I'm going  to start off with a good pair of scissors. Ideally you'll get the kind used to  
remove bandages after surgery. They have dull ends so that the skin is safe  
while you cut your bottom loose. You'll probably have to make a quick stop at a  
pharmacy to get these. I mention scissors first because in all this bondage  
stuff, as in all SM, safety comes first. Never tie someone up without a pair of  
good scissors nearby in case of an emergency.

That said,  
our first stop is for rope. There are two types that I use: clothesline and  
nylon. Pick up a 50 foot package of 7/32 inch by 100 feet ($5.79) cotton rope.  
Cut it into variable lengths between 7 and 18 or so feet. You'll want to have  
shorter lengths for some things such as tying feet, wrists, or cocks, and  
longer for others, such as around chests and arms or thighs. Once cut you may  
want to protect the ends from fraying. Nylon cord is easy to melt with a  
candle's flame. Heat it enough so that it begins to melt and then form it into  
a secure end.
 

You'll  
have to be a bit more creative with the frayed ends of clothesline. I immersed  
the ends of my first ropes in glue and then let the glue dry by setting the  
ropes' ends on wax paper. Be sure the glue (I used Elmer's) soaks into the  
rope. Rubber cement works, but not as well. To be real fancy, you could wrap  
the ends with thin twine.

At this  
point I'll refer you to a boy scout handbook or a book on knot tying. Of course  
it's not a bad idea to get one of those anyway, though many bondage enthusiasts  
will readily admit that they use only a few standard knots.

Clothesline  
is my favorite rope because it ties easily and is flexible. It tends to get  
dirty, though, and sometimes the knots can be more difficult to untie.

Nylon, on  
the other hand, seems to stay cleaner and is easier to loosen. The down side to  
this is that nylon knots tend to loosen too easily. You can get it in various  
thicknesses ( ¼ ($6.79), 3/8 ($13.79), ½ ($23.47) inch for instance) and  
lengths (the prices are for 50 feet). I prefer the 3/8 inch ropes. Thinner is  
more dangerous, thicker is harder to work with. In any case, among these three  
choices it's probably more a question of esthetics than safety, as long as you  
tie knots safely in the first place.

Avoid  
twine, any thin rope or thread, and any rope made of a rough material such as  
jute or manila. Leather thongs are nice if used with care. Be mindful that the  
thinner the cord, the more liable it is to cut or otherwise damage skin. Thin  
cords are more dangerous too in that they will more easily cut off your  
bottom's circulation.

An  
exception might be the use of nylon twine ($2.19 for 260 feet) where you use  
lots of twine to weave your bondage around your bottom. Here I emphasize  
weaving as opposed to tying per se, though it may be just a matter of  
terminology. If the tying is done so that the twine remains snug enough to stay  
but loose enough so as not to constrict, the bondage can be a real work of art.  
The details for such artistry, though, are beyond an intro course. Mentioning  
it is just food for thought.

Ropes  
aren't the only tools for tying. Chains and lashing straps are somewhere to be  
found in every hardware store. A pair of 9 foot straps ($4.79) would be useful  
for bondage to a cross, chair, or sawhorse or to secure a bottom's arms to his  
or her chest. There's a use for stretch cords if you have the place for them.  
Lengths of 24, 32, and 46 inches range in cost from $2 to 3.00.

The next  
stop at Ace's is to the aisle where they sell chain. Quarter inch coil chain is  
$1.59 per foot. Unless you want to invest in a pair of cutters, know your  
required lengths before you buy them. Add an inch or so to your measurements as  
it's always better to have it too long than too short.

With the  
chains you'll also need bolt snaps ($1.59 each). These are double-ended snaps  
and you'll never need less than the number you buy. I guess I own more than a dozen  
and I still find myself in a scene looking for another one. For more permanent  
attachment use a quick link for under 50 cents.

Chain can  
serve several purposes. It certainly works as a bondage material, though you'll  
want to get leather restraints to attach your bottom to the chain. It's not as  
comfortable as rope but it does pose less danger. Here again it's a matter of  
taste and the kind of scene you're both into.

More often  
chain serves as a great point of attachment. You can, for instance, run a length  
of chain around the edge of your bed and then tie your bottom spread eagle on  
the bed. Each link serves as a point of attachment. The nice thing about an  
arrangement such as this is that the equipment is portable, storable, easily  
hidden, and usable without altering furniture or walls.

I'm  
thinking of a scene where the chain encircles the bed and the bottom is loosely  
encased in nylon twine, Gulliver in Lilliputian style. Yards of twine would go  
from link to leg and back again, link to chest, link to arm, etc. Sounds hot to  
me. I'll have to try that on Michael.

