The Passion Craft Store Jute BDSM Shibari Bondage Rope
The Passion Craft Store Jute BDSM Shibari Bondage Rope (a mouthful of a product name, which is why I’m just going to say ‘the Passsion Craft Store jute ropes’ from now on) is available in kits of 3, 4, 6, and 12 ropes (as well as a 4 rope + 1 candle bundle and 2 rope + 1 candle bundle). They also sell an 8mm jute rope, which is what I’d suggest for uplines above the 6mm rope.
While I’m very excited about the red of my ropes, this isn’t the only colour that Passion Craft Store offer. They have a lot of other options, including natural brown, light green, raspberry, purple, blue, and black. They’re also very good with custom orders, so if you’re looking for the hot pink jute of your dreams, you can send Passion Craft Store a message about a custom order. The set of three ropes I received were all the same type—a 6mm, three strand, red-dyed jute, finished with an overhead knot. All jute ropes that Passion Craft Store sells are pre-treated and have been both washed and conditioned by hand, and they have a lovely stretch to them as a result.
Both 8m and 12m lengths of rope are available. For once in my life, I’m actually not complaining about ropes being too long—while I’m generally a rigger who prefers using shorter rope and extending it, the 8m lengths I were sent were a little on the small side, and I ended up being just a little short for a few of my standard one-rope ties (futomomo, simple chest ties). It’s definitely worth thinking about how large the rope bottom/s you’re wanting to use this rope with are—the 8mm lengths would be perfectly fine on a more petite person, they just come up a little short on me because I’m a larger guy. I’ll probably end up turning one 8m length into smaller extension bits of rope at some point because I don’t do a huge amount of three rope ties (unless we include uplines, but I have ropes that are dedicated to being upline only), although I am also a bit tempted to leave the ropes as they are, adapt my standard ties to have less wraps, and use them for floorwork only.
Speaking of floorwork, these ropes are suspension safe. I do want to emphasise—as Passion Craft Store does on their website—that suspension is a high risk activity that ideally should be taught slowly and in person. Also, while I personally did learn how to tie for suspension using 6mm jute uplines and it can be done, it is a bit riskier than other upline options. I’ve heard stories of 6mm jute uplines breaking, so 8mm hemp or synthetic uplines can be a safer choice, especially if you’re playing with a heavier bottom (although 8mm jute is still safer than 6mm jute). Passion Craft Store doesn’t give a load rating or breaking strength, so using these ropes as uplines is something I’d personally be a bit wary of, but they do mention using their ropes for suspension personally (so it can be done), and your risk assessment and limits are yours. Crash Restraint has more information on upline safety, which I’d recommend reading so you can make a risk-aware decision.
In terms of how it feels to tie and be tied in… this rope sure is jute. It feels a little more textured and bitey than the rope I usually use, although this may in part due to the fact that rope gets softened over time. While I am a whipped rope ends person, I actually really didn’t mind the overhand knots on this rope—they’re small and tight enough I didn’t find that they got in the way while tying, which is a new for me and knotted rope. Jute rope is generally a bit on the rougher side and I’d say the Passion Craft Store rope is about what I expect.
One thing I did find was an issue was that the Passion Craft Store rope left behind a lot of fuzzies when used for tying. ‘Fuzzies’ is a cute nickname for what is essentially the loose fibres in a rope, and hemp tends to have more of an issue with it than jute. The amount of fuzzies doesn’t make this rope unusable, but it does mean I’ll likely use it for more sadistic ties (à la coconut rope, which is really mean) rather than more sensual or light bondage. Fuzzies will disappear over time and with use, so it’s not the worst thing in the world, but it is something to be aware of—if you want to make this process quicker you can singe rope over an open flame, which is what I would have expected to happen during the processing stage.
Another issue for me is that I’m pretty sure the rope was dyed after it was spun. While this isn’t an issue in itself, it does mean that the colour is patchy, especially on the inside of the three strands. It’s not super visible from a distance, but is more obvious in some areas, like in the overhead knots.
Overall
I really loved the Passion Craft Store waxplay candles, but don’t feel quite the same way about their shibari rope. While it’s perfectly serviceable jute rope, it doesn’t impress me in the same way that the candles do. I do love the colour (although it is a bit patchy) and find that the knot ends don’t annoy me in the same way knotted ends normally do, but while I like the roughness personally, I think it’s both an acquired taste and the result of fuzz removal not being part of the rope’s processing. If you know you do like rougher ropes, the Passion Craft Store Jute BDSM Shibari Bondage Rope could work well as a good general rope (the lack of load information and small diameter makes me shy away from using them as uplines personally, but YMMV), but if you’re looking for something more gentle and don’t have the time or energy to singe the fuzzies yourself I’d point you towards other options.
This product was sent to me by Passion Craft Store in exchange for a fair and impartial review. No affiliate links were used in this post.
