The (New and Improved) Loving Dominant (20 page)

Hemp is a hard, fiber rope, which comes from the cannabis plant, specifically the cannabis sativa variety, which is the non-psychoactive variety in contrast to the cannabis indica variety, which has poor fiber quality and is used for recreational drug use. Cannabis indica has high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp (sativa) is what our bondage ropes are made from, so you won’t get a chemically induced high from your bondage rope. You may however get a natural high caused by the energy of your scene.

It has historically been used mainly on sailing ships. Its fibers in an unfinished state are somewhat softer than sisal and manila.

Finishing or conditioning hemp rope.
You can buy finished hemp from several retailers on the Internet. If you choose to buy unfinished hemp, which comes in a scratchy and rough state, you will need to know how to end up with very nice finished form with a wonderful feel for bondage. I highly recommend a seven-step process pioneered by Angelene Black from the now closed “Helios Rope,” a process which is now used by Erotic Hemp of Chicago
(
www.erotichemp.com
).

• Washing
  
• Drying
  
• Scorching the irritants off the outside of the rope
  
• Oiling the rope
  
• Hand rubbing the oil into the rope
  
• Pressure cooking the rope for softness
  
• Drying
  

This process is completed a total of 3 times.

After Helios Rope went out of business, I was able to obtain special permission to post at my website their process for finishing hemp.
See
ds-arts.com/RopeArt/hempropefinishing_ange/ene.pdf
.

Why hemp?
The choice of bondage rope for many is often based simply on feel and cost so many will automatically gravitate to synthetic fiber ropes. Hemp and other natural fiber ropes, however, challenge the senses in other ways. Natural fibers have a feel to the skin which is desired by many. Some say they can feel the rope becoming one with their skin as opposed to the slippery feel of synthetics. The natural hemp color, which will vary from a light to dark brown, can look very natural and visually pleasing against the skin. Its look is appealing in an artistic sense to many, especially photographers. The earthy natural smell appeals to many rope bottoms and tops as well, as it challenges their senses in a very erotic way that synthetics do not. Many report that these natural fiber ropes gives a special energy to the rope scene.

Hemp ropes also are superior at holding knots and stretch minimally, which makes it more appealing for those “get out” scenes centering on escape.

Hemp rope care.
Rope inspections should be done regularly. Get into the habit each time you bring out a rope of pulling it through your fingers to feel for abnormal broken or twisted fibers, excessive wear, cuts, nicks, signs of abrasions, reduction in diameter, or anything unnatural to the feel.

Hemp rope can be washed. You should wash it in cold water with an unscented natural laundry detergent. Do not use any kind of fabric softener. Be sure and use a hosiery bag or you will end up with a tangled mess. Stretch your ropes out under some weight to dry.

Natural fiber ropes will tend to dry out over time and will need to be re-oiled. Mink oil is my choice. Simply place light amounts in a heavy cloth and pull along the rope.

Allergies are another factor in all rope choices, but especially in natural fiber ropes. Some people will have sensitivity to hemp and can have experience a breakout on the skin or cause excessive itch and dryness in the eyes. Hemp can be dyed in various color choices. It is the choice of many in the west who do Japanese styled bondage.

Whipping the ends of your natural fiber rope.
If you choose natural fiber rope, you normally will be able to buy it with the ends of the rope already whipped or perhaps it will come with a wall or crown knot in the ends.

To whip the ends:

1. Select a thin piece of a strong twine about ten inches long
   
2. Begin by making a loop in the twine and laying it lengthwise near the end of the rope
   
3. Hold the loop in place as you wind the twine around the rope 10-15 times starting about ½ inch from the end of the loop
   
4. Once you reach the loop end, pull the twine through the loop
   
5. Tighten by pulling both ends
   
6. Trim off the ends and do the same at the other end of the rope
   

Size and strength.
Natural fiber ropes will come labeled in global measurements (millimeters) rather than western inches. So when you buy hemp you should know that 6mm is about 1/4 inch and 8mm about 3/8 inch. These will be the ideal choices for bondage use.

