How to Finish Shibari Rope Ends

Whipping: involves taking a thread and wrapping it around the diameter of the rope to secure it in place the most secure form of whipping is sailermakers whipping
		Sailmakers whipping

Whipping the ends of your ropes results in minimum bulk making it easy for the rope to pass under wraps. Coloured whipping can be used to signify the length of the rope, distinguish between different sets of rope, or just to make your rope more distinct in environments where there are multiple riggers. 

Some people use both whipping and a stopper knot, the whipping serving a purely decorative (or identification) function.

One of the often reported problems with whipping is it failing and coming off the rope, whipping is not as secure as a multi-strand stopper knot, however whipping often fails because it has been tied poorly.  

To ensure that the whipping stays in place:  

1. Apply the whipping in a clockwise direction
2. Make sure that your whipping is as tight as possible, the area that has been whipped should end up being narrower than the area above it and below it.
3. When tying your whipping start away from the end of the rope and work up not down.
4. Make sure the whipping covers an area equal to or greater than the width of the rope, e.g. if you have a 6mm rope, your whipping should cover at least 6mm of rope.
5. Leave rope tails twice the length of the whipping.
6. Use a strong whipping thread.

Whipping threads can be any type of thread, however if you use a piece of thin cotton that you can break by pulling on it you are at risk of your rope unravelling. If you would like to use coloured thread, then embroidery thread is a good option, but you can also use the same material as your rope - e.g. Jute or Hemp. If your material is very fibrous then adding some wax to it first will make it far easier to handle.  In terms of longevity and strength one of the best options is upholstery thread, or bookbinders thread.

To learn how to apply a sailmaker's whipping, see the link below for instructions from the wonderful website animated knots (although as mentioned above please leave longer tails than shown in the video).

Sailmakers Whipping Video

 

Stopper Knots

Stopper knots fall into two categories, single strand stopper knots and multi-strand stopper knots. Single strand stopper knots are tied without unravelling the rope first, this makes them easier to tie and untie, but also makes them more bulky.

Multi-strand stopper knots should be considered permanent, once in place your only way of getting rid of them is cutting off the end of the rope and tying a new knot. They are harder to tie, but can be significantly smaller.

Single strand stopper knots

Overhand knot

Double overhand knot

Figure of Eight knot

Barrel knot

The overhand knot is the most widely used stopper knot in shibari, and is smaller than any other single strand knot. It has the advantage that it is relatively easy to untie and retie if needed, but the disadvantage is that it can work itself loose and so needs retightening regularly.  As all the other single strand knots increase the bulk that needs to be taken under wraps, using any of the others sacrifices utility for aesthetics.

Multi strand stopper knots

Open overhand knot

Thistle knot

Mathew Walker knot

Multi strand stopper knots are fiddly to tie unless they are something you tie a lot of, and they can not be untied. If you need to correct the rope’s lay because of high stranding you will need to cut off the knot, and retie. The Mathew Walker knot is somewhat longer than even the open overhand knot, or the thistle knot and so despite its popularity with some riggers the only benefit it brings is for those who are drawn to it aesthetically. The two key advantages they have over the other options discussed is that they are smaller, and more secure.

Video tutorials for tying multi-strand stopper knots:

Open overhand knot

Thistle knot

Matthew Walker knot

 

Summary

In my opinion the four best options for finishing rope ends are:

Overhand knot	Open overhand knot	Thistle knot	Sailmakers whipping

The overhand knot is the simplest of options and easy to undo and retie if needed. It is also the most widely used method for finishing ropes and can be seen as the ‘traditional’ method. 

The open overhand reduces the bulk of the overhand knot making it easier to pass under wraps and creates a knot less likely to come undone. It is an easy and quick knot to tie.

The thistle knot is the smallest stopper knot, is visually pleasing, and is completely secure, but it is fiddly to tie.