Rope Lengths

Rope Lengths (Full Version)

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lovethyself -> Rope Lengths (5/17/2013 3:58:11 PM)
So, I'm going to my first rope seminar tomorrow. I've picked up 100' length of 3/8" rope that I'm planning to cut down to shorter lengths. The information on the seminar just says to bring "4 to 6 lengths of rope". Are there certain lengths that are more useful than others? What lengths would you recommend? Do you have a favourite length to work with?

ResidentSadist -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/17/2013 4:16:50 PM)
4 foot is a bit short. I use 6, 12 & 25. 6 foot for simple limb to fixture binding. 12 & 25 better for making baskets, full limb and decorative bindings.

JeffBC -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/17/2013 4:20:34 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ResidentSadist 4 foot is a bit short. I use 6, 12 & 25. 6 foot for simple limb to fixture binding. 12 & 25 better for making baskets, full limb and decorative bindings. One of the things I love best about CM is simple, pragmatic answers like that about sexual topics.

SophiaMaam -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/17/2013 4:45:31 PM)
4 is definitely too short. I personally don't like anything shorter than 8 foot. Other useful lengths are 15/16 foot, 25 and 50.

Focus50 -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/17/2013 5:58:52 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: lovethyself So, I'm going to my first rope seminar tomorrow. I've picked up 100' length of 3/8" rope that I'm planning to cut down to shorter lengths. The information on the seminar just says to bring "4 to 6 lengths of rope". Are there certain lengths that are more useful than others? What lengths would you recommend? Do you have a favourite length to work with? Lol, a bit left of centre re your topic but there's a few subs out there that can tell you I'm somewhat anal about rope lengths. See, it's not enough that I like my girl bound such that she has no chance of freeing herself - or of the binds otherwise damaging/distracting her - (not always an easy balance) but ropes & knots etc have also gotta be all neat and symmetrical without messy loose ends. So not only do I keep general lengths (like RS) for getting creative etc but I also keep specific ropes for specific ties tailored specifically for my girl's anatomy - and keep a log of those lengths/ties. Obviously (in a new relationship) it's a tedious distraction for the sub at first as they're usually more eager and focused on just getting restrained, but..., well..., I do the driving in my D/s. Oh, and since a small change of sub size/weight can make a big difference to rope length, esp longer ropes for multiple wraps, I'm not so understanding if her shape changes without good reason. If I were inclined to go to such a seminar, even I could live with loose ends (gasp)- so better to be long than short. And take a knife? Btw, I use a "hot knife" for poly ropes, cos I've got this thing about frayed ends - and messy knots.... and loose ends.... and untidy binds.... Gonna stop typing now.... Focus.

lovethyself -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/17/2013 7:08:14 PM)
RS. Thank you. Just the info I was looking for. Focus, I'm not a big fan of frayed ends either. I'm currently whipping the ends to stop that from happening. Long ago, I took a sailing course or 4, so I'm having fun using skills I haven't thought about in a while. I'm not too worried about loose ends, since this isn't a show, and the person that I am tying is just a rigging friend/colleague that agreed to accompany me. Chances are likely that these ropes are going to be used on me in private more (and by my Dom, not my friend) than they will on someone else in public. When and if I start playing more with ropes, I will invest in something nicer than the ones I got today, and these ones will be relegated to my collection of work ropes. Oh, and Jeff, isn't that why we're here? Because we can get these kinds of questions answered pragmatically?

Focus50 -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/18/2013 3:52:55 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: lovethyself Focus, I'm not a big fan of frayed ends either. I'm currently whipping the ends to stop that from happening. Long ago, I took a sailing course or 4, so I'm having fun using skills I haven't thought about in a while. I'm not too worried about loose ends, since this isn't a show, and the person that I am tying is just a rigging friend/colleague that agreed to accompany me. Chances are likely that these ropes are going to be used on me in private more (and by my Dom, not my friend) than they will on someone else in public. When and if I start playing more with ropes, I will invest in something nicer than the ones I got today, and these ones will be relegated to my collection of work ropes. Just curious.... Took a squiz at your profile expecting that you're a switch rather than a sub, but no. Is it the sailing background that makes you interested in this rope seminar? Lol, cos I've never met a sub actually interested in applying binds and tying knots etc. They just wanna be tied up themselves - everything else is Dom technicalities.... Btw, just a personal thing relating to your OP. I've found 3/8 rope to be just a bit big for adequately tying up a female, esp multiple wraps. What with all those natural bumps and curves and soft skin anyway, I've found I've gotta pull the binds just a little too tight such that a struggling/wriggling girl can't loosen the rope grip. And with their generally smaller limbs, esp wrists, it's just a bit too cumbersome a size, IMO, which breaches my 3rd rule of bondage - that the binds are to be neat and attractive etc so as to enhance the subject rather than detract from her. Again, just my personal experience (and anal perfectionism) but your 3/8 rope will be fine for a seminar. And is probably a more suitable size for tying a male anyway. Focus.

