Friction

In rope bondage a friction is a way of locking one section of rope against another without tying a knot, relying on the grip of rope on rope (Shibari Study; Rope365). Anatomie Studio describes frictions as the points where the working end meets wraps already in place, used to hold tension and to change the direction of a tie. Shibari Study gives the Japanese term as tome (留め), a word whose everyday senses include a stop (Jisho), and names common forms such as the X, half-moon and L frictions. Andrea Ropes records Japanese names for particular frictions, such as battendome for a cross-shaped one and hakodome for a box-shaped one. How well a friction holds depends on the fiber: Shibari Study’s rope guide credits jute with good tooth and finds nylon more slippery than most synthetics in frictions.