Now that you know what rope is , let’s talk about how it’s constructed. Understanding the main forms that rope may take will go a long way to helping you make better, more informed rope choices as your shibari practice progresses. Ready to nerd out about rope? Let’s go…
What is twisted rope?
Whether it’s natural fiber or synthetic, the construction of a three-strand twisted rope involves spinning yarns in one direction to create a strand (or string) and then spinning your three strands in the opposing direction to create a rope. It’s this energetic balance that holds the rope together. As the yarns in the strand try to unravel in one direction, the strands themselves unravel in the opposite direction. This balance of forces prevents the rope from unraveling and creates its structural integrity, while the number of yarns and their composition create the tensile strength. This also introduces to us the concept of ‘lay’ (more on that below).
Twisted rope has been in use for centuries and in all kinds of applications, from shipping to shrines. Twisted rope and knotwork in general contributed significantly to Japanese society, so when approaching Japanese-inspired rope bondage, it’s worth understanding the overall cultural significance of rope within the history of Japan.
Regardless of the material, the construction of rope often has its own pros and cons – the below are in consideration of their application in shibari.
Pros of twisted rope for shibari:
Compacts well into frictions
Easy to splice/knot
Usually less expensive
Leaves distinct rope marks
More traditional aesthetic
Cons of twisted rope for shibari:
Will unravel unless knotted or ‘whipped ’
Kinks easily, so needs specific storage considerations
Subject to high stranding , where strands become uneven
Let’s get laid: what is lay in rope?
I almost called this section ‘Who has a left-handed rope?’ but I decided against it in favor of my slightly more risqué title. I promised we would cover lay, so here’s my whistle-stop tour of lay within the world of rope.
Lay refers to the direction the rope is spun. As twisted rope is made from yarn, the final rope will have the opposite lay to the yarn it originates from. As such, when we refer to the ‘lay’ of the rope, we’re talking about the outermost layer, as subsequent layers will be spun in opposition.
The two ways we see lay in twisted rope are S-lay or Z-lay, which refers to the shape created by looking at the strands of rope. S-lay may also be known as ‘left-handed’ and Z-lay as ‘right-handed’ due to the direction of the strands, but this is much easier to visualize using letters.
Most commonly rope is wound on machines that turn clockwise, therefore resulting in a Z-lay rope. Functionally, there’s no real difference between a Z- and S-lay rope.
The other aspect of lay that concerns folk within the world of shibari is ‘tight’ versus ‘loose’ lay.
The other aspect of lay that concerns folk within the world of shibari is ‘tight’ versus ‘loose’ lay. More accurately, this would be hard lay versus soft lay in the wider rope world, and refers to how tightly the rope is wound. We can measure this by looking at a one-inch length of rope and counting the number of twists. A loose lay may only have three or four, whereas a tighter lay may have five, six or seven twists per inch. Machined rope tends to have a much tighter lay than hand-made ropes.
Tight lay rope tends to be stiffer, harder wearing and more resistant to moisture, however, it’s often slightly more stretchy than soft lay along its length. Tight lay rope can also be more ‘energetic’ in that it has a tendency to kink and twist more easily. This is down to significantly more internal stress in the rope and may require you to stretch and reset the rope more frequently. Also, contrary to what you might think, tight lay rope isn’t stronger – as the strands are under more stress, they may fail sooner.
Looser lay rope can feel softer against the skin than tighter lay rope and tends not to kink and twist as often.
By contrast, loose lay rope has less lateral stretch, is more pliable and compacts into knots better. Its downsides are a greater tendency to high strand (where one strand or yarn is pulled out of place), it’s more prone to wear and it requires a greater dexterity to handle. Looser lay rope can feel softer against the skin than tighter lay rope and tends not to kink and twist as often.
My final point on the lay of rope is that all of the above refers to ‘ordinary’ laid rope, where the outer strands and inner yarns are spun in opposite directions. This has the feature of setting all the yarns in parallel to the direction of the rope. This makes the rope smoother against the skin and softer in the hand. There is also another form of lay, Lang’s lay, where the yarns and strands are twisted in the same direction. This is specifically for pulley systems as it prevents some shearing forces on the strands and is not commonly seen in shibari rope.
What is braided rope?
The other common way a rope is constructed is using a braided construction, where the strands of rope are braided together. Braided rope is what you will usually see in climbing ropes, as it’s a very strong way to create rope that undergoes a lot of use, being less likely to unravel than twisted rope.
With braided rope, there are a number of ways to construct the rope, either ‘solid braid’, ‘hollow braid’, or ‘double braid’ aka ‘jacketed’ or ‘sleeved’.
Braided rope has a tendency to be stiffer than twisted rope, particularly double braids with a stiff core. This can make it more challenging for it to hold knots and friction compared to a twisted rope. They are, however, significantly stronger, which is why modern-day climbers use braided ropes with remarkably large safety margins.
Pros of braided rope for shibari:
Braided rope will always be stronger than twisted rope of the same material or diameter
Safety rated – commonly, rated ropes tend to be braided
Smooth feel on the skin
Cons of braided rope for shibari:
Can’t be spliced, so certain knots cannot be achieved
Braided rope has significantly more surface area, so will cause frictions burns on the skin more easily than twisted rope
Due to its construction, it can be difficult to compact frictions or knots (hollow braid being an exception here)
Now that we know what a rope is, how it’s made, some of the terminology, and the pros and cons of different rope constructions, we can take a look at some of the types of materials rope is made from. Don’t miss the next part of this series: Shibari Study Rope Guide Part 4: Choose Your Fiber – Natural Ropes
