Tags :: §Shibari
There are many materials rope can be made out of, and many of them can be used for Shibari. Which you use is largely personal choice.
The majority of shibari practitioners prefer natural fibre rope, especially those aiming for fidelity to the original Japanese styles. These ropes typically have a lot of "bite", holding knots and §frictions well, and are less likely to give friction burns when pulled across the skin. They vary in flexibility, strength, required maintenance, appropriate washing methods, price.
The classic Shibari materials are §jute and §hemp. Both require maintenance, and may require treatment before first use. Jute tends to be fairly cheap, hemp a little less so. Hemp is heavy and relatively strong, jute is lighter and weaker.
§cotton rope is softer than most materials but perfectly appropriate if the quality is good. Popular amongst newcomers, as it is cheap, widely available, and often sold by mainstream sex and lingerie shops. It is good for more sensual, soft, and comfortable bondage. It is quite elastic, and this can make it difficult to set the tightness of the binding. This also makes it difficult to transition to another material; you may find that you are tying too tight with hemp after getting used to cotton.
Bamboo and silk rope are even softer still. This is particularly popular for people with sensitive skin and other sensory issues. Both are a bit on the pricy side, and you sometimes see ropes which are silk blended with another material.
§linen hemp rope is possibly my favourite kind of rope, especially dyed, if you can get it. It has a nice weight and feel, is pleasant on the skin, and looks lovely.
§coconut, sisal and some similar materials are used for sadistic rope; this isn't an appropriate basis for a rope kit, but it can be a fun addition when playing with masochists.
Synthetic rope is generally less popular for tying than natural fibre. Some reasons are, from the bottom's perspective, that synthetic rope feels less pleasant on skin, and may feel less "connected"; it often has a lower "burn speed" for friction burns; and may be less aesthetically appealling. From the top's perspective, it is often "slippery", without much "bite", and it may not hold certain knots or frictions well; it can be inflexible; and may be hard on the hands. That said, it has some distinct advantages. In particular it is often much stronger than natural fibre (and load-rated!), making it a better choice for §suspension uplines; water-resistant; and easy to clean, so good for scenes which may be in water or include mess or bodily fluids.
§hempex rope is designed to look and feel like hemp, but is much stronger and also load-rated. I personally don't like the feel of it very much.
§POSH (a.k.a. spun polyester) is a very high-quality, strong, load-rated synthetic hemp. It has a low burn speed, and feels a bit "dry", but otherwise shares few of the downsides of many other synthetics.
Climbing rope is perfectly adequate for uplines but a poor choice for floor-work, as it is inflexible, stiff, and does not form knots well.
There are many varieties of nylon and §MFP rope, but I've never used them myself. These tend to be cheap, very strong, shiny, and come in very bright and vibrant colours.
Some people claim that only hemp, or only jute, or only tossa jute, is the true "§Japanese style". In fact, from the very beginnings of Shibari practice Japanese nawashi would use cotton, kimono obi, dressing gown belts, or anything that they could get their hands on. The Japanese term 麻縄 (asanawa) refers to both jute and hemp rope undiscriminately (see the Kinbakunomicon link below).