Kategorie-Archiv: Impact Play

Toys used to hit a person.

Fetters Braided Cat o Nine

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The Fetters Braided Cat o Nine

Vendor: Regulation

Construction

The name of this whip is telling: Each of the nine falls is braided out of four thin leather straps. At the end they are finished with a small knots so the ends form little four fall “floggers”. The straps are made out of soft, medium density, low weight cow hide. This in combination with a tight and neat braid give the falls a very high quality feel and appeal.

At a first glance the handle looks equally elaborate. A black and red braided leather pummel on top covers the attachment points of the falls to the handle. This pummel also houses a leather patch with the Fetters logo embossed into it which I find an interesting location at best (see below). A single strap of what feels like latigo leather lines the handle in one spiral. It is attached to the core with four seams. At the bottom there is yet another black and read leather pummel which houses a quite long latigo leather loop. Speaking of bottom: The pummel only covers the side of the core not the bottom giving it a bit of an unfinished feel.

All things considered, the grip is very economically designed with an aspiring premium leather appeal. Form followed function here while you can see where corners were but. But considering the price of the toy it is exceptional value for money. Yet compared to other whips and floggers with braided grip cover and loops, a pummel that is used to really attach the falls to the grip instead of just covering the attachments points, this Braided Cat o Nine is a bit more basic especially compared to the flogger from the same range. Considering the cost these are minor points because…

The Latigo Loop hold by a „Lateral“ Pollem and thus unfinished Bottom

Playing with the Braided Cat o Nine

… from a play point of view, it is even better value for money!

At first I was skeptical how well this toy would perform. With all the tails just laterally “attached to a stick” I wondered how well they would fly. Turns out, actually pretty great! Even at low intensities all tails fly precisely into the direction they are thrown without any breaking out. Targeting is easy making this toy surprisingly suitable for beginners. This property is supported by the low weight and still good balance point which is about at 4/5 of the handle length. You do not need much technique to rein in the momentum heavier floggers can develop while throwing.

Detail of the Braided Fall with the Finishing Knot

The overall great handling is a bit compromised by the Fetters logo tag. If the tag is in the throwing direction the tails break away. Since you usually do not turn the handle while whipping, simply make sure that the tag is facing you when picking up the whip so it should not be a problem. Annoyingly – at least at my whip – the tag was not a 100% aligned with the leather loop. Especially when the loop is not broken in, it wants to sit comfortably on your wrist. So you intuitively start to turn the handle until the loop sits comfortably – and the tag gets a bit in the way again. Over time you will learn to compensate the tag but especially at the beginning it is extremely irritating especially for beginners.

Which is a shame because overall, this toy is a surprisingly good beginner’s whip despite leaning towards sting due to the light weight. The combination of the great flying properties combined with the light and soft leather allow the top to caress and teas the bottom’s back lightly at low intensities. Because the falls are so light, I would not consider it a warm-up toy. The strokes are simply too light to increase the circulation sufficiently. As soon as you ad heft to your blows, the sting and intensity ramps up quickly. The sensation is of course focused on the knots which bite but the bottom will most likely also feel the scratch of the short tails behind the knots. These multitude of sensations is the greatest feat of this whip: Once you have learned to wield it properly, it offers many different sensations. Targeted precisely the end of the small floggers can just scratch the skin. Hitting exposed or raised areas of the back just right, almost only the knots hit. Throwing it like a flogger the is a bit of thuddy feeling along the impact area – until the tail ends sting like a lightning. So completely mastered the Fetters Braided Cat o Nine tails is truly a multitrick pony.

The Top Pummel with the Fetters Logo and the Leather Lined Handle

Speaking of great sensation range: Because the hanging loop is so long, it can be used as an impact of of its own. The pain is not sever but being made out of thin latigo leather, it bits a bit. Since the bottom expects a whip like impact sensation, teasing him with it it or inflicting agony when precisely targeting bruised areas adds to the wide range of possibilities with this whip.

Conclusion: Easy to throw whip with wide range of sensations and basic fitments.

Pro

Cons

Where to get

Price

Wide range of possible sensations

Annoyingly placed logo patch which impairs the handling

Regulation

£68.41

Easy to handle and throw

Handle design cuts corners

Good value for money

Selection of McHurt Bats

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The McHurt Mini Teacher’s Bat, Mini Bat, Long Bat & Padded Long Bat

Vendor: McHurt

Before I start this review, a word on McHurt in general. Founded in 2007, their mission is to bring functionally high quality kink toys at affordable prices. Based in Berlin-Tempelhof, they were the first kink shop I have ever visited back in the summer of 2008. Some of the clamps that I have bought at that visit I still used and treasure today. They have an online shop but their in-store offering is WAY bigger. They have the a very large selection of different impact toys and I personally own at least fifty different ones from them.

