Reprinted From From RopesForPleasure.com
Rope For Pleasure is currently being developed to provide information and discussion on the rope bondage arts of David El.
The Dance of Rope Bondage is an art form. The ropes are an extension of the Rope Master’s sensual touch; exerting both pain and pleasure. Rope bondage is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dance. It is a ritual of the connection between my partner and myself. The rope entwines as a sweet caresses of anguish; as a hand firmly tightening around the body.
Safety
Rope bondage like any other form of consensual SM needs to be done safely. Each person involved needs to take personal responsibility for their participation in SM activities. Bottoms need to discuss and clear with the Top any physical limitations and/or health issues and concerns they may have; Tops need to ask about the same. I am not going to discuss all the facets of negotiating a scene. Please do further reading and investigation if you need more information about safe, sane and consensual BDSM. Here we are concerned with those issues specific to bondage.
Safety – Prevention and Solutions
1. Check in with the bound partner and frequently monitor the situation. You’re tying up a human being and they are fragile.
2. Provide an emotionally safe space for your partner so they check in with you when they feel there may be a problem occurring.
3. In committing the act of bondage on a person you must be prepared to cut the ropes in case of an emergency. Using EMT safety scissors is the best option. A knife or other good scissors will work but risk injury themselves. Emergency lighting of some sort, like a flashlight, should be handy in case of power outages.
4. Struggling in tight rope poses particular risks. Struggling hard against the rope can cause exterior skin damage as well as rub nerves raw. Once tingling begins it is time to remove the rope causing the problem. Sometime it’s as simple as adjusting a portion of the rope to alleviate the trouble. If symptoms persist remove all of the ropes.
5. Suspension carries additional risks. Special care must be taken not to drop the subject. The Rope Master must be conscious at all times of tightening or loosening any rope(s). It is possible to dislocate joints or cause any number of injuries if the ropes slip, break or are removed in the incorrect order.
6. In removing ropes in an emergency start with the ropes compressing on any problem areas provided they are not required for support. If the problem ropes are necessary for support remove them and stabilize the bottom before proceeding to loosen the ropes causing the emergency. Remove the ropes that will get the subjects feet on the ground without dropping them. Generally ropes need to come off in the opposite order in which they were put on. Every situation is different and a good amount of thought needs to be given to taking the ropes off even as they are being put on.
7. Furniture or architectural accoutrements like eyebolts and/or beams used for bondage need to be structurally sound.
Safety – Signs There Might Be a Problem
The most common problems are the cutting off of circulation and the rubbing and/or pinching of nerves.
Signs there may be a problem:
1. Cold and/or discoloration of body parts, not just extremities.
2. Tingling, the feeling of pins and needles
3. Numbness and/or loss of feeling
4. Loss of consciousnes
Female Genital Safety
As with the male genital region, a woman’s genitals engorge with blood during sexual stimulation and care must be taken to avoid serious injury or excessive bleeding. Superficial piercing of the outer labia can be done with relative safety. The inner labia engorge with blood and potentially can create a serious situation. Additionally, the clitoris, the clitoral hood and the clitoral frenulum are extremely nerve rich tissues and piercing these areas can cause nerve damage and a may result in the permanent loss of feeling and/or sensation. The tissues covering the inner labia, the clit, and vaginal opens are much thinner and more easily damaged than most skin on the body. Care should be taken when torturing these tissues to prevent accidental damage from the toys you choose. Be sure to check for sharp edges, splinters, etc, so that you don’t cause unintentional injury or pain. Injuries to the vulva typically take a little longer to heal and are quite annoying.
Breast Safety
Breast safely seems relatively straightforward but we will mention an item or two here. The primary concerns one would have with breast tissues is in the event of the lactating woman. While a woman is lactating the breasts become much more sensitive and you should have some concern over causing abnormal swelling of tissues and damage to the lactiferous (milk) ducts. With really severe breast bondage you can pinch these ducts enough that you potentially can cause internal infections in the breast tissue. Just behind the nipple itself, each of the ducts comes together to form milk reservoirs. The use of severe clamps on this tissue while a woman is producing milk may cause damage that makes nursing difficult and infection likely.
