Fetish Fantasy Series Japanese silk rope - restraints by Pipedream - review by Dawn (Lilac Distraction)

No BDSM enthusiast's toybox is complete without some nice rope. There's so much you can do with it and the possibilities are basically endless! It's something that can be as basic or advanced as you want it. Even if you don't consider yourself to be all too kinky, you can still appreciate this amazingly comfortable, beautiful silk rope. You can tie simple wrist and ankle restraints, rope gauntlets, or tie your lover to the bed post. If you pick up the book Two Knotty Boys Showing You The Ropes, you'll learn how to use this rope to create intricate Japanese Rope Bondage pieces such as corsets, body harnesses, intricate arm and leg binds, and several other intricate and incredibly beautiful forms of bondage.

Aside from the actual bondage aspect, there's also an incredibly sensual side to this rope. Tying or being tied up is an incredibly romantic experience, especially when creating very intricate pieces. You lover sits there motionless while you glide the rope around their body. The person being tied gets to feel like all of the attention is on them and that they're being doted on. It's an experience that promotes closeness and intimacy.

For suspension play, I'd choose a sturdier rope. It's always something that needs to be considered because of the safety concerns associated with it.

This rope is made of a very nice silk material. Silk has the advantage of being super soft and slightly slick. You're less likely to have any marks left behind with this rope than you would be with cotton, hemp, or nylon rope. It's very comfortable for extended wear and doesn't chafe the skin like the other types can. Even though it is pretty soft, it's also very sturdy.

It is a nice deep black color with a slight shine to it. The shine makes knot work stand out and enhances the detail of it. Cotton ropes can sometimes lose the impact because of their matte texture. Unlike my cotton rope, it also doesn't seem to be a lint magnet, which is a major plus, especially if you live with fluffy cats.

My length of rope had a couple of frays along the length of it when I pulled it out of the package. I don't consider this to be a huge trauma, but it does take away from the rope a little. I may be able to trim them down so they're a bit less obvious. The ends are wrapped in a shiny silver tape. It kinda looks like a giant shoe string, actually. The tape can start to become loose and unroll. You can fix this by replacing the tape with some electrical tape, or remove it and knot the end.

The rope is a total of 35' long. With this length, you can do some pretty intense arm and leg binds, small corsets, half-harnesses, or full harnesses on smaller people. (I did one on myself and I'm about 5'4.) You can cut the length into smaller pieces, but just make sure to knot or tape the ends. You can't singe these closed because they aren't made of a plastic material.

I really like this rope because of how easy it is to tie and how comfortable it is for the person being tied. You can pull and tug and struggle and it's still very comfortable. Because of the slick texture, knots are easy to make and easy to untie. The rope doesn't grab on itself like other materials can. I really love that intricate knot work isn't lost on this rope because of the shiny look of it. Rope bondage pieces look so much nicer when done with this instead of cotton. If you're looking for function, though, go with the cotton instead.

With rope, the only thing you're limited by is your creativity (and rope length, of course). This rope is excellent for practicing advanced bondage techniques or for those who are just starting out.

When caring for this silk, you should remember that it is silk, so you have to be delicate with it. You'll want to make sure you hand wash this when needed in slightly warm water with only the smallest amount of a light soap, if needed. You don't want to use soap too often because it can leave a residue behind. Gently wring the rope and hang it to dry. The best thing about this rope is that you can always hang it outside to dry!

Always make sure you ends are taped/sewn/knotted shut to ensure that your rope doesn't unravel.

For storage, you can place this in a plastic bag to keep it free of knots and tangles to make sure it stays in its best condition. Keep it out of super bright sunlight because it may begin to fade.

Like most of the Fetish Fantasy Series items, this one came with one of those cheap little blindfolds. This one actually seemed a bit nicer than the other ones I've gotten from some of their other products. It's nothing too special, but it makes a great sleep mask.

If you're considering this rope, I'd highly suggest getting Two Knotty Boys Showing You The Ropes. It has tons of information and will help you make the most of your rope.