This Blissful Existence: Knot That Hard After All

Product: Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes

When RS and I first started talking about bondage, we immediately set our sights on rope bondage, and decided that was a direction we were both definitely interested in going. As a carpenter and general construction man, RS was good with knots and already had the rope skills to complete many basic knots and techniques. I, however, didn’t learn to tie my shoes until I was seven, and could never master anything much more complicated than that.

We picked up the popular Two Knotty Boys: Showing You the Ropes book after reading through some of the recommendations of the review community. Once I had the book in my hands, I was happy to see just how step-by-step each technique actually was. Experts often take for granted that small details are ‘common sense’ and assume that readers know more than they do. It’s these small details that cause the most frustration for beginners, and I’m happy to report, that this book was truly zero frustration from beginning to end – there are more than enough pictures to guide you through your chosen technique, and nothing is assumed by the writers.

The images in this book are truly its most defining feature, but it’s a shame that they weren’t done in colour. The black and white nature of the photographs certainly don’t prevent you from understanding and learning the techniques, but for a book which relies so heavily on imagery you’d expect high-quality colour images.

RS and I actually learned rope-work in a highly unconventional way; without a willing third-party participant to practice on, we went up into the attic and pulled out the old, decaying fashion model our family had picked up at a yard sale somewhere in the distant past. Not good for much, she had been banished to the attic for too many years to count. I clothed her in black leggings and an old black long-sleeved sweater, and with black socks, winter gloves, and a baklava secured backwards over her head, she was a vision of possibilities.

The book begins with a lot of important information in terms of rope safety, and gives a lot of detailed information on types of rope and how to maintain it – really all the basics for anyone who has no idea about rope-work. I still reference those first few chapters whenever I need a quick reminder. After that, the book teaches the fundamental knots that prove the building blocks of each and every other technique that will follow in the book – so if nothing else, get these down pat before you do anything else. Practice, practice, practice! I promise, it makes everything else you’ll do later easier.

After the section on basic knots, the book covers basic bondage techniques, decorative bondage, and dominance bondage. There are countless techniques in each section, and they’ll all fun to experiment with. Some are more advanced than others in terms of the basic knots required, but if you get those all down pat before moving onto the bondage techniques, like I just mentioned, you won’t have to worry about being limited. I had no problem learning the knots in the book, nor learning the techniques covered throughout the book, and that was a real accomplishment in terms of my previously limited skill in that area.

Together, RS and I worked through a number of techniques on our mannequin, and at some points it was really great to have a second pair of hands and eyes. One of the biggest downsides of this book is that it’s soft-covered, so it’s nearly impossible to hold your book open to your desired page while handling your rope at the same time. It would have been nice if hard-cover was an option – without a second thought I would gladly pay the extra cost for such a worthwhile upgrade.

Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes is probably the best book out there for beginners looking to get started in rope-work, and though there are little disappointments here and there in terms of the manufacturing of the book itself, there is nothing disappointing in the content of this book. It’s truly a great learning tool that has a permanent place on our bookshelf.