Their core audience is more the straight scene which is reflected in their products. In 2022 I sent them drafts for two wooden impact toys because I could not find a maker to make them for me. They refused, saying my reviews are too critical because the gay scene has higher quality expectations than the straight one. So when I talk about their toys, keep this and their name in mind: From a functional point of view, they are great and will last you a lifetime. And the prices are incredible. But to achieve this they have to cut some small corners which I gladly allow to pass considering the value you get.

Construction

All the toys I am looking at today are so called bats, also called blades. They all have a short grip section which than tapers into a narrow and long – in case of the leather ones slightly cone-shaped – impact area and a rounded tip. All toys feature a hole at the end through which a leather loop is threaded to secure the toy to your wrist and for easy storage.

The leather bats are made out of two layers of very thick and stiff bridle leather. The leather and stitching come in some “kinky” colors like black and reds. Between them sits a piece of spring steel for added sturdiness. If you hit HARD or store the toy bent, the toy can deform a bit (this often happens to me when I cramp the toys in my toy bag). Once taken out simply bend it in shape again. Both leather pieces are glued together and sown around making these toys virtually indestructible. The edges are beveled, deburred and burnished for a nice and quality feel and look. The wrist loop is a little bit more basic with a piece of soft garment leather split in the middle to form a loop.

The two-layer construction of the Leather Bats. On the Right you can see a bit of deformation which you can easily bend back into shape

The small bat is 280mm long of which about 160mm can be used for impact, depending on your palm size. The maximum width is 33mm on the small one and 48mm on the long one which has an overall length of 420mm. At least 280mm of the length can be used for hitting.

The Long Bat comes in a padded version which sadly is not available on their website (if interested, simply write them a mail). On this toy one side is completely covered with medium-firm foam and lined with smooth garment leather.

Example of the manufacturing quality „shortcomings“ like split leather loop, the uneven stitching or not oiled hole in the wooden paddle for the leather loop. All these imperfections do not impair the play properties and are just esthetic!

The (Mini) Teacher’s Bat is made out of beautiful rosewood. It has been painstakingly sanded and oiled for a smooth finish with really brings out the grain and character of the wood – except the countersunk hole for the loop which edges are not oiled. It is great that the wood is oiled instead of lacquered like on other wooden toys I know. Lacquer has the tendencies to crack and splinter off over time leaving an ugly, rough surface. Speaking of smooth, the shape and edges has been rounded very well. It almost feel like a worry stone. Cross-section of this toy is almost oval. The wrist loop is made out of leather lace which I like a lot more than the split garment leather on the bats.

The Mini Teacher’s Bat is 265mm long of which roughly 160mm can be used. At the widest point it is 45mm wide. Sadly I don’t own the Teacher’s Bat – I cannot have (and store!) ALL the toys in the world, can I? – so the length of 460mm and width of approx 50mm comes form McHurt’s website. Considering the size similarity to the Long Bat, I just assume it can be wielded like the Long Bat.

Both wood and leather need about the same level of maintenance. After play, wipe them off with a wet cloth. If body fluids have been drawn, spray them with a sanitizer. Over time, this will dry out the material. The wood can be brought back to style using a paper towel with a bit of olive oil, for the leather use the leather care of your choice (personally I use Lexol but you can ask your boot black of choice)-

Playing with the Bats

Bats are some of the most universal impact toys out there. Their thin footprint makes them the perfect choice from large areas like the ass and thighs to more delicate ones like the soles of the feet for bastonado/ falaka or the palms of your sub’s hands. Especially on the latter body areas, be careful with the intensity as the small bones in the hands and feet break easily! With a bit of practice you can precisely target the blows to the very sensitive body area where the ass cheeks transition to the thighs or the inside of the thighs. The smaller versions of the toys are great for targeted, small area impact like glans spanking, ball smacking or nipple hitting.