One final consideration of natural fiber ropes is strength. Natural fiber ropes are not as strong as synthetic ropes. The recommended load is ten times the actual weight of your subject. So a 200-pound person should be held by a minimum 2,000 pounds of rope strength. Generally their breaking point for natural fiber rope is about 800 pounds so, if you use them for any sort of load bearing with a human, you need to use three or four strands to meet acceptable safety standards for safe support of your rope bottom.

Knots: knot so mysterious

There is nothing mysterious about knots, and a dominant need not become an apprentice to a pipe-smoking old tar to learn how to join two ropes together or how to fasten a submissive down securely. However, a thorough knowledge of a few knots should be part of your repertoire.

resquare knot

Square or reef knot
— This is one of the most common knots. It works best with two ends of the same rope or with ropes of the same size and material. It is simply two overhand knots, one in each direction. Millions of ex-Boy Scouts tie it every day, muttering under their breaths, “Right over left; left over right.”

Slipped reef or safety knot
— This is a modification of the square knot in which one end has been doubled back like a half bow under the other rope. In an emergency, the dominant can give a good yank on the doubled back end and the knot will just come apart.

Two half hitches
— Because this can tighten, you should never use this knot directly on a submissive’s body. However, it is an effective knot to attach a rope to a ring or other inanimate object. Run the rope completely around the object and then back along the rope. Loop it around the rope with the end coming out under itself. Go down the rope a bit and then repeat this.

bowline

Bowline
— The bowline lets you make a loop in a way that is less likely to slip than two half hitches. However, particularly with nylon rope, you have to be careful to tighten the knot after you tie it. The classic description of a bowline is, “The rabbit (the end of the rope) comes out of the hole (the loop you have made) goes around the tree (the part of the rope above the loop) and then goes back in the hole.” It sounds cutesy, but it is an effective memory aid.

fisherman’s bend

Fisherman’s bend
— This is a knot that allows you to use rope as a less effective substitute for bondage cuffs. First wrap three or four loops of rope loosely around the submissive’s wrist or ankle leaving at least two feet of free end. Then wrap the end around the rope, loop it through the loose loops and then tie it off with a bowline. This makes the loops less likely to tighten independently and cut off circulation.

sheet bend

Sheet bend
— This knot is used to connect two ropes of different size or to connect a rope to an eye. Make a loop in the larger rope. Then run the smaller rope through the loop, around both portions of the loop and then under itself.

That’s it. There are many other useful knots, but these are the basics. If you want to learn about bottle knots, Spanish bowlines or rolling hitches, I direct you to any book on knots.

When tying and untying a submissive, you should always be aware of the rope ends. More than once, I have seen enthusiastic novices inadvertently smacking the subject of their attentions with the end of the rope while attempting to tie or untie a complex knot. When being pulled through a loop, a rope can move at substantial speed. As the end of the rope approaches the loop, it can easily be slingshotted to one side or the other. Three-eighth inch rope with a fused end can have a substantial impact under such conditions.

Trying to work too fast can also lead to rope burns. While such burns are less common with the recommended cotton and nylon ropes, they can happen. Work slowly and carefully. When you must drag a rope across the submissive’s body, put your hand under the rope so you are aware of the potential for burning and are partially shielding the submissive from it. If your submissive is rope burned, clean the area with warm water and a mild soap. Then, disinfect the affected skin with alcohol or Betadine (povidone-iodine).

A precise, careful dominant is a lot more impressive and gives far more pleasure than one who works fast but seems to be on the edge of losing control or, worse, actually injures the submissive because of ill advised speed.

Bondage positions

Of course, the tying is only part of a gestalt, the whole of which goes together to excite both of you. While a wonderful feeling of helplessness can be created by simply tying a submissive’s hands behind his or her back, there are positions that amplify that feeling by magnitudes.