KOUMANAWA ropes are designed for feel, wear abrasion, stability and longevity after conditioning and initial ‘bedding-in’ usage. Users will note significantly low impurities, fibre loss, hairiness and nap. These factors are the result of careful selection of premium grade Corchorus olitorius (Tossa) fibre, stringent quality controls, and slow speed manufacturing on specialist machinery designed explicitly for jute cordage. Premium grade Tossa presents challenges, especially in regard to hydrophilic action and softness. The higher the grade, the more hydrophilic the fibre, which readily sucks in liquid. Compliance restricts twist that when laid too loose, compression waves generate through manufacturing machinery, leading to yarn and strand tension irregularities (yarn loops and imbalances).

Batching
In order for fibre to be manufactured to yarn it requires softening using oil in water. Due to availability and economics, commonly made using white petroleum oil – Jute Batching Oil (JBO) which has the advantage of requiring less time to soften in the piling stage. JBO effectively kills the fibre, making it wiry and impliable, and means it can be twisted looser with eg. lay suitable for heavy twine. Boiling/baking may reduce unappealing smell, but residue will always remain present within fibre. Both methods weaken integrity. Care must be taken with the latter due to toxic gasses emitted. Beware there are several organic oils used in Vegetable Oil Treatment (VOT) batching, eg. castor, palm, rice bran and soybean, and do not produce the same results. The method of oil production is also critical to avoid rancidity. While castor, rice bran and soybean are manufactured relatively close to Bengal, soybean produces best batching results. Palm oil being significantly cheaper in bulk quantities, it is common to find in jute VOT, but due to intensive unethical farming considered environmentally unfriendly. Percentage mix ratio and quality of raw jute fibre will also have an impact on yarn and final rope quality.

Conditioning
The goal is to process the raw rope to produce a soft, silky feel. This is best done with cold-pressed golden jojoba oil and berrywax (Japan wax; mokurō wax), and not beeswax which can produce a sticky feel and is non-vegan. Berrywax is ideally supplied in pellet form, and should be a creamy white colour. Blending should be done in a small pan on low heat. First melt the wax before adding jojoba oil. Then leave to fully cool before use.

Preparation
Cut your ropes to desired lengths. Open strands up 40~50mm (1.5~2”). Add a simple overhand knot and compress over the point where the twisted rope meets the open strands for good compaction. This will prevent unraveling in the tumbling phase. Jute will withstand 193°C before damage and discolouration. Household tumble driers generally only reach 80°C at their hottest setting. Therefore, tumble drying can be made at maximum heat. Throw the ropes loose into the dryer and tumble for 1 hour. This will dislodge any loose fibre. Ensure you clear the dryer filter after each cycle. You will note how clean the jute dust is after tumble drying. Carefully coax each line out of the tangle. Do not apply pressure. Now you are ready to coat for conditioning. As previously mentioned, premium grade Tossa jute is aggressively hydrophilic. This means if the oil content ratio is too high it will be readily sucked into the fibre, making your ropes quickly feel dry again. From extensive testing of KOUMANAWA rope it is advised to use a 50:50 oil:wax ratio to limit how much is absorbed into the fibre. Do not throw the ropes loose into the tumble dryer when conditioning with a lump of the oil:wax ‘butter’ as then most will just go out of the dryer flue exhaust and not into the ropes. Instead, hold a block of the butter in one hand and draw the rope through it once in each direction applying a reasonable amount of pressure. Place your ropes in a cotton mesh laundry bag. You can throw in any butter crumbs into the middle. Close the bag. Tumble dry on maximum heat for 30 minutes. The effect of applying the butter to the rope and using the cotton mesh laundry bag helps get the oil:wax mix into the rope rather than losing it up the dryer flue. When you extract the ropes from the laundry bag you will instantly feel the difference – the ropes having felt a little stiff when raw will now feel much softer and silkier. At this stage the ropes may be considered ready for use. Should you so wish, you can finish with a very quick blue flame singe and a final hand coating. However, beware that using 100% jojoba oil the fibre is still alive and hydrophilic. The oil will be sucked in, making the rope feel dry again after a short time – generally weeks. To mitigate this, blend jojoba oil with berrywax, but with an 85:15% oil:wax ratio. Apply the mix to a lint free cloth and pull your conditioned rope through it once in each direction. The addition of the wax will prevent the final oil being fully sucked into the fibre and help it remain on the external surfaces. Let hang for 48 hours.

Blending ratios
Note the specific gravities of jojoba oil and berrywax are not the same. Measure your mixes by weight and not volume. Jojoba oil has a specific gravity of 0.863 and berrywax 0.975. Therefore, your 50:50 mix should be 53 parts oil to 47 parts wax by weight. For the 85:15 mix final hand coating this should be 86 parts oil to 14 parts wax by weight.