The rounded shape and flowing lines of the Mini Teacher’s Bat

The relatively thin impact area naturally focuses the kinetic energy on a small body area. So an equally intense blow with a bat will feel more intense than with standard paddle. For an ever more focused blow, hit with the side of the bat! This is even more important considering the material these toys are made out of. The bridle leather is very dense and stiff and the wood, well… is wood. There is little give or softness in the material so all toys are stingy. Surprisingly the rounding of the wood makes it feel smoother so it is a bit less stingy than the wooden counterparts. An exception of course is that padded side of the Long Bat. Even intense, focused blows are thuddy making it a truly universal toy.

Due to the stiffness of the material, all bats are great for tapping. The intensity can be very gradually adjusted because there is almost no flex. The Mini Bat is also good for snapping. Despite the flexibility of the leather and the spring steel you can build up tension easily. This process will deform the toy over time but you can easily bend it back in shape. Due to its rounded shape, the Mini Teacher’s Bat is not perfect for snapping. The smooth shape simply makes it hard to keep it from slipping and this building tension.

Comparing the Padded and regular version of the Long Bat

Tapping can be used for warm-up but it is a sub-optimal process. It either takes very long or once you increase intensity, you already deal out quite the intensity beyond warm-up. Unless you have to Padded Long Bat. The padded side is equally perfect for warm-up and long, intense sessions with novices or more thud-loving bottoms. The only downside for warm-up is that due to the narrow blade, it takes a bit longer to cover a large body area like the ass or thighs compared to a classic paddle. But once you switch sides, you have the flash-like sting of the firm, dense bridle leather! If you only have ONE impact toy in your toy collection, the Padded Long Bat is actually the perfect choice offering – albeit focused – thud and sting. These properties makes it a good beginner’s to to start out with so it has become my go-to gift if I want to give a novice top something to start out with.

This is also due to the easy handling. You can easily target your blows and finely tune the intensity. One drawback is that due to the shape bats are always unbalanced. They are head-heavy and overtime can tire out your wrist. Especially since due to the stiffness and the narrowness there is a bit of “blowback”. On the plus side if you keep your rhythm the toy develops momentum, bit like a flogger, making the impact easier – especially on the long ones.

Conclusion: Easy to handle and versatile impact toys for a great price!

Pro

Cons

Where to get

Price

Wide range of sensations and hitting modi, especially on the padded one

Unbalanced and giving “blowbacks”

Mini Bat

19,80€

Easy to handle

Long Bat

29,80€

Ceteris paribus good manufacturing quality

Padded Long Bat (not available online; write a mail)

39,80€

Exceptional value for money

Mini Teacher’s Bat

16,80€

Teacher’s Bat

24,50€

Alpha Whips Junior Snake Whip

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The Alpha Whip 2ft Junior Snake Whip in a Custom Adaptive Version

Vendor: Alpha Whips

Construction

This whip is very traditionally made: At the bottom is a lead-weighted pommel to balance the whip followed by a spring core. Being a Snake Whip there is no dedicated grip section with a second knot before the body like on a Bullwhip. At the end of the body a single paracord becomes the so call “fall” to which the cracker is attached by a loop. The cracker can be made out of Dacron or Dyneema. Dacron is a bit more stiffer and sharper and thus more stingy. It also takes longer to break in for cracking the whip. The upside is that the falls at the end do not tangle easily when cracking. My cracker is made out of Dyneema because it is softer and the chances of breaking the skin are next to nothing.

Lengthwise you can choose between 2ft and 5ft. The length is measure from the end of the pommel to where the fall begins. Choosing the right length is not an easy task. The most important thing to consider is your play space: The more confined the short the whip should be. Next is your play style, how you throw your whip. As a beginner I would recommend 3ft because it is a good compromise between handling, being able to crack it and throwing the whip far away from you. Despite controlling my whip fairly well, I still manage to unintentionally hit myself… If you want Hollywood style show throwing and cracking, you will need longer whips.

Nota bene: My whip is a custom Adaptive Snake Whip in 2ft length and 12 plaits. So where on a standard Snake Whip the fall is, I have a loop for attaching various attachments like a Dragon Quirt or a braided nylon fall onto which my cracker is attached. The plus side of an Adaptive whip is versatility. In theory you do not need carry several whips to a scene but can exchange the impact implement. In practice I rarely do it because it takes a bit of time. The downside is that doe to the nylon fall I basically ended up with a 3ft whip.

