ROPE NO NO’s
What kind of rope NOT to use:
- rope which causes and allergic reaction, always make sure to tie a bit around your partners wrist about an hour before a scene if you are not sure the person may have an allergy to the material the rope is made of, the middle of your scene is not the time to notice welts and rashes caused by rope.
- Stiff poly or ‘marine’ rope, which can leave splinters in the skin.
- Rope made of grass or plant fibers,such as hemp or jute, which can also imbed itself into the skin.
- Stretchy types of rope, if you can stretch a six inch piece of rope to reach eight inches, it is considered ‘stretchy’ and can end up being much tighter than you intended to tie it, and will not give even pressure over an area. It may also pinch the skins surface and cause lack of circulation even when you believe it is not that tight, it can fool you, and may cause much more pressure on the area tied than you think it is.
- Rope with a diameter of less than 1/4 inch, and to be extra safe, less than 5/16 th of an inch.
- Rope which contains metal strands or a solid core of plastic or metal. You need to be able to cut off rope quickly in case of an emergency, and these types of rope are almost impossible to cut without some very heavy cutters, which you will most likely either not have, or not be able to ease between the rope and the persons skin.
There are lots of ‘rope substitutes’, but be careful they do not meet any of the criteria for rope types not to use, such as nylon stockings, which may be ‘stretchy’. Don’t use electrical cord, and don’t use lengths of leather strap which are ‘tied’ on, and may not be possible to quickly cut away.