Male Genital Safety
Care must be taken in ball bondage that will take stress, such as weight, or pulling, so that the testicles cannot slip out of the bondage, and possibly be seriously injured by being forced through a tight space. Only a person with adequate training, and the requisite knowledge to avoid nerve damage should do deep piercing of the cock. Superficial piercing of the skin can be safely performed and used as attachment points for bondage. Be aware that the penis bleeds a lot. It is best to pierce the cock when it is flaccid, and untied. Nevertheless, it may spurt blood. Appropriate protection for the dominant is recommended, including eye and mouth protection. Piercing of the balls must be done only through the scrotum, avoiding the testes themselves, as they can be permanently damaged and sterility can result. Additional care needs to be taken in removing bondage in the area of the scrotum, because it’s easy to catch a fold of skin and cause the subject unintended pain. This is especially important when removing rubber bands using scissors. When bound tight, the cock and balls are easily scratched–so extreme care must be exercised with sharp objects such as whartenberg wheels or claws, unless you want to draw blood.
Aftercare
Strenuous rope bondage can leave temporary marks on the body. These marks may or may not be desirable. Imprint marks from tight rope usually don’t last more than part of a day and can be quite beautiful. Tight rope bondage can also cause bruising. A rope is more likely to bruise if it is pulled tight suddenly or too much strain is placed on one location. Compression marks can result from extra sensitive skin or if the skin is pinched between ropes. Rope burns leaves temporary marks and sometimes they may even scar. Pulling the rope quickly when it is in contact with the skin is the cause and is more likely to happen when the rope being pulled is under pressure from another rope passing over it.
Don’t think that because the ropes have been removed from your bottom that you are finished. Every person has a different psychological/emotional make up and may need more or less aftercare when the ropes are removed. Make sure they are warm, feel safe and have plenty of time to “come down” from the emotional/physiological high of bondage. For many, the aftercare lasts into the next day when they make the time to express to each other their interpretation of the intense experience they shared and the meaning it held/holds for them.
Rope Materials
There is no “ONE” absolutely right rope for Japanese bondage. There are traditional materials and there are modern rope materials. Many can be suitable for a pleasurable bondage experience.
Nylon rope is strong, looks slick and is readily available at hardware stores. Marine rope materials can be good, however, some of it is glazed (polished) in a way that it doesn’t safely hold knots; in this later category we find highly polished polyester and some of the polypropylene that can be to stiff to tie effectively.
Hemp and Cotton ropes have long been the standard for use in Japanese bondage. Hemp lends itself to this form of bondage because of its natural properties. The coarse texture of the rope creates a gentle abrasion against the skin, which is delightful, but it also makes it superior to synthetics in its ability to bind against itself for knot stability.
Sisal rope – Some people use sisal rope and like the effect and the physical discomfort it can provide. Sisal rope can also sliver and cause infection. Additionally, a good many people are allergic to the petrochemicals that sisal rope is treated with to keep bugs from eating it.
Hemp Rope Fact Sheet
The Hemp Rope we provide is grown processed and twisted in either Hungary or Romania. The fibers are water retted and ecologically processed without the use of chemicals unlike much of what is available on the market today. What this means to you is that you can be certain that neither you nor your partners will have to be concerned with absorbing toxic petrochemicals through your skin from using this rope.
Hemp and Japanese Bondage: Hemp and Cotton ropes have long been the standard for use in Japanese bondage. Japanese Bondage as we know it in the SM community has its roots in corporal punishment. It is a form of sensual torture all to itself. Hemp lends itself to this form of bondage because of its natural properties. The coarse texture of the rope creates a gentle abrasion against the skin which is delightful, but it also makes it superior to synthetics in its ability to bind against itself for knot stability.