On a normal Snake Whip the Fall would begin here. At my Adaptive Whip there is the Loop for attaching different Implements

What makes whip from Alpha Whip special is the material it is made out of: Is completely made out of paracord.  In case of the Junior Whip it is made out of 550lb Nylon paracord which is perfect considering the length of the whip and thus force the material is subjected to. If you have experience which leather whips, you will have to adjust a bit. Out of the box, the body is less stiff and thus the whip is easier to throw right away. But unlike leather, the material will not break in over time. The braid will loosen just a little bit but not too much. So once you have learned to control your whip your throwing style does not need to adjust much to the changing whip properties. Another advantage is that the whip does not need maintenance beyond exchanging the cracker.

Speaking of the braid, it is very neat, tight and even which is an indicator for the quality and long term durability of the whip. The Junior Series has as 12 plait braid which means 12 cords are used to make the whip. Higher braid count means tighter braid and more detailed patterns. Since all whips are custom made, you can choose from a wide range of patterns and colors. My Snake Whip is a two-color Double Diamond in black and neon green both on the handle and the pommel.

Lead-Weighted Pommel with Hanging Loop

The pommel can have a different color than the handle and you can choose if you want a small loop for hanging the whip. I would highly recommend this for shorter whips because since the nylon does not break in as much as leather does, you cannot curl the whip like Indiana Jones does. Better store them hanging.

Finally a word on pricing: When I talk about flogger or whips at my impact play workshops or with interested people after they have seen me throw whips at Quälgeist for example, a common topic is where to get inexpensive whips for beginners. Being made out of paracord, Alpha Whips are already on the lower end of the price spectrum for good handmade whips. It takes hours to braid a whip like this. It takes a large stock of material you have to finance in order to offer this wide range of colors. And most importantly it takes years to learn how to make great whips. For that reason whips quality whips that will last you years of heavy play cannot come at a discount price. So like with anal toys where I always recommend saving for more expensive but safer to play with platinum silicone toys, better safe for another half year and get a proper whip instead of something cheap.

But don’t safe or wait too long for the whip you want. For most whip makers making whips is a hobby. If they had to make a living from it, whips would be even more expensive. So on a regular basis famous whip makers stop making their toys because they cannot justify the – personal – costs anymore.

Progression of the Braid from 12 plait to the Fall

Playing with the Junior Snake Whip

Each whip has a natural orientation in which it wants to go. In order to find this orientation hold the whip on the pommel and see into which direction it leans. You should always throw the whip on this plane because it will naturally lean towards it. Throwing it perpendicularly will make it harder to control because the whip will be pulled sideways while the momentum is propelling it forward.

The Fluff of a Dyneema Cracker

In order to learn how to control the whip, a proven technique is taking a large piece of cardboard and draw the outlines of a human torso onto it. Put this on the wall and throw your whip at it aiming at specific areas. Caution: Make sure there is nothing fragile about a meter left and right of the target and behind you. My poor plants speak from experience…

There are two ways to throw this whip: The easier one is “lashing”. You hold the pommel in your dominant hand and hold the fall in the other. Now extend your dominant arm until it is slightly bend and pull the other arm backwards. How far you pull backwards and thus put load the whip with tension will determine the impact intensity. If you want to add even more intensity, press your thump against the grip. This will add a surprising amount of kinetic energy. With lashing you can fairly easy and quickly develop a good aim. Since you always have to “charge” your whip again, lashing it not made for rapid strokes.

The other one is called “rolling” because you roll the whip forward. It is the style seen in movies and most porn. For this style, you wind the whip up by putting it behind your back and propel it forward using your shoulder, upper and lower arm. In this style the whip hits the bottom diagonally from above. Since you use all the muscles in your arm and your shoulder to propel the whip forward (and for advanced players even in your torso when you add a turning it towards the bottom), you can gather considerably more kinetic energy and thus increase the pain. Also you can develop a pendulum movement for rapid strokes. But the whip is much more harder to control and proper aim takes a lot of experience. Especially since you need to adjust to the height of every bottom.

The Loop on top of the Fall for Attaching the Cracker

Regardless of the throwing technique, when pulling the whip back for the next stroke, be careful not to hit yourself! On numerous occasions I gave myself a more or less thorough arm and back whipping in a scene…

If you are into extreme, long whipping, especially if you want to break the skin, I highly recommend exchanging the crackers between partners. Otherwise pathogens get transferred from one player to another. Such whipping bottoms usually have their own crackers they give the top before the scene.

Finally, a word on cracking. Cracking is when you throw the whip and there is a cracking sound. This sound is emitted when the cracker breaks the sound barrier. Unlike leather whips, even the short Snake Whip can be made cracking with a bit of practice. I found it easier to crack the whip with lashing than rolling because the kinetic energy is focused in one burst instead of building over time. Since the whip apexes in the middle of the air instead on a bottom, be extra careful of your surroundings. It makes the whip a bit more difficult to control.

