Blindfolds with patterns

A tenugui is a traditional Japanese hand towels made from thin, tightly woven cotton, printed with classic patterns like waves, cranes, and flowers. In Japan they're everyday multi-purpose cloths; in the rope world they've long been a favourite blindfold, prized for the same reasons: soft, lightweight, opaque, and beautiful. It's a small nod to the Japanese roots of the practice.

Yes, it's genuinely opaque — folded once or twice over the eyes, no light show gets through. The weave is thin and comfortable but dense, which is exactly what makes tenugui such a good blindfold fabric: full sensory effect without the weight or heat of a padded blindfold.

Fold the cloth lengthways into a band a few centimetres wide, place it over the eyes, and knot it at the back of the head — a single knot with the ends tucked, or a double knot if hair allows. At roughly 89cm it fits most heads comfortably; if you're tying over thick hair or want a bulkier double knot, position the knot slightly off-centre to give yourself more tail to work with.

Hand wash or gentle machine cycle in cool water, then hang to air dry — tenugui dry remarkably fast. Wash dark and red patterns separately the first time or two, as traditional dyes can release a little colour initially. The fabric softens beautifully with each wash.

Plenty: you can use it to bundle your ropes, as a soft gag alternative (negotiate carefully and never obstruct breathing), a photography prop. In Japan tenugui are famously the cloth of a hundred uses — the blindfold is just our favourite.