Our hemp rope is just rope. Any use of it is at your own risk. Rope for bondage is intended for consenting adults in safe and sane erotic play. If you aren’t familiar with the safety concerns of rope bondage, take the time to learn them from one of the many workshops or books that address the subject. It takes time and practice to learn safer methods of rope bondage and to minimize the risks of bodily injury.
Hemp rope is available “Raw” or “Finished”
“Raw” hemp rope is very stiff and rough. It needs to be properly broken in before using it for erotic bondage. Raw rope has coarse fibers that can splinter into your bare hands if you rub them along the rope briskly. Finished rope is worked so it lays better when used in bondage and the risk of any splinters from the fibers is minimized. Finished hemp rope has a feel very much like your favorite wool sweater. The process involves working the rope, removing the “fuzz”, and treating the rope with a touch of natural animal oil. The oil mats the surface of the rope and makes working the rope easier on your hands.
The rope is twisted and the ends are finished with whippings to prevent unraveling. Our “Raw” rope does not have finished ends. The finished rope has hemp string whippings. We have hemp string available at a modest cost if you wish to tie your own whippings on the raw rope. All whippings are done in your choice of natural colored hemp or the following colors: black, dark green, grayish blue, dark blue, gray, and maroon. Please specify with your order if you desire natural or colored hemp string whippings.
Hemp Rope Finishing Raw Rope Instruction Sheet
Finishing “Raw” hemp rope is a process that takes a fair amount of time to do correctly. When you complete the process you will have a piece of rope that feels very similar to a sensual, albeit scratchy, Shetland wool sweater when it rubs across the skin. You will also have a relationship to your rope and your partner that no amount of money can buy. Having presence of mind in bondage begins with the patience born of “knowing” your rope.
The process to finish rope includes the following steps:
Finishing rope dry method
1. Cut to desired length and whip the ends.
2. Run a canvas cloth along the rope in both directions several times.
3. Larks head the middle bite around a pole and tie a chain knot or a Chain of slipknots the length of the rope.
4. Twist the rope tight clockwise and pull on the chain.
5. Repeat counterclockwise, and untie the chain.
6. Rub the canvas again as in step two.
7. Bunch the rope up in a ball and squeeze repeatedly rubbing the rope against itself.
8. Burn off the fuzzies with an open flame like a gas stove burner or an alcohol lamp. DO NOT use a kerosene lamp or candles for this process. Move the rope quickly so as not to burn the actual rope. Use adequate cross ventilation.
9. Using a piece of damp canvas wipe the length of the rope to remove any residual soot.
10. Hang the rope loosely and allow it to dry in the open air over night.
11. (optional) Apply a small amount of natural animal oil, like mink oil. Make certain that it is a pure oil and contains no petrochemicals or synthetic additives. I put a small amount of the oil on my hands and work it into the rope. I also use a oiled canvas cloth to work it in. Care needs to be taken not to saturate any part of the rope with oil.
12. Wipe off any excess oil with a piece of dry canvas cloth.
13. Allow the rope to rest over night in a well ventilated place; two or three days is even better.
14. One last rubbing of the rope with a dry canvas cloth gives it a nice sheen and completes the meditation.
Details
Cutting the rope to length. If you purchased rope in lengths longer than 25 feet you will want to cut your rope into more manageable lengths for use. To do this measure your rope and then wrap it with a short strip of 1 inch masking tape. Approximately 3mm beyond the first piece of tape wrap another short strip and then simply cut between the tape segments. This serves two purposes; the first is to cut the rope. The second is to leave an end on the rope that holds it tight while you work the rope and finish the ends with whippings.
Whippings. Place the whippings just above the taped ends of the rope and when they are complete remove the tape from the ends and gently fray the ends out so they are soft. Some people color-code their whippings so that they can identify a rope’s length by color. Others do simple beadwork on their whippings to make the whippings more decorative. The key to whippings is that they remain tight on the rope so that they do not pull off during play.
