The Double Column Tie!
This is probably the most classic way you’ll see bondage in any movie and most pictures.
Basically, this tie is for tying any two columns (wrists, ankles, wrist to ankles, thighs, calves, etc) together. Also useful for tying people legs to chair legs, wrists to chair arms, what have you. It’s very, very useful. You can have a fantastic rope scene using just this one tie, replicated a few times (e.g. wrists, behind back with torso and arms treated as two columns, between legs, etc).
That said… I have a complicated history with this tie.
There’s a bunch of different ways of doing it; one of my problems back in the day was deciding which version I wanted to do. Which one was better? Which one was best? And so when I used it, I was never quite satisfied with it. I always felt there could be another way, a better way (which is of course, one of the classic mistakes of the new rigger), and I spent a lot of time learning different versions and experimenting with my own kinds of tie. Which was faster? Which looked better? Which was more comfortable?
Seriously, this consumed months of my time. Looking back, it was pretty ridiculous; using the best tie is not the point. Using what works and is safe is all that really matters, as long as you and your partner are having fun. But such are the mistakes of newbies.
The “Forward Tension” Two Column or Double Column Tie
This has become my preferred version of the two column or double column tie over the past few years. I’m going to tie it relatively slowly, and show the techniques I would use when tying from this angle.
I fucked around a bit when doing this tie, so it took a bit longer than normal, but that’s what happens when I know I’m recording myself for a tutorial XD
When I’m tying someone’s wrists, I use the same tie, but I tie from a different angle, sitting to a right angle to the person I’m tying, and I also tend to place the knot on the underside of the wrists.
What I like about this version? It’s simple, it’s safe, there’s more of a feeling of control. I like that it takes what you learn from the single column tie, and expands on that to make it suitable for double column ties.
The knots are, again, quite small – you can get it undone relatively quickly if you need to – but there’s not a lot of bulk there for the person you have tied up to get their fingers or teeth into to try and pick it apart. The fact that there’s a knot at the beginning is quite good, too – it means if you need to get someone out quickly (e.g. for wrist pain) you can get their wrists undone quite quickly without having to untie from the very end, which could take awhile if you’ve gone other places with the ends.
You may need to wiggle the knot more to one side or another in order to make sure both columns (wrists, legs, etc) have even pressure. And that’s fine. All part of the process.
Forget “tying for beginners” I think we all deserve to learn the best versions of a tie as soon as we can, so we have less to unlearn and less time messing about with awkward “beginner” ties.
The Reverse Tension Two Column or Double Column Tie
This one can also be used, though it’s less of a favorite that the forward tension version. It’s not a bad way to start off doing a leg ladder; as you can see, when I have a lot of extra rope left over, I started another band, just for for funsies and to use up the rope. I didn’t cinch the second band, so that’s a lot less restrictive; and would probably move around a lot more.
Again though, when tying a two column tie, I really don’t think it matters which knot you use, as long as it’s safe, non-collapsing, and you’ve practiced enough to do it reasonably smoothly in a hot situation. Whether you’re doing a basic “shoelace knot”, a Burlington Bowline, or something else, really isn’t that important as long as it’s safe and it gets the job done. The person you’re tying will be far more preoccupied with all the other things that are going to happen to worry about the knot.
Tips and Tricks:
- If you have a lot of trailing ends left over, you can usually tie them somewhere else. Alternatively, make a lot more wraps around your columns than you need to. This has two benefits; it makes the tie itself more comfortable (while keeping it restrictive) and also uses up those unsightly or annoying trailing ends. (Failing that, you could always try not giving a damn. Safely restrained? Time for fun.)
- Remember to keep your two columns slightly apart. It makes it easier to cinch without pulling your columns TOO tightly together, which will likely shorten your fun considerably.
- Remember to pull your rope through when you make the cinch, as opposed to pushing it. This will always be easier when tying ankles or wrists, but it’s still doable when you tie forearm and upper arm, or calf and thigh together. Just slightly more difficult. It often makes sense to use your thumb and fore fingers by pinching them together like a pair of tweezers, and seizing the rope with them, if you can’t use a more “crochet hook” technique with your finger.
- Making plenty of body contact as you do this tie (e.g. wrapping one of your arms about theirs as you tie them, or tying them from behind, controlling them with your weight) helps to keep things intimate and less mechanical, or “disengaged” from the erotic mood.
- If not tying from behind, then finding a way to be at right angles to the columns you’re tying often makes things easier for you.
So that’s the double column tie. Super useful, reasonably simple, and you can get a lot out of it for a small amount of learning and practice. Have fun.
Also, if you have any more tips and tricks for doing it well and smoothly; kindly add them in comments! I know there’s a bunch of people out there who have practiced this a lot. You’re bound to have learned some things I don’t know, and I’d love to pick up new tricks.
