FAQs
Our rope is small-batch, artisan-made, with each piece dyed, cut, and hand-finished to order. Please allow a minimum of 15 business days for production, not including weekends or federally observed holidays (we are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, so no production occurs during those times).
Orders that include exotic rope, Steel or MonkSaks may require additional time. If there are any issues or delays with your order, we’ll reach out to you via email.
Please also note: Local weather can impact our dyeing and processing times, as our rope is air-dried in climate-sensitive conditions.
We appreciate your patience and understanding—it allows us to continue delivering the high-quality, hand-crafted rope you expect from us.
Your payment is collected when you place your order.
We package orders in USPS supplied Priority Mail packaging or plain brown boxes. Our return address appears as "TTM/M. Walling". Packaging makes no mention of the nature of the contents except as required by international customs regulations. and in such cases products are marked as merchandise with generic descriptions of "sterilized hemp fiber rope", "books", or "steel ring/hook" as applicable. Falsifying customs documents is a crime. Please do not ask us to do so.
We will not draw on your package unless you ask us to.
For insurance purposes, signature confirmation is required for packages valued at more than $200 those containing limited-edition ropes, within the USA. Please keep this in mind when providing your shipping address. International customers may be required to retrieve parcels from their local customs offices based on local regulations.
"The Abbey", where our artisans cut and finish each order by hand, is located in Seattle, WA. The following are estimated shipping times:
From Seattle, WA Estimated Domestic Transit Times (Business Days) by time zone:
- Pacific: 2–3 days
- Mountain: 2–4 days
- Central & Eastern: 3–5 days
- Hawaii/Alaska: 3–5 days
International Shipping Options:
- USPS Priority Mail International: 6–15 days
- UPS Worldwide: 3–9 days
***If you need your by a specific date, contact us before placing your order so we can advise you on feasibility.***
All international orders are subject to review by your local customs office before delivery. Customs officials determine:
- How long your package remains in customs
- Whether it is subject to quarantine
- Applicable tariffs, VAT, and other fees
These policies vary by country and even by shipment. The Twisted Monk has no control over this process and cannot expedite or modify your order once it has entered your country.
- Once rope has been removed from its original packaging or unbundled, it is considered used and ineligible for return or exchange—unless defective.
- Customers are responsible for return shipping costs, unless the item is defective or there was a fulfillment error.
- Shipping, gift wrap, and order upgrades are non-refundable. If a refund is issued, these costs will be deducted from the total.
- At The Twisted Monk, we want you to love your rope. However, due to the typical use of our products, returns and exchanges for non-defective items require pre-approval.
Please contact us at customerservice@twistedmonk.com before returning any item. - If your item arrives defective, we offer a 30-day guarantee for a replacement of the same item (substitutions may apply for limited editions). You must contact us within 30 days of delivery.
- If you suspect a fulfillment error, please reach out right away. You will not be responsible for return shipping or reshipment costs.
- International customers: You may still be responsible for import duties or landing fees. We will mark replacement packages clearly when possible.
To use your gift card or discount code, during checkout enter it in the "Gift card or Discount Code" field, found on the right-hand side of the screen near the order summary. Be sure to click apply when using the code- you should see the discount listed in the order summary once applied.
On mobile checkout at the top of the screen the "Have a code or gift card?" prompt will open a drop-down menu that has a box to enter your code. Again, be sure to tap the apply button and the discount should be displayed as deducted from your order.
Sure! Please call (206) 938-7527 between the hours of 10am-4pm PST Monday-Friday. We'd be happy to help you over the phone. You will be asked to confirm your order via email in order to securely and accurately collect your payment information.
We are unable to fill custom orders at this time.
Yes! We have Sample Packs that contain short length of our ropes in all the diameters, colors, and fibers we offer. Sample lengths are long enough for you to tie a basic overhand knot, so you can see how the knots form and how bulky they are. Sample Packs come with a discount code applicable to your first order.
Yes. However, we recommend washing your rope as infrequently as possible, to preserve the integrity of the fibers. When your rope does require washing, we offer Rope Care Packs with everything you need. Full care and cleaning instructions are also available on our Rope Care page.
Frequently, if you have a reaction to hemp rope, it is because of the oil used in conditioning. Our rope is processed with an allergen-free vegan-friendly oil. However, if you know hemp isn't an option for you, we also carry other natural fiber ropes (cotton, silk, and bamboo), as well as synthetic POSH rope. You can also order a Sample Pack, which can help you determine which rope is right for you.
Frequently, if you have a reaction to hemp rope, it is because of the oil used in conditioning. Our rope is processed with an allergen-free vegan-friendly oil. However, if you know hemp isn't an option for you, we also carry other natural fiber ropes (cotton, silk, and bamboo), as well as synthetic POSH rope. You can also order a Sample Pack, which can help you determine which rope is right for you.
We use only the finest organically grown Romanian and German hemp. Whenever possible, our raw materials are obtained from fair trade producers. All of our rope is suitable for vegans and is finished using vegan-friendly oils and dyes, with the exception of our Organic Silk.
We use a professional grade fiber reactive dye to create brilliant color-fast ropes that will retain their vibrancy without masking the unique smell and feel of hemp. Our dye process and water usage surpasses the standards set by the Washington State Department of Ecology. We take our commitment a step further by recycling the waste materials from our conditioning process for use in eco-friendly building projects.
