Jute is happiest in consistently hot and arid countries, typically grown for industry in Bangladesh, India (mainly West Bengal), China, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan. Most industry ropes are produced from yarns from India and China, which can produce perfectly fine yarn and inexpensive yarn for this purpose. Bangladesh is widely respected for producing some of the world's finest jute yarns, albeit more expensive. I have found this yarn to be measurably better and therefore the only type of jute yarn that I use. I now have a longstanding relationship with a small jute mill that is happy to produce yarn to my specification.

There are two types of jute plant, White (Corchorus Capsularis)
and Tossa (Corchorus Olitorius).   Tossa produces stronger, silker and softer fibre than its white jute counterpart, therefore I only use Tossa yarn for the jute ropes that I make. 

After harvesting, jute is often soaked for days or weeks in rivers or tanks to soften the fibre for manufacture. Depending on what the yarn is going to be used for determines how well the fibre is treated. Jute yarn is primarily manufactured for industrial tasks like making sacks, backing for carpets, or for industrial rope used in harsh environments such as marine/outside environments. Because of this, yarn is treated with a petroleum-derived oil called Jute Batch Oil (JBO) to make it hardy to water and salt. It tends to be used in excess to create a strong and resilient product. The relationship Shibari has with JBO is complicated! On one hand, we do need our ropes to be mildly water/moisture resistant, but we also need the rope to be safe for skin contact. While uncommon, some people do get skin irritations/reactions with ropes containing JBO; this is more likely when using ropes that have been produced using yarn made for industry. I work closely with our yarn manufacturer to ensure that the minimum amount of JBO is used to produce a rope that can be dyed and that will maintain its shape and integrity. My Jute ropes have a maximum JBO content of 2%. For people who are sensitive to JBO, this may still be too much, and if you react to it, then I would recommend looking at Hemp or Bamboo.

Jute Yarn is graded, with lower grade yarn being darker, with higher "bark" content, varying thicknesses, and less strong.  A higher grade yarn being lusterous, light, low bark content and a uniform thickness and being stronger- and also the most expensive! Our yarn is the top in its grade, giving a consisent look and feel to the end product.

There is a lot of debate within the Shibari world on whether single or double ply rope is better for Shibari.  Fans of single ply highlight its appearance, flexibility, and strength - fans of double ply argue that it is more resistant to friction, and less prone to high stranding.  It really is down to individual preference,  and I have sold both for ten years - however after lots of customer feedback - I am moving to just selling single ply. Here is the difference between them:

Single ply is rope that has been made from strands of yarn that have been twisted together in one direction.

Double ply is made by taking two of these strands and twisting them together to make a very thin 2 ply rope. That 'rope' is then used to make thicker rope.

Single ply

Pros:

• Appearance: The vast majority of people prefer the appearence of single ply rope, compare the pictures above - and decide for yourself. 
• Density and Strength: Single ply ropes have less bulk than the 2ply, meaning that more fibers can be used to achieve the same mm, this results in a stronger rope. Additionally, the less that rope strands are twisted the stronger they are in a downwards pull - making single ply the clear winner when it comes to strength. 
• Flexible:  Single ply ropes are more flexible, allowing the rope to 'fly' and making it easier to tie knots.

Cons:

• More expensive: 2ply ropes are often cheaper as they use less yarn.
• Less durable: If you compare a set of single ply ropes used daily to a set of double ply ropes used daily, after a year the single ply rope will show more thinning than the double ply. 
  
  

Double-Ply Ropes:

Pros:

• Increased Durability: Double-ply ropes are more resistant to high stranding, and don't thin down as much with use. 
• Cost: Double-ply ropes are often cheaper than single-ply ropes due to the reduced amount of raw materials used. 

Cons:

• Less Flexibility: Double-ply ropes do not have the same amount of flexibility as single-ply ropes. For many beginners this is something that might not even be noticed, but for experienced riggers this really matters.
  
• Appearance: While some people consider the difference in appearance between single and double ply subtle, most agree that single ply looks better.
• Tradition: For a lot of riggers double-ply is considered industrial rope, as opposed to bondage rope.
• Strength: Double-ply rope of the same thickness from the same yarn as single ply is weaker.

 

Twisted: So once we have good yarn, we now need to decide how to make it into rope. In the world of rope bondage, it tends to favour a twisted 3-stranded rope. Braided ropes are an alternative for those who are practising western and fusion style rope bondage, although they are not ropes that I sell.  The reality is braided ropes are slippier and so some knots are not suitable, braided ropes should only be used for shibari by very experienced riggers who are able to modify their ties for working with braided ropes. There is also a newer trend in sex shops to sell ropes with metal tipped ends, which proves that the people who are producing and marketing these ropes for rope bondage have no understanding of the practise of rope bonage themselves! Rope ends have a habit of flying around a lot, and I’ve yet to meet a rope model who’s not had a rope end to the face- now imagine that rope end with a metal tip-meeting your eye. Sighs. These ropes are hazardous, please avoid them! 

Lay – This is referring to the twist itself – is it twisted left or right/counterclockwise or clockwise (known as S lay or Z lay) and how tight or loose is the rope?

Natural rope is by tradition made in right hand lay (z).  The lay of a rope will impact the way it holds knots, and the direction it naturally coils in, so unless you have a strong reason for wanting to sue S lay rope, and are committing to it, it is best to stick with Z lay rope which is the most widely available rope lay (and slightly stronger the S lay when made from natural fibres).  I only sell Z lay ropes in my shop.

How tight do you like it?

Traditional Japanese style ropes tend to be looser; these are more flexible and faster to work with. However, they do require a lot of maintenance. Western-made bondage ropes tend to be a little tighter and allow for a longer-lasting and hardier rope. Again, this is down to personal preference. All the ropes in my shop are to a "medium" standard. All ropes that are looser are listed as such, which tends to be preferred by experienced riggers who prefer the speed of a looser rope and who are happy with the extra maintenance that these ropes need. (Will talk more about this in my guide on treatment and maintenance.)

Everyone's method for treating Jute is different, a lot of people recommend boiling or baking Jute rope - which i strongly advice against as it can weaken the rope fibers, and release JBO into the atmosphere which is very dangerous. I offer both wet treated Jute, and dry treated Jute (which gives a crisper rope). With both types of rope i then beat them in a special drum which works a bit like a rock tumbler and removes fuzzies, and softens the ropes. This results in a rope that has been 'broken in' before it arrives at your door. I recommend using an oil or paste treatment to prevent the ropes being damaged by friction.