Conclusion: Really well-made single tail for beginners and experienced whippers
Pro Cons Where to get Price
Does not breaking in I could not really find any weak spots during the test. If you are in the market for a single tail and except it not being made out of the traditional material leather there is no reason not to buy one of these Alpha Whips Starting at 105€
Easy to crack
Good value for money
No maintenance needed
Made in Germany, so for EU readers no high shipping costs and import duties like on US whips

BaseMyBat

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Form: Baseball bat
Material: Platinum Silicone
Colors: 20 colors in all patterns
Firmness: Very Soft to very firm
Lube: Water, Oil
Cleaning: Soaking in hot water with dish-soap than use sanitizer.
Safer Sex: Clean and sanitize it thoroughly
Storage: Store in a well-ventilated place not touching other toys to prevent damage.

Vendor: Organotoy

Just in case you are wondering why you find this review in the Impact Toy category: Being modeled after a baseball bat, you can of course use it to hit people. I talk about the BaseMyBat as an impact toy in the second part of the play section.

Construction

In the whole world European anal toys Organotoy has a very special place: Founded 15 years ago it was the first European toy maker to only use platinum silicone. Today they are one of the few companies only using ISO 10993-10 compliant raw materials and are compliant with the ISO “sex toy” standard 3533 2021. This shows their dedication to product safety and quality.

The Organotoy BaseMyBat

Of course their platinum silicone has all the properties anal players love: Hypoallergenic and 100% body-safe, easy to clean with warm dish-soap water, easy to sanitize afterwards using spray-on sanitizer or even autoclaving and sliding in easily due to the super-smooth surface. Just please do not use silicone lube for this toy. The silicone oil inside the lube will over time attack the silicone and make the surface sticky.

As standard Organotoy “only” offers 20 colors. But they will mix any others that are not part of the standard range. If you want make the toy even more yours a former Hollywood FX artists works there and does custom airbrushes according to your design (like the biohazard sign on the first ever Sit-Plug  which I gifted to my BF) or for delicate colorings (my Rainbow Ripley was done this way). So in theory you could get your favorite baseball team’s logo in your toy and fuck yourself with it.

Another great customization feature is that you can virtually order any firmness between Shore 00-20 (almost too soft to play) up to feels-like-metal Shore A30. They have the common firmnesses in stock but will mix others for you. So if you like it extremely soft or need it extremely hard (literally) – especially if you want to use the bat for impact play – Organotoy is one of the few manufacturers who makes toys in the extreme ends of the Shore scale.

The BaseMyBall has the shape of a baseball bat used for sports. It is 490mm long; 250mm barrel and 230mm grip. The barrel has a diameter of 53mm. This means this is not a full size baseball bat. It is closer to a one-hand training bat than a full size Louisville Slugger and considerably  thinner…

The Dull Tip of the BaseMyBat

Playing with BaseMyBall

… which is good for depth play. This toy is made for everybody who has the fantasy of being fucked with a baseball bat yet feared the unforgivingness of aluminum or even wood (splinters in the nether regions anyone?). Due to the grip, the BaseMyBall is quite easy to handle even with somewhat lubey fingers. In softer firmnesses this even applies when you want to stuff your ass with it. If you go for a higher firmness degree (Shore A10 and up) there is too much leverage.

The toy itself is a bit anti-climactic. It is just a smooth barrel. So you get the feeling of is sliding in an out but not more. I could see great potential for this toy if Organotoy turned it into a club or mace with bumps and ridges and grooves added to the barrel and shortened the grip a little bit.

The Handle with a little Pummel for better Grip

Taking the toy requires pre-stretching because the tip is flat with a little domed rim. There is nothing to nicely make open up. This especially accounts for your second hole! The bat is not for novices! But if you have a bit if experience, it is a nice to toy to “straighten” the colon out.

Being modeled after a baseball bat, there is of course the question: How does it perform as an impact toy? Well, that depends.

For spanking it does not really work because of the material. Silicone is simply too soft and the barrel to heavy. Mine was made in Shore A20 and still the barrel flops around then trying swing the top at the impact area. When you grab is right below the barrel and swing it like a club, the grip bounces and swings causing unintended impacts. They are not intense but irritating for the sub because they are chaotic. Regardless how controlled and rhythmic you hit him with the barrel the grip flops around unevenly. Maybe a split firmness of A30 until the beginning of the barrel and an A10 or A20 for barrel could fix that.

