Hempex

What is Hempex?

Hempex (a registered brand name) is laid rope of spun polypropylene that looks like hemp, made by the Dutch rope manufacturer Langman Touw. It is beige to sand-colored, floats on water and does not rot. Anyone who wants the look of natural fiber without the maintenance ends up with this rope.

Hempex next to real hemp

The difference is in the fiber, not in the look. Langman Touw lists spun polypropylene for Hempex, with a specific gravity of 0.92, a melting point of 165 degrees, good UV resistance and good abrasion resistance. For the natural rope in the same range something else is listed: material flax, melting point not applicable, abrasion resistance moderate. Note the name there. What is sold in the Netherlands as hemp rope is, with this manufacturer, one hundred percent flax yarn.

Another difference worth mentioning. For Hempex the manufacturer publishes breaking strengths per diameter, from 216 kilos at 4 millimeters to 429 kilos at 6 millimeters. For the natural rope there is a dash in that column. That does not mean the natural rope is weak; it means the manufacturer attaches no number to it.

Why people choose Hempex

Hempex asks no maintenance. Natural-fiber rope you want to keep dry, treat now and then and retire in time, and none of that is needed here: it does not rot, it takes on no water and according to the manufacturer it is UV resistant. For anyone who takes rope along, stuffs it in a bag and washes it now and then, that saves work. Against that, the manufacturer says nothing anywhere about grip or about how a wrap holds, and that is exactly what you need for friction. That people find synthetic rope sits more slippery in the knot than hemp is an experience from the scene and not a measured property. There is no source for it that holds up.

What you watch for

One property is unique to this material. Polypropylene melts at 165 degrees; for the natural rope from the same manufacturer, “not applicable” stands behind melting point. What that means for rope that runs fast over the skin or over another rope is described in no usable source. So don’t let rope slip under tension, and use scissors instead of a lighter.

If you’d like to feel how rope sits without having to choose between natural fiber and synthetic yourself, that belongs with a BDSM date.

Sources

• Hempex®. Langman Touw, consulted 2026. The manufacturer of the brand, and so the source for its own product data: spun polypropylene, specific gravity 0.92, melting point 165 °C, good UV and abrasion resistance, color beige to sand, and the breaking strengths of 216 kilos at 4 millimeters and 429 kilos at 6 millimeters three-strand laid.

Related terms

• Bondage. The broader concept, with the risks and the ground rules that hold for any material.
• Shibari. The Japanese rope art for which Hempex is often bought as a cheaper alternative.
• Hemp rope. The natural rope Hempex imitates, with what it does do to the skin.
• Asanawa. The Japanese name for the natural-fiber rope shibari runs on.
• Friction. The property a rope type is chosen for, and the only one the manufacturer does not list.
• Groundwork and floorwork. The two names for play on the floor, where the rope type matters least.
• Jute. The cheapest natural fiber, and the material Hempex most often replaces.
• Rope. The general word, with the build every rope type shares.