Every kit is built around the same rope we sell by the length: 7.5m, 6mm, single-ply. Most kits let you choose the material — Anatomie or Ogawa jute, or linen-hemp — so the choice between them is really how many ropes you get and what comes with them.
If you haven't settled on a number yet, start with how many ropes do I need. This page assumes you have a number and want to know which kit fits it.
Getting started — four ropes, or two at a minimum
Four ropes is what we recommend starting with. You can get going with two, and our two-rope kits exist for exactly that, but two means untying one thing every time you want to tie another — which is a slow way to learn. Four lets a tie stay tied while you practise the next one.
The two-rope kits differ only in whether a book comes with them. Same ropes, same shears:
- First Rope Kit — two ropes and EMT safety shears. The one to take to a class, where the teaching comes from the room.
- Super Beginners' Kit — the same two ropes and shears, plus Miumi-U Teaches Shibari. The one for learning at home.
A word on shears
Every kit on this page except the Air Time comes with a pair of EMT safety shears, and that is the point of them rather than a bonus: rope you cannot cut off quickly is a problem waiting to happen. Keep a pair within reach of wherever you tie, not in the bag across the room. If you tie in more than one place, or with more than one person, own more than one pair — they cost very little next to what they are for.
Building a practice — four to eight ropes
Four ropes covers a complete scene: two for the upper body, two for the lower. Around eight is where floor work opens up properly, with enough rope to combine upper and lower body harnesses without stopping to free some up.
- Anatomie Kit — four ropes, shears, Rope Goo treatment paste, and the Anatomie skull rope bag, which holds twelve ropes and a Bag o' Bits. Room to grow into.
- Study Shibari Kit — the same four ropes, shears and Rope Goo, without the bag. Jute only.
Moving into suspension — eight ropes
Eight ropes gives you harnesses and uplines in the same scene. Get tuition before you suspend anyone; nothing on this page is a substitute for being taught in person.
The Air Time Kit carries eight ropes, a suspension ring in wood or metal, and a copy of Intro to Shibari Suspension. It is the one kit here that does not include shears, so add a pair if you do not already have spares.
Full suspension and transitions — twelve ropes
Twelve and up is where transitions become practical, because you are no longer rationing rope between harness and upline.
The Complete Shibari Kit carries twelve ropes, a Bag o' Bits for finishing ties, shears, a suspension ring, a swivel, Rope Lube, Rope Goo and a microfibre cloth — the consumables alongside the rope.
If you only want rope
Kits are a convenience, not a requirement. Every rope in them is also sold by the length.
The two are discounted differently, which is worth knowing before you choose. A kit is already priced below the sum of its parts, so the saving is built into it. Loose rope gets a tiered discount instead: 5% from four ropes, 10% from eight, 15% from twelve, applied automatically. Those tiers count individual ropes rather than kits, and you can mix materials and colours freely — only the count matters.
Two variations worth knowing about. Grade B is the same jute with cosmetic marks from the reel, at a lower price — it ties identically. Raw jute arrives untreated, for anyone who would rather condition their own.
Still deciding how many? Our guide to that works through it by tie complexity and rope length.
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