Make a chain and twist. The second step serves the purpose of exposing all the rough and/or broken pieces of hemp in the rope. To complete this process you will make a chain knot out of your length of rope. You can do this as a free chain, i.e., one that you can twist with another person or one that you can simply place over a doorknob. Additionally you can do this as a fixed chain that you attach to a stationary object to twist (clothesline pole, 2×4 upright on the patio, etc) against. First, double the rope a little off center and then make it into a chain. Once the chain is complete you will hold the lose end(s) and twist the chain until it becomes very tight and then pull it lightly stretching out the tight chain. When this is complete undo the chain and proceed to step 3.
Rubbing the Canvas. Cut a small square (approx. 6 inches) of canvas or other very heavy coarse fabric. Place the canvas on the palm of your hand and beginning at one end of the rope pull the rope through the canvas with a very firm grip. This causes all the hairs on the rope to stand out and in the case of very rough hemp fibers will simply break them off.
Burning off Hemp Fuzzies warning: this procedure can potentially cause injuries to yourself, your rope and could start a fire in your home if not done with extreme care. To do this procedure you will need either a normal kitchen gas stove with the standard circular fire jets or a single burner camp stove that uses propane. To begin have your rope untangled and ready. Turn the burner on medium high. Holding a length (approx. 18 inches) of rope between your hands pass it over the flame at a height of about 6 inches. Move the rope swiftly; this process is to simply singe the single hairs that project out from the rope. Use great caution to avoid burning or otherwise damaging the rope. If you do burn the rope, you will need to cut that section out of the rope as it weakens the rope too much for further use. IF you do burn the rope drop it into some water to make sure you do not leave smoldering embers alive in the hemp fiber.
Second canvas rub. Repeat the same procedure as in step 3, this time use a very slightly damp piece of canvas to remove any little charred hemp hairs from the rope. Rub the rope twice, once in each direction.
Oiling the rope (Optional). Using natural animal oil, such as mink oil, place a very small amount (no more than the size of a quarter) on your hands and rub them together briefly. Then simply work this oil into the length of rope (this should oil a 25 ft length of rope very nicely). Precautions about animal oils – be sure that they do not contain neetsfoot oil with the petrochemical smell that is its trademark. Do not use vegetable oils as they go rancid quite easily and will eventually cause some rotting of the hemp fibers.
Rope Size and Application
When selecting the rope you will be purchasing there are a few guidelines for choosing size and lengths.
8mm & 6mm rope is great for general bodywork such as torso harnesses, pelvic harnesses, breast and/or genital bondage, and ankle or wrist cuffs. Good working lengths are the standard 25 feet for torso/pelvic work and 12.5 ft lengths for wrist or ankle cuffs. Either 4-mm hemp rope or 3-mm hemp string is marvelous for breast and/or genital torture.
Hemp Rope and Health
Hemp and Allergies: Some people who have allergic reactions to grasses or hay may have similar reactions to hemp. You may find you need to take your allergy medications to use it. Hemp is a natural fiber and some of the smaller fibbers in the rope will shed during use. It may not be suitable for use on a bed or anywhere it’s not easy to clean up the fibers. The hemp fibers that get loose during the use of the rope are very small and fuzzy. They are soft and not really an irritant if you do get them on the sofa or in bedding. And hemp sheds much less than your favorite dog or cat.
Knots
The use of knots varies widely with the style of bondage. Knots are one half of the bondage equation; the other half is how the rope is wrapped around the body. Japanese style bondage traditionally uses a few simple knots combined together. The Overhand knot, Square knot, Half Hitch, and the “Square Knot on a Coil” are the main stay of Japanese bondage; perhaps a Crossing knot and the Larks Head to round out the list.
Ornamental and intricate styles of bondage can include the use of knots like the Crown knot or the Carrick knot to add variations in beauty and strength. If you look through a good knot book you will find many variations on these knots that can be put to good use.
I find knowing the “Figure Eight” knot and the Lineman knot very practical. Because they are strong knots and don’t bind they are always easy to untie. Other knots not illustrated here that are useful the Bowline, French Bowline, Sheet Bend, and the Prussic Knot.
Reprinted From From RopesForPleasure.com
