I have developed a conditioning method that achieves a good balance of smoothness, flexibility, and durability. There is no single correct way to condition ropes, as the process ultimately depends on the initial state of the ropes, the materials available, and personal preferences regarding smoothness, stiffness, and other factors. However, this method can serve as a starting point if you are new to rope conditioning:
・ 5.5mm or 6mm Ogawa ropes as start.
・ 2-minute boiling in tap water.
・ 72 hours of indoor drying under tension, readjusting the tension when the ropes get loose.
・ 100 friction pulls along the entire length of the rope for mechanical conditioning (100 is a lot, it can be stopped once airborne fibers do not come out anymore).
・ 3 quick passes with a blue torch flame for singeing, exposing both front and back sides to the flame.
・ Cleaning with a piece of cotton to remove soot.
・ A marble-sized volume of a 25:75 (by weight) beeswax:camellia oil mixture per 7m rope. Jojoba oil can replace camellia oil but is harder to apply as it forms more lumps with beeswax. I prefer vegetable oils and avoid mineral oils such as baby oil or Vaseline, as they give the ropes a micro-fiber feel that I personally dislike.
・ Wait 48 hours for the oil to migrate inside the rope. It will transition from a slightly oily feel to a wax-like coating.
・ Use the ropes as desired and repeat singeing and oiling when the ropes feel hairy or dry, respectively.
・ Avoid singeing more than three times to prevent damaging or darkening the rope too much.
・ Beeswax saturation should occur within four re-oiling sessions. Re-oiling intervals become increasingly spaced out over time.
Rope set composition
I think of my rope set as a toolbox, containing various lengths I use depending on the needs of the moment. Having versatility in rope lengths is good, but too much variation can slow things down. It’s important to be able to quickly select the right rope without searching or hesitating (small details that can disrupt the tempo of a scene).
My typical rope set consists of:
・four long ropes of 8m (26ft)
・seven regular ropes of 7m (23ft)
・two half ropes of 3.5m (11.5ft)
・one 2m short rope (2.6ft)
・one 1m rope (3.3ft)
This set allows for most suspensions and complex ties. However, there are no strict rules and the key is to adapt your rope set to your specific needs. Factors such as your partner’s body size, the height of the suspension hard point, and the complexity of the ties you practice should all be taken into consideration.
Long-Term Maintenance
Over time, regularly used ropes will naturally become softer and more flexible. To maintain their performance, I recondition them whenever they start to feel dry or develop excess fuzz. However, it’s important to avoid excessive singeing, as this can weaken the fibers. With proper care and conditioning, ropes become well-worn companions: comfortable, durable, and reliable.
Louis Kordexe
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