Once we're  
past the tie with what question we're faced with the tie to what dilemma. The  
answers demand more creativity. Today's answers will focus on more novice-like  
solutions. Just because I'm not going to mention a bondage box built into the  
wall of your 16x20 foot dungeon doesn't mean that you can't use it for  
restraining your bottom.

My  
purpose, though, is to give advice of an introductory nature, so if your  
experience levels are way beyond these bounds, use the column as a refresher,  
not a complete guide.

"Tying  
to" breaks down into two categories: first is to tie the bottom to  
himself, such as one wrist to another wrist; secondly is to him or her to some  
other object, such as a chair or hook. I guess that tying one bottom to another  
bottom spans both those categories.

The first  
alternative, bottom to him or herself, is certainly the one that takes the  
least amount of equipment. Rope and chain around flesh or clothes can be its  
own erotic presentation.

As you  
bind your partner keep several safety points in mind: Never tie so as to  
constrict the flow of blood. Either make your knots loose enough to be safe or  
make them in such a way as to insure that the rope is sufficiently spaced.  
Putting inner wrist to inner wrist, for instance, and then tying around both  
wrists is a good way to bind safely.

Never, of  
course, tie anything around the neck, obstruct the nasal passages, nor gag  
completely.

Your  
bottom's position is also a safety factor. Never leave a person tied face down  
in a prone position. Never support your partner solely with ropes or chains  
unless they are more than amply strong and the body is fully and safely  
supported by adequate harnesses.

Be mindful  
of your bottom's position, even if they are standing or sitting. Elevated arms  
or legs, strained muscles or joints, and flimsy equipment all pose dangers,  
especially in the long run. Along similar lines remember that a person who is  
struggling, excited, angry, or afraid can exercise strength much greater than  
we might suppose.

One of the  
reasons we use bondage, such as in a whipping session, is to insure that the  
bottom can struggle safely. The last thing you want is a boy who is flailing  
left and right. Bondage that is too loose may cause rope burns.

You'd best  
use your imagination or a copy of Bound and Gagged for ideas on tying wrists to  
ankles, wrists to knees, cocks to feet, elbows to knees and wrists to ankles,  
etc. Remember though that some of the things you see in photos are well-staged  
but not practical.

The  
over-riding principal in any bondage scene is to check with your bottom often  
to insure that all is going well. Let him or her know to warn you of impending  
danger, such as numbness or dizziness. It's up to you, too, to check to see  
that no body parts, i.e., feet and hands, cool off, a sign of restricted  
circulation.

Intro to  
bondage assumes that you want to use what's handy for equipment. In the long  
run you'll build or acquire more elaborate bondage gear such as sawhorse, dog  
cage, or restraint table. But what's a beginner to do?

Look  
around. Use a footstool, straight back chair, bed, desk, table, toilet, or  
staircase railing. All of these offer innocuous and practical points for  
attaching, depending upon your purpose.

Chairs work  
well for bondage for the sake of bondage or to tie your partner for a tickling  
session, genital torture, or nipple play. A bed is more conducive to whipping  
his or her back or fucking. A low stool and a bed with a foot board combine  
very well. Perhaps you could lay a chair on its back to restrain your partner  
on the floor.

My good  
friend Vince has an eye-hook in a beam in the ceiling of his living room. When  
his mother asked about it, he simply said that he thought it was used by a  
previous occupant for hanging a plant.
 

 
So my discussion quietly moves into eye hooks. If you have the luxury of  
inserting them into your home, be sure to anchor them securely, use  
appropriately large sizes, and pre-drill the holes, being sure that the holes  
aren't too large. Again, the rule about over-building applies.

There are  
a number of discreet places to insert eye-hooks without raising your landlord's  
ire, such as inside a closet.

When I  
lived in a studio apartment I built a frame of two by fours that fit into the  
doorway between the bedroom and bathroom. By clamping one board to another no  
nails or screws defaced any part of the building.

Later I  
went to a metal working shop and had the craftsman make me a heavy gamma-shaped  
hook that fit over the top of a closet door. It is of thin gauge steel with a  
ring welded to one side. Hang it over the door, shut the door, and it becomes a  
very effective place to which you can attach your partner.

To give  
your partner a fuller bondage experience, try mummification. Though it is best  
done with an assistant, two people (the top and the bottom) can perform it.
 

 
First of all gather your equipment: plastic wrap, duct tape, ace bandages,  
balls of cotton, a large towel, and of course those scissors.
 

 
Have your partner stand at the foot of the bed facing away with hands behind  
the neck. Begin by wrapping her legs, spiraling up his or her thighs and torso.  
As you reach the nipples place a piece of cotton between them and the wrap.  
Once the arm pits are covered, have her lower her arms and encase the arms  
against the torso.
 

 
You may want to use a hood or cover the eyes with an Ace Bandage.
 

