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TheHungryTiger -> RE: Types of rope. (7/2/2005 5:02:57 AM)
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MULTI FILAMENT POLYPROPYLENE
Positives: I cant say enough good things about this rope! Its cheap, has great texture against the skin, comes in many designer colors, is easy to maintain, is lightweight meaning you can carry more in your toybag, and to top it all off it is waterproof making cleanup a snap. Knots seldom jam and it has very nice handling properties.
Negatives: This rope degrades quickly when exposed to ultraviolet light. But since the reasons perverts like us use rope indoors most of the time, this is not really an issue. It does stretch so it might not be a top choice for suspension. Also, it can sometimes be tough to get knots to hold as it is somewhat slick. And like any synthetic rope, there is no smell.
Availability: This is not normally found in hardware stores, nor in craft and hoby shops. A good kink-friendly online retailer is Rainbow rope and they have it in a multitude of designer colors.
MONO FILAMENT POLYPROPYLENE
Positives: There is one use for this that makes it stand out as a choice for bondage rope. If you can get it colored light brown in bulk twist construction it will look for all the world like it is manila. But it will be twice as strong and lighter by a third. It is as easy to maintain and clean as multi filament polypropylene and is about the same cost. It holds knots very well without jamming.
Negatives: You will need to prep and condition this rope a lot before it has been broken in enough to use for erotic play. It stretches quite a bit making it of limited use for suspension. It also has “memory” meaning that if you leave it tied into a coil for a long time between uses, when you untie it the rope will tend to stay in the shape of the coil you had it in. Like multi filament polypropylene it degrades in direct sunlight and has no smell.
Availability:The larger hardware stores may have this in its raw unfinished state. A kink friendly shop that sells this in its finished conditioned state is kinky ropes
NYLON
Positives:The texture of this rope is rather soft and pleasant, but it still has enough surface tooth that it holds knots well. It has very easy handling properties as well. Its main advantage is in its maintenance properties. The durability of this rope is second to none and it cleaned or even sanitized with ease. It is also one of the less expensive kinds of rope.
Negatives: This rope stretches. A lot! In some cases it can stretch up to 20 percent. You can forget about using it for suspension and even escapology scenes would suffer from a little. It can be a little tricky coming up with an adequate method to keep the ends from fraying. It has no smell.
Availability:Its everywhere! Its everywhere! If your in luck, the local hardware store will have 100 foot spools of this stuff for $20. Sort through the bin until you come across a package that has some flex/squish to it.
HEMP
Positives: Smell! People just go totally ga-ga over the smell of this rope. As years of use on sailing ships will attest, this rope holds up great to water so any method of cleaning it works well. It handles well and holds knots extremely well. The texture, though not super-soft, is very pleasurable. There is nearly no strech to it at all
Negatives: The cost of this rope makes it an upper-end item. The fibers used to construct it are against the law to grow in the united states and that drives the cost up a lot. In addition, the amount of maintenance needed to keep this rope in good working order puts it outside the range of all but the most dedicated rope-geek.
Availability:Not in hardware stores. Some of the better stocked craft and hobby shops might carry this. An excellent kink-friendly supplier of this is twisted monk
MANILA
Positives:About the only good thing I can say about this rope is that it is easy to get in thick diameters. It does hold knots well and handles ok.
Negatives: This requires an excessive amount of conditioning before it can be used for bondage. Straight out of the package it will leave splinters in the skin. And no matter what you do, you will never be able to get the oily/gasoline smell out of it. The texture is harsh and inflexible. When cleaning, it is best to dry it under tension least it change into a coiled spring.
Availability: Pertly well every large hardware store will have this if you really want some that badly.
SISAL
Positives: Cheap as dirt. Even cheaper if the dirt you are buying is fancy pottery soil. It wont cramp your budget at all to use this for a scene and then cut the ropes away instead of untying it (Insert blade-play fantasy of your choice here). There is a distinct smell that some people might like also
Negatives: Rot and mildew set in quick if this rope is left wet, making cleaning of it a pain. Shedding of fibers is going to continue no matter how long you own this rope and that may make for a messy playspace. Knots jam often meaning you might be forced to cut away the rope even if that wasn't part of the scene. Its got an itchy/tickling sensation that very few people would be into.
Availability:Again, this is in every hardware store. However, they are most likely only going to have it for sale in packages. It wont be available in cut-to-order
COTTON
Positives: This is the only rope that is soft while simultaneously having a high surface tooth for holding knots tight. Cleaning it is as simple and straightforward as cleaning cotton clothing.
Negatives: This stretches somewhat. More importantly it compresses. So a jammed knot is going to be irreversible jammed. It can be rather expensive depending on where you get it and why diameter you can find it in. It is also is one of the few natural fiber ropes that doesn't have a distinctive smell.
Availability: Its easy to find this in small diameters. Larger diameters wont be found in hardware stores, but can be had online at max tool
JUTE
Positives:It handles and holds knots at about the same level as hemp and is slightly cheaper. You also need less maintenance on the rope to keep it in good order. It has a very distinct smell that sometimes has been described as “grandmas attic”. It has also been pointed out to me that jute will not show up as looking green on film the way hemp does.
Negatives: Cleaning this is the biggest drawback. I find it to be very prone to any kind of water damage. The texture against the skin isn't the best you can get from a rope.
Availability: Craft and hobby stores will have this in smaller diameters. For the larger diameters necessary for bondage the only source I know of is Numinous but only in limited quantity.
SILK
Positives: Nearly indistinguishable from nylon in my experience. It handles the same. It holds knots the same. The texture against the skin is the same. But it has nearly no stretch to it at all.
Negatives: Everyone knows that cleaning silk is tough. Maintenance is a bit of a pain as I never have found an efficient way to keep the ends from unraveling. This is another natural fiber rope that has no smell.
Availability: Army surplus stores that carry vintage parachute cord is about the only option. Anyone who thinks this can be found in an average hardware store dosnet is an idiot. Multi Filament Polypropylene feels soft so a lot of people assume its silk.
FLAX
Positives: A friend of mine turned me on to this rope within the past year. It is ultra super soft and has excellent handling properties. The knots hold well without jamming. Cleaning is rather straightforward and without complications. Its also rather inexpensive if purchased in bulk.
Negatives: A big big downturn for this rope is that there tends to be small “husks” that are woven into the rope during the manufacturing process. These create a pinprick sensation on the skin from time to time if left in. They are easy enough to get out, if time consuming. Its unique smell somewhat like a freshly cut lawn can be somewhat of a distraction.
Availability:Impossible. There is not even any place online you can buy it. Some plans are in the works however and if you realy realy want some of this please just email me. Update: You can now get it at kinky ropes.
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