About our ropes

The history

Shortly after opening Anatomie Studio in 2015 we realised that our students were being held back by poor quality ropes, and ropes that had been either under or over-treated, or were stiff and prickly. Long story short we sourced our own supplier of high-quality jute ropes, which are made to resemble some of the best features of two popular Japanese brands of jute: Nawaya and Ogawa.

How our ropes feel

Our rope is from our own supplier and is made to resemble a cross between our two favourite Japanese ropes; Ogawa and Nawaya.

For the connoisseurs, our ropes are slightly tighter lay than Ogawa but slightly looser than Nawaya. They break in slower than Ogawa but a lot faster than Nawaya. 

Our ropes are however comparatively low in JBO content (the petroleum smelling oils that are particularly evident in raw untreated ropes).

The ropes are single-ply and once broken-in are fast, smooth and easy to handle with a beautiful honey-oat shine.

We believe in what we sell

We only sell ropes that we personally use ourselves in our shibari tying, for this reason we only sell single-ply, 4 and 6mm jute ropes - they are fast, light and with use become smooth and silky.

We have been using and selling this rope since 2015 and continue to receive fantastic feedback as you can see in our reviews.

The quality of production has been consistent over the years ensuring that any new ropes you get match your existing Anatomie ropes from previous years. 

A close relationship with our local community

We sell internationally but also to our local community at Anatomie Studio which allows us to see the ropes in use, observe how they develop through the years, and get direct feedback from our customers.

Everything from the length of the ropes, to the type of treatment, and all the products around the ropes are a result of direct communication with our customers and observations on how the ropes are used in the space.

Our coloured rope

The coloured ropes we sell are from Ogawa in Japan. They are similar to our Anatomie ropes, but because the dying process involves 'wet treating' them (basically wetting the ropes), they are bendier at first use than our Anatomie ropes. 

Both our Anatomie rope and our guest coloured rope are given the same treatment before shipping it out to customers.

Choosing the right ropes for you

Both the bendiness and the colour of the ropes come down to personal preference.

Beginners usually prefer ropes that are 'softer', while the more experienced value ropes that they can break in themselves as this allows them to bond with the ropes over their journey.

Many experienced riggers prefer to buy raw ropes in bulk and either treat the ropes themselves or use them raw and let them break in naturally.

Why treat the ropes?

Raw ropes can be difficult and even painful to tie with (for both partners), and it is for this reason that people prefer to buy ropes that have already been processed and treated. 

The treatment process is however not strictly necessary for the ropes, but it does make the ropes more user friendly and your fingers might appreciate that. The treatment process mimics the natural breaking in process that the ropes would undergo by simply tying with the ropes over time - which some experienced rigger choose to do.

Ropes can be 'wet treated' or 'dry treated', but in order to wet treat ropes properly the ropes must be dried under tension or they become so bendy that they are basically unusable for shibari. Because this process involves a lot of time and space, many people prefer to 'dry treat' their ropes. This usually involves a process of breaking in the ropes by rubbing it against itself to make the fibres more pliable, singeing the ropes over a flame to burn away the fuzzies, and rubbing waxy pastes or oils into the ropes. 

For more information, check out our video on rope treatment.

What products we use and sell for rope treatment?

The paste or "rope goo" we use is a mix of beeswax blended with either camellia oil. Ropes can be treated without beeswax, especially if you're vegan, or if you prefer lighter ropes, then you can simply use our "rope lube" which is a blend of camellia or jojoba oil. Both camellia and jojoba oil are commonly found in cosmetic products - camellia is lighter and rather running, while jojoba oil is essentially a liquid wax and therefore a thicker with a slightly darker hue.

We treat the ropes for sale the exact same way we treat our own personal ropes, so you know you'll have a great quality rope in your hands!

Why buy from us?

As a rope studio that has been using and selling our rope since 2015 we get constant feedback from our students and local customers. This way we have been able to refine both the raw jute rope and how we treat it, into something that we believe you'll be delighted to use and bond with.

More importantly, when you buy from us you are supporting a dedicated rope space and the community that found it in its home. You are also supporting a space that actively outputs educational opportunities and content, as well as enabling us to provide jobs for our local community.

Thank you for your support!