Dreamless -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/18/2013 11:40:35 PM)
Really depends on your anatomy, or more, the person being tied's anatomy... four feet is pretty short, but depending if someone is tall, short, skinny, or bigger... you'll need lengths tailored to them.

SunTzuSwe -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/19/2013 4:31:35 AM)
The traditional length would be 7m (23') but that's based on japanese girls who are often very petite. It's fairly common to go with 8m (26'), thus adjusting for westeners being less petite in general. Using longer length of rope will mean pulling great lengths of rope through while binding and that's cumbersome. Adding new rope to the old rope end is common practise and easy to do. If I were to offer my $0.02, I'd say "go with 4 lengths of 25' and be ready to aquire another 100' of rope once you start doing shibari for real. If you're just doing free form bondage without any interest in the art aspect you can choose whatever you feel is practical. Just remember that tying someone up is usually done with several loops of the rope, NOT just one. Good luck and have fun. :)

ResidentSadist -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/19/2013 6:24:41 AM)
^ If she is limited to 100 ft and going to a class, just 25' pieces means only 4 ropes. Which isn't a bad idea since she can cut them at the class if needed. We don't know if this is a general rope bondage seminar or a shibari seminar. I usually use 25' lengths and longer for suspension and shibari. For general purpose bondage with only 100', I would suggest: 4 x 6' 4 x 12' 1 x 25' And I agree, she should probably grab another 100' of rope. I often use about 100' feet when doing simple bondage on someone. I have over 600 feet of rope in 3 different kinds of rope. Long (25', 50') nylon suspension ropes with core enact, manila hemp ropes (12', 25') for shibari or rope torture and softened nylon rope (6', 12', 25') for bondage. My favorite and most frequent use of rope is the practical bondage type, I am not that much of a shibari kind of guy. I prefer bondage that can be applied quickly to someone who is resisting . . . 2 minutes or so to tie them down. I use 4 shorties (6') to hold them in place binding their wrists and ankles while they resist and struggle. 4 x 12' to bind each of their limbs more securely to the furniture making it escape proof. Then at least one 25' (or 12') for the torso, often more. There is no way I can wrestle with 25ft of rope while trying to restrain someone and tie the initial knots at the same time. I need those 4 shorties for a quick bind. But that is my style and experience, millage will vary when she develops her personal preferences. If she is going to a shibari class, as some replies have mentioned, she may want to leave the rope intact and custom cut the lengths to fit what she is doing and to whom she is doing it to, but that is for advanced stuff. A note of interest would be to mention that for non suspension long term bondage, some people like to remove the core to make the rope more comfortable. It will flatten out and it doesn't dig in. Acts more like strapping. One of my favorite knot tying web sites also has a phone app. There is a searchable database and you can choose to view animated videos or HTML slide shows. Not a BDSM site but a very nice knot tying and rope information web site. http://www.animatedknots.com/

Focus50 -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/19/2013 3:09:17 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ResidentSadist A note of interest would be to mention that for non suspension long term bondage, some people like to remove the core to make the rope more comfortable. It will flatten out and it doesn't dig in. Acts more like strapping. I recently found that the cheap Chinese goods (and crap) that's being exported all over the world actually came to the party on rope. For bondage, I almost exclusively use the woven poly ropes because it doesn't scratch and comes in an infinite array of colours - which is important to me as I want the bondage to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well as practical in a restraint sense. But yeah, its great strength means it has no real give. Good in that it doesn't stretch or allow the subject to possibly free herself but for the same reason means you've gotta be mindful of not pulling the binds too tight on her. Anyway, on an unrelated matter, I was at the local hardware mega-mall to get some rope for my new box trailer. As I stated earlier, I personally don't much care for the bigger 10ml (3/8) rope but for tying loads down, it's perfect, but of course I had no real bondage stock to utilise so I came to shop. And they had masses of poly rope. 30 metre bundles of 10ml woven poly in half a dozen colours for just $8...! For bondage, I'd been used to paying like a dollar a metre for my preferred 8ml rope. But when I looked closer at it, it wasn't fully woven. It was mostly a singular soft core with a woven poly jacket around it. And I could squash it to almost half with my finger tips.... Yep, typical Chinese crap and no wonder it's cheap blah blah. Then the light bulb went on.... So it was of no use for trailer loads (IMO) but I bought 15 bundles of both 8 & 10ml anyway, cos, you know.... lol And yeah, it is soft and comfortable etc but with a bit more give as you'd imagine, but with enough poly jacket to keep that manageable. For the same reason as trailer loads, I wouldn't risk it for suspension etc but for restraining someone in relative comfort over several hours, kudos to the Chinese lack of quality. Focus.

