The impact of climate change on the quality of shibari ropes

Climate change is having an increasing impact on many artisanal and industrial sectors, including the production of natural fiber ropes used in shibari. Climate variations directly affect the cultivation of raw materials, processing methods, and the stability of finished products.

1. Impact on Natural Fibers

Shibari ropes are traditionally made from natural fibers such as jute, hemp, or flax. These plants are particularly sensitive to climate conditions:

• Prolonged droughts reduce fiber quality, making them shorter, more brittle, or less uniform.

• Excessive rainfall and flooding can alter fiber structure, promote mold development, and complicate the drying process.

• Rising temperatures modify growth cycles and may affect the mechanical strength of the fibers.

Fibers grown under unstable conditions may show greater variability in diameter, density, and tensile strength.

2. Variability Between Production Batches

With increasing climate instability, manufacturers are observing more differences between batches. This can result in:

• diameter variations after washing,

• inconsistent strand tension,

• uneven abrasion resistance,

• variable lifespan from one batch to another.

This instability makes quality control more complex and can affect the consistency expected by practitioners.

3. Consequences for Practice

In a demanding practice such as shibari, where strength, stability, and predictable rope behavior are essential, these variations can lead to:

• premature wear,

• increased sensitivity to abrasion,

• differences in knot performance,

• potential reduction in mechanical strength.

Today, it is important to acknowledge that natural fiber ropes are increasingly affected by climate instability and production variations. No manufacturer is immune to these changes, and unfortunately, we are no exception.

End of the year 2024 and in 2025, part of our production of Clara rope was impacted. Testing showed performance variation compared to what we have traditionally delivered. We know that many of you use our ropes with high standards — sometimes for suspension work — and we fully understand the concern and disappointment this may have caused. The trust you place in our work is essential to us, and we take it very seriously.

Natural jute fiber is known for its inherent variability in mechanical properties, which can sometimes range from one to two between different harvests. Because of this natural variability, our specifications remain particularly strict, and we carefully select only the highest-quality fibers available on the market for our rope production to restrict the variability.

We would like to reassure you that the ropes concerned can continue to be used with confidence in normal practice. Although testing has shown slightly lower mechanical strength compared to our previous productions, they remain suitable for mindful and responsible use. The main difference you may notice is a somewhat faster natural wear over time.

As with all natural fiber ropes, attentive use and regular inspection are key. Taking a moment to check the strands, monitor areas exposed to friction, and retire a rope when it shows signs of fatigue is part of a safe and caring practice. With proper attention, these ropes can continue to serve you well.

Your safety and trust remain our top priorities. This is why we continue to strengthen our quality control processes and closely monitor feedback from the community.

We sincerely want to thank everyone who reached out, shared their experience, or reported an issue. Your feedback allows us to learn, strengthen our quality control, and raise our standards. We see this relationship as a dialogue — not just a commercial transaction.

And we would like to end on a reassuring note: the new Clara production is not affected by this problem. Testing confirms a return to our usual quality.

Thank you for your trust, your patience, and your continued support.