Which ropes to choose?
Ropes for Shibari
The length of 8 meters is the usual length of ropes for practicing Shibari. This can of course be adapted according to your own wishes. Be careful though that ropes that are too short (< 6.5 m for example) or too long (> 9 m for example) will limit the fluidity of movements and ties. The diameter is generally between 5 and 6 mm (thinner: more painful; wider: less fluid, less aesthetic). Material for the ropes is either jute or hemp, please avoid synthetic ones (climbing ropes) and those found in sex-shops.
To start, 2 to 3 ropes of 8 m should be enough. If you plan to practice Shibari regularly in the long term, a set of 8 ropes of 8 m with 1 or 2 shorter ropes (for example 4 m and/or 2 m) will be necessary.
Where to buy ropes
This is a complex question that depends on your personal tastes regarding their material, flexibility, color, smell, diameter, your budget, and so on. For your information, here are some places where ropes can be purchased. Please note, this is a non-exhaustive list of potential places/sites. Atelier Mae has no financial interest in it and cannot be held responsible for any defects or problems linked to your commercial exchanges with these suppliers.
In Belgium:
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https://www.shibarilounge.com/ (on-site sales only)
In France:
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Atelier Simonet: https://ateliersimonet.com/
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Seb Kinbaku: https://shibari-artist.com/
In Scotland (customs fees!):
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Ro-nin: https://linktr.ee/ronin.rope (on Instagram: ronin_raccoon)
In Germany:
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Vaegabound: https://en.vaegabound.com/
There are certainly lots of other places/sites to buy them (Etsy stores?)...