For years we have struggled to find jute which adheres to our safety, environmental, and ethical standards. The traditional way most jute rope is processed requires softening agents such as kerosene and Jute Batching Oil, which are highly detrimental to the environment. Research also shows these materials can be carcinogenic.
Jute is also a more difficult fiber to care for, with a shorter overall fiber lifespan. In contrast, hemp's more robust fiber provides longer life and a wider care range. With basic care, our hemp rope will last most people that tie regularly 5-7 years, some folks have well cared for kits of over 12 years!
After much research, Monk proudly recommends BindMe for our European customers. They make impeccable rope free of JBO. While Monk tends to prefer working with hemp, when he does use jute this is the rope he chooses.
For the majority of ties and people, 6mm is the most versatile diameter. All of our kits are available in 6mm. This is what you'll primarily see in rope bondage imagery, including the books we carry and what is used in our videos. 6mm is what we consider the best width to start with and learn on.
8mm rope will distribute pressure over a wider surface, and it's favored by some for tying larger bodies. Knots tied in 8mm rope are bulkier and take up more length, so consider that when deciding on your lengths. Many of our kits are available in 8mm.
4mm rope is generally used for more delicate ties- hands and feet, heads and faces, or genitals. 4mm is also a good choice for discreet ties worn under clothing. The smaller diameter of the rope provides a lower profile, but also creates pressure against the body over a narrower surface, meaning a more intense sensation.
Still not sure? Our Rope Width and Length Video may illustrate the differences better for you.
Historically, Japanese bondage was done with only 21 foot lengths of rope. As the art form migrated to the West, practitioners found that a longer length was needed for western body shapes. Over the years we have expanded our rope lengths to accommodate the wide variety of customers and their play styles.
How much rope you need will depend on what sorts of ties you would like to achieve and the body being tied. Some simple rules to consider:
For chest ties and hip harnesses: Measure a loop around the fullest part of the hip. You'll need roughly six times the hip measurement of the person being tied.
For full-body harnesses: Measure a loop from the shoulder, down between the legs, and back to the shoulder. Body harnesses will need roughly six or seven times the shoulder-crotch loop measurement.
For wrist/ankle cuffs: 10-15ft is usually sufficient. Although, if you're looking to attach the cuffs to something, you may want to have more rope depending on what you are tying to.
Like all of our ropes, our hand-spun exotics (silk and bamboo) are made in small batches. For these ropes, that means a maximum length per spin of ~42 feet. As a result, these ropes are sold in increments which produce less waste while still allowing for a variety of tying styles and needs.
Our electroconductive ropes work beautifully with both violet wands and e-stim units. For use with violet wands we find the best effect is achieved with a body-contact attachment. The contact can be tied into the rope for continuous sensation, or worn on the body in the standard fashion. When worn on the body, touching the rope will conduct the sensation.
The easiest way to use these ropes with an e-stim/TENS unit is with a pad on the body for one of the poles, and a clip attachment (alligator, ez-clip, or even snug estim nipple clamps) for the other. The conductive fiber is fairly easy to see in most colors of the rope, so ensuring the clip has direct contact is simple.
If you don't have a clip attachment but would still like to use an e-stim/TENS controller, you can apply a pad over the end of the rope instead of a clip as shown here.
Color Of The Month is a series of special limited edition dyelots of our classic hemp rope. Employing custom dyes and a variety of techniques, Color Of The Month allows us to create truly unique colors. These limited-edition ropes are always popular and tend to sell out quickly.
We make a new Color Of The Month each month April through November. During the gift-giving season, Xmas through Valentine's Day, we take a break from Color Of The Month in favor of our holiday sets and exotics exclusives. We recommend joining our monthly newsletter and following us on social media to be the first to know when Color Of The Month and other limited edition ropes are available.
All of our ropes are hand-finished with our trademark bomb-proof whipped ends done in black thread, unless otherwise stated. Our whipping is guaranteed for the life of your rope.
Monk prefers whipped ends, because they are more compact and less likely to jam during the untying process or in an emergency, making them safer than knotted ends.
Our ropes are whipped roughly 1" from the cut end of the rope. It is normal for these trailing ends below the whipping to tuft or tassel. If this tassel is longer than you prefer, you can trim it. We recommend leaving at least a rope widths equivalent length of rope after the whipping (so, on 6mm rope approx 1/4") to maintain the integrity of the whippings. Trimming your ends is also a perfect opportunity to practice using your safety shears!
- Whipping Guarantee: All of our ropes are finished with our signature bomb-proof black end whippings (unless otherwise noted, like in Value Line kits).
These whippings are guaranteed for the life of your rope, provided the rope ends were trimmed according to our care guidelines.
If a whipping fails, contact us at customerservice@twistedmonk.com—we will assess whether repair or replacement is the best course of action. - Cut Rope Policy: Safety always comes first.
If you’ve had to cut your Twisted Monk rope in an emergency, we will replace it at no cost to you (limited edition items may be substituted).
This applies to ropes purchased directly from us, through licensed retailers, or received as gifts.
To file a claim under this policy, please email customerservice@twistedmonk.com.
Unfortunately, no. Our workshop is not zoned or insured for physical retail so we cannot do on-site customer pickup.