 
Now comes the tricky part. Spread the towel on the bed. Standing behind your  
partner, gently and carefully lean him or her down onto the bed. If he or she  
is larger than you, you'll see why the assistant is helpful.
 

 
Now that they are prone you can get fancier with the wrap, covering the feet,  
for example, or the head. Be certain that there is plenty of breathing room and  
that the mouth and nose hole is quite large and unencumbered.
 

 
Now I would use the scissors to cut holes to expose the tits. The cotton helps  
to make sure you don't cut skin. Likewise I free the genitals for play. After  
all, most of my bondage is for the sake of later play!
 

 
You can get still fancier by covering the wrap with duct tape, creating a  
complete mummification scene.
 

 
Be sure to monitor your bottom's progress and vital signs. Never leave such a  
person, or any person in bondage, unattended.
 

 
I haven't yet mentioned  
leather restraints: I was saving them for last. It's my experience to start  
your toy collection slowly and cheaply. That reflects my pocketbook, of course,  
but I'm probably not too much poorer than most readers.
 

 
The first leather purchase I would advise has nothing to do with bondage. Get  
yourself a bar vest, (priced as low as $29.00, but more usually between $60.00  
and $100.00) as it's the equipment that's most necessary and the one that's the  
least easy to make yourself.
 

 
Most everything else I'm going to list today can be home-made. Take a walk  
around a Tandy leather store. My first leather restraints were made from  
remnants purchased in a "grab bag" for a dollar. The necessary tools  
and buckle don't cost much more.. Making it yourself is a great way to spend  
these cold winter nights, when the wind chill (that make-believe number that  
the weather people use in order to make their news more newsworthy) is low  
enough to keep you home.
 

 
Besides, spreading a piece of leather out on the kitchen table is a great way  
to tell your lover that you want to start a new hobby!
 

 
The first leather toy then is a pair of wrist restraints. They come in either  
buckle or D-ring varieties. The buckle types are self-contained. The D-rings  
allow you to use padlocks. Some buckles can be locked as well and some  
restraints come with locking posts. Wrist restraints, as most leather toys,  
come padded or unpadded. The major difference between the two has to do with  
utility. If you are going to have long-term or more strenuous bondage scenes,  
the padding can be very helpful, even imperative. For ease of use and carrying  
convenience, the plain ones work well. ($40 unlined, $69 padded)
 

 
With the restraints you'll want to make sure you have those bolt snaps  
mentioned in part one. Leather restraints have the advantage of being safer,  
since constriction is more easily avoided. Still, be careful to check  
extremities for circulation. I keep my locks locked so that I have to unlock  
them in order to use them. Doing so insures that you have the key handy when  
and where you need it.
 

 
Ankle restraints are a bit bigger than wrist ones ($49 to $79). Some come with  
attached chains, a nice feature. A set of ankle and wrist restraints serves  
well as the basic bondage kit, as it is useful for the spread-eagle position we  
all favor.
 
 

 
Thigh and wrist restraint combos ($119) are straps that go just where you  
think, fastening the arms at the side and out of the way. Up in the neck  
department, collars, again in a wide variety, sell for $30 to $65. Some have  
D-rings for attaching wrists to neck, some come with wrist straps already  
attached. The variations are endless.
 

 
A simple Ace Bandage is sufficient for blind-folding, but you can get fancier  
with a leather blind-fold ($25-$39). Jon, the manager of Eagle Leathers, showed  
me a great blind-fold made of latex. It was inflatable. Now there's a neat  
present. More on latex later.
 

 
To get fancier in the blind-fold department, you can get a spandex hood ($20).  
The advantage of spandex is that you can breathe through it and see shadows.  
They come off very easily and quickly, just the kind of thing to use with a  
novice. He won't be spooked by total darkness. Later, of course, you'll want to  
put a leather hood over it, but they are more expensive ($115 or so). Again the  
varieties of hoods are endless. I prefer the kind with open mouths, since I  
love to use a bottom's mouth. They come with detachable gags and blind folds,  
and some have D-rings.
 

 
In a similar category, a head harness acts much like a hood except that much  
more of the head is exposed. I like to immobilize my bottom with it. He can  
hear, see, and use his mouth, but his head can't otherwise move, once I've  
attached the harness to the ceiling, cross, bed, or bondage box.
 
 

Other possibilities, well beyond intro bondage, are leather  
straight jackets,  
sleep sacks, and suspension equipment.. All I've  
ever been able to afford is to look, but it sure looks good and I'll  
probably construct what I need, rather than buy. This kind of  
bondage, though, takes expertise, both on the part of the top and the  
bottom.  
Make sure you've graduated with honors from Intro and Intermediate  
before you  
go for the gold.