The Tsuri Neko Handbook
Notes on rope, care, and where to buy in Benelux. Written by us in Leuven.
Choosing rope
Shibari starter kit, what to buy for your first class Two ropes and a safety cutter is the minimum. Three ropes plus shears (the starter kit, € 60) is the recommended starter. Both 8 m, 5 mm POSH or 6 mm jute. Belgian-finished, ships from Leuven.- Jute vs hemp for shibari Two natural fibres that tie the same ties. Jute is lighter, cheaper and more common. Hemp is the older tradition and lasts longer under heavy use. We stock jute and will tell you where to buy hemp.
- What jute batching oil is, and what "JBO-free" really means All jute is batched with something, and standard JBO is a mineral oil. The animal studies are real and they tested one grade, undiluted, on shaved skin. Nobody has measured what a finished rope leaves on yours.
- What length shibari rope to use 7.5 m and 8 m are the two standard Western lengths, and we cut to 8 m. Japanese rope is usually 7 m. What each length suits, what an 8 m rope gives you folded, and what we will cut on request.
- What thickness shibari rope to use 6 mm jute and 5 mm POSH are what we stock. Rope diameters are nominal, so a 6 mm jute is not 6.00 mm. What 8 mm changes, what 5 mm changes, and what we will source on request.
- Choosing between POSH and jute A practical comparison of POSH (synthetic) and Ogawa jute (natural) for shibari practice. Same price, different maintenance, different feel.
Caring for rope
- How to break in new jute rope Our jute arrives treated and ready to tie with. It still softens over the first months of use. What breaking in actually does, what it feels like when it is done, and what processing raw jute off a spool involves.
- How to care for shibari rope Jute wants a check before every tie, oil every couple of months, and honest judgement about when it stops being a suspension line. POSH wants little beyond a wash and the same inspection.