The second most common question I hear is: "where do I buy rope?" or "what sort of rope should I buy?" So I'm going to tackle that quandary today!
If you have a Fetlife account Taijya's list of rope sellers is the best resource imaginable. She lists suppliers by the rope fiber (hemp, jute, nylon, etc) and staggers them by price, making it super easy to compare prices on whatever sort of rope you desire.
Don't forget to buy a cutting tool as well! If you're going to tie someone up you need a way to quickly and safely release them if you get into trouble. Safety shears are cheap and effective. A seat belt cutter is another good option.
My Personal Favorites:
*rope I tie with
Hemp:
*Twisted Monk - $1.20/ft. Specializes in high quality vibrantly dyed hemp.
*Epic Rope - $1.00/ft. Maker of the amazing rainbow in some of my photos.
*Turkey Foot LLC - $0.18/ft to $0.24/ft The best value for unprocessed hemp rope for when you want to self process or dye your own rope kit.
Jute:
*MyNawashi - $0.19/ft ($0.29/ft dyed) The best unprocessed jute at a very reasonable price point. This is what I use in my rope bag.
*M0co Jute - $0.57/ft to $1.22/ft (Prices vary based on treatment) A heavy and tightly wound version of deliciously treated jute.
*DreXrope - $110/Kit- natural, $115/kit dyed. Affordable and beautiful jute.
Synthetic Hemp:
*Jade Rope - $0.40/ft Synthetic Hemp Looks and feels like the real thing but it's machine washable and can go in the dyer for sanitizing between partners. Everyone needs a length of this if they plan on tying crotch ropes. Weight rated fiber perfect and very safe to use as uplines.
*POSH Rope - $1.25/ft Spun Polyester From Twisted Monk, this new spin on synthetic rope looks and feels so much like natural fiber rope, it hard to tell them apart. Also weight rated and highly suggested for uplines.
ESINEM Rope - £0.77/m to £0.90/m Synthetic Hemp Also easily washable but not at all soft. Great for uplines as it's also weight rated
Other:
*KnotNormal - $1.88/m Coconut If you're looking for something super sadistic, coconut rope is amazing. So scratchy!
Nylon:
*Erin Houdini - $0.47/ft to $0.56/ft Hand dyed super soft with a HUGE selection of colors.
MFP:
*Knot and Rope - $0.10/ft to $.58/ft Great selection of synthetic ropes in lovely colors at a very affordable price. This synthetic rope is easily sanitized and resilient to the elements, in case outdoor tying is your thing.
But what rope should *I* buy?
If you're just starting out, your best bet is to go to the hardware store and buy some cheap nylon (get the kind without a hard core) off the roll. Or clothes line from the dollar store. Or parachord from the outdoor supply company. This way you can experiment with figuring out what lengths of rope you need for the sort of bondage that interests you and what diameter of rope you like.
Generally I'd suggest 4 pieces of 30 foot lengths (for body harnesses) and 4 pieces of 15 foot lengths (for limbs.) And something in the 5mm or 6mm width.
Once you decide you're ready to invest in a good rope kit, start checking out the sites in the list above to find something you like the looks of that's in your price range. Or if there's a rope group in your area, check out what other people tie with and ask what they like about the rope they use and if you can handle it to see if it might be something you'll enjoy as well.
Synthetic hemp is very affordable and easy to clean so that's a great place to start. Hemp is probably the most forgiving of the natural fibers, as it takes very little upkeep and maintenance. But if you find you enjoy the soft, slippery nylon or MFP, that's okay! Just because the big fancy rope people you see in photos are trending toward jute and hemp doesn't mean you have to use them too.
And once you have your rope, be sure to check out my list of places to learn how to tie it. Have fun!