SunTzuSwe -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/20/2013 12:37:45 AM)
Lol, there are always two sides to any story. I myself prefer Jute or maybe hemp rope, 6-8mm. Jute has such a sensual roughness and is still soft to the touch. It's pliable and locks onto itself in perfect manner so you don't have to tie a lot of unnecessary knots. And you can usually find it pretty cheap. [;)]

MalcolmNathaniel -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/20/2013 9:10:25 PM)
Well, I am a fan of nylon rope. 3/8" is what I prefer. But 100' is a bit too long. I know this from experience - by the time you are done pulling the length of rope through the second knot you are both ready to start untying the knots. For a basic rope dress (torso and crotch only) you need about 50-60 feet. For more elaborate shibari you need longer ropes and more patience than I have. For simple limb ties use what has already been suggested. Anything less than 8 feet and you've wasted rope. Just throw it out.

Guilty1974 -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/26/2013 7:17:53 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: MalcolmNathaniel For a basic rope dress (torso and crotch only) you need about 50-60 feet. For more elaborate shibari you need longer ropes and more patience than I have. Shibari, even the most complex ties, is build from pieces of about 8-9 meter (26-29 feet), which isnot longer, but shorter than you 50-60 feet. Experienced riggers can also fully suspend someone in about 6 minutes, which is probably faster than you tie your rope dress. Don't spread misinformation.

LillyBoPeep -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/27/2013 3:08:45 AM)
I cut my rope into 15' and 30' lengths. Seems to work well enough for me. :) Someone else I know has almost all of hers cut into 30' - it kinda depends on your tastes/style/methods. You don't need longer ropes, you can always add on and there's nothing at all wrong with adding onto your rope. You're going to have to if you plan on tying more than one person. If you have one person in mind for the rest of forever, then you can learn to tie for that person. But if you don't, then some basic lengths are fine, and you can just add rope, or burn up excess in fancy little ways. The only thing I would suggest some kind of set length for would be those cute little diamond harnesses, just because it can be tricky to add rope once you've split it in half. Not impossible even then, though, you just might end up doing a lot of burning.

Whiplashsmile4 -> RE: Rope Lengths (5/28/2013 11:26:48 PM)
The rule with rope is that is better to have a little more... compared being a few inches or feet short. The width plays a big part in the over all length. You can always cut some rope down as needed. Once you cut the rope you can't magically make it longer while you are on the last wrap or whatever. I'm packing 4 x 12' , 4 x 25' and 2 x 50' for tomorrow night. A couple of these ropes is soooooo going to cut down according to desired use (on the spot). I going by the rule of having a little more on hand length wise. I'll double a 25' over and cut into 2 x 12.5' as needed. Which gives me a little more than if it was 10 feet. You can always work with extra wraps or get creative with the extra rope. A little more is always better than never enough. Depending upon what you're doing, the human body can literally become rope whore. That 100' of feet might seem a lot of rope right now. Just wait until you're up to 200' or 300' feet of it. The thicker the rope the less feet of it you will use. However if it's too thick it rather hard to tie! LOL Too thin and it does not offer comfort and support. Thinner rope is amazing for more decorative forms of bondage.. the thicker stuff for binding up of body columns. Generally speaking that is. Back to style, taste and preferences. This all is rather much a creative art form. You'll discover so many many ways there are to tie knots and tie bindings. It's a sort of style and matter of preferences. You can get a little creative with extra rope. IDK what this seminar is going to be demonstrating. All else fails. Show up with 100' of rope. Bring some black electrical tape to tie up the loose ends where you cut it. Get there a little early and ask about the best lengths to use for what they are Demonstrating. Seriously I would come packing an Extra 100' of rope too. You'll find when you get into doing rope bondage that 100' alone does not cut it. Like I said the human body is a literal rope whore.

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