Though I'm not new to sex toys, I'm new to bondage toys. I have vibrators and dildos out the door but super kinky stuff? Yeah, still working on that. I've been curious about working with rope and being tied down ever since I can remember being interested in all things sex. They are inherently linked in my mind.

But let's be honest, some rope that's sold on the sex toy market isn't exactly that great. It's harsh on the skin and doesn't stay put when you tie it.

Not so with the Japanese bondage rope by Doc Johnson.

This 32' (or 10 meters for our metric-using friends) length of rope comes wound up in a tight compact roll, tied already for your packing pleasure. When you undo the rope you find that you have yourself a great length of rope for introductory ties. Sure, you probably can't do an entire body harness with this length of rope, but it's great for many ties that you need a shorter length of rope. The weight of this rope is fantastic too. Synthetic ropes tend to be heavy, but the cotton material combined with the overall length combine to produce a rope that weighs just 0.4 pounds.

While synthetic materials are often coated in sealants to maintain the integrity of the rope, this rope is made from 100% cotton. It's smooth against the skin and won't chafe or irritate. The ends of the rope are not heat bonded though, so do take care not to let the ends fray too much. I solved the problem of the ends fraying by covering the whole end in a thick coating of clear nail polish and letting it thoroughly dry. This sealed the end and prevented future fraying. I'm sure you could also put tape or some other kind of sealant over the end as well if you're concerned about excessive fraying.

This rope comes in three colors: purple, red and black. I purchased the purple rope because purple is just a pretty color. I'm very pleased with the shade of purple. It's not too dark and not too red. I would compare it to a grape lollipop or popsicle.

Also included in packaging is a brochure of six common rope ties. While not the be all and end of rope ties by any means, the brochure is a great place to start and practice some basic ties to either use on your lover or use on tying up whatever you want.

Since this rope is cotton, you can wash it in a clothes washer, but only do so on the delicate setting when it's in a lingerie bag. This will prevent it from tangling around your washing machine. If you do wash this rope, expect it to become softer if you include fabric softener in your wash cycle.

The Japanese Style Bondage Rope by Doc Johnson comes in an unassuming clear clamshell package that doesn't have naked ladies or any other bondage-inspired imagery. It's not embarrassing to look at and certainly won't freak people out. If anything, it looks like you picked up some pretty colored rope to use in decorating.

For the price of this rope, it's an excellent investment for rope beginners just looking to get a feel for rope bondage. The length is great for introductory ties and the soft cotton the rope is constructed from feels great against your skin. You won't be disappointed.