Illustration just how much even Shore A20 bends

Baseball bats are also often used for CBT. They are just the perfect graphic ball busting tool for rough play. But again hitting somebody between the legs does not work due to the material. For what the BaseMyBall is great for is strapping your sub to the floor, legs apart and swing the barrel against his nuts. Due to the softness the bat swings easily with a lot of momentum bruising the balls nicely.

Where to buy?

Organotoy recently started a limited wholesale for their toys though I am not sure if that includes the BaseMyBalls. Especially if you want to customize the colors or want it airbrushed, ordering directly from Organotoy is the way to go. The BaseMyBall costs 99.96€ plus customization add-ons.

Slot Tawse & Bullseye Wooden Paddle

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Bullseye & Slot Tawse Wooden Paddle

Vendor: Regulation

Construction

Both paddles are made out of a medium brown, light wood which has been sanded and oiled so there are not splinters. The surface still has some noticeable grain left for a natural texture. Both paddles are fairly light. Sadly I forgot the note with the exact numbers on my desk home and my mother’s kitchen scale is not accurate enough for a measurement. I will fill in the blanks once home from Christmas vacation.

The Bullseye is made out of single piece of 17mm thick wood. The edge running around the paddle had been nicely rounded. The paddle’s circular hitting surface has a diameter of 130mm. It features one central hole with 25mm diameter and four adjacent ones with 20mm diameter. The head flows into a 190mm long handle which tapers slightly towards the end for a secure and comfortable grip. At the bottom a leather loop is threaded through a hole.

The Sandwich Handle of the Slot Tawse with the Leather Loop in the Back

The basis of the Slot Tawse on the other hand is a 12mm thick blade. Its head measures 95x280mm and features hard but not sharp edges. The 145mm long tapering handle is reinforced with a layer of wood on each sides bringing the thickness up to 25mm. It also adds round edges for a more comfortable grip. In middle of the hitting surface there are two 20x90mm holes (aka slots) cut behind each other. Also the Slot Tawse is equipped with a leather loop. Both toys’ loops are long enough to secure the toy around the top’s wrist.

Playing with the Bullseye and Slot Tawse

Being light paddles, the pain sensation of both lean toward sting.  This is supported by the design. Both the holes and the slots allow air which would otherwise be trapped between the hitting surface and the sub’s body to escape. So there is no dampening air cushion how little its effect might be. Being light the intensity can luckily be adjusted finely. A light tapping will not cause too much pain. However, if you hit full throttle, both paddles will sting like hell!

The Head of the Bullseye

The Bullseye is a surprisingly beginner-friendly paddle. The ergonomic handle makes it easy to grip and its compact shape easy to control. The head is small enough to target individual ass cheeks or thighs even with bad aim or arm control. More experienced players can even use it for ball slapping if the bottom can spread his legs far enough. If you hit with only little force, the Bullseye can be used for warm-up if the bottom prefers stingy warm-up.

The Slot Tawse plays a completely different game! The first noticeable attribute is that the blade like the Bullseye’s head has no give. So unlike a leather toy 100% of kinetic energy is transformed into pain on the bottom body. The blade it large enough to comfortably hit both ass cheeks at the same time. Focused hits with just the end are possible. But the hard edge will add even more sting.

The Hard Edge on the Slot Tawse

While the Bullseyes is a bit head-heavy, the Slot Tawse is really well balanced so you don’t tired your wrist when hitting with it. The sanding and oiling has been done painstakingly so the texture you feel when running your finger tips over the toys does not transform into abrasive pain.

Caution is in order when playing heavily with this toy: Wood is a higher maintenance material than rubber and aluminum. It is hard to sanitize because it absorbs a bit of the tissue fluid and since it has no clear coating, blood will stain it. So if you play really hard, do not only spray a sanitizer on it but let it lay in the sun for a few days before using it on someone else (alternative: use a UV sanitizer some of you might have bought during the Covid crisis). To keep the paddle as beautiful as it is, I recommend oiling it with olive oil (or a wood oil of your choice) every 6 to 12 months depending on how often you use it. This might alter the wood color and give the toy patina but ultimately it will turn a random paddle into YOUR paddle.

The Wood’s Grain

That being said at least for me the feeling of warm, grainy wood in the hand makes up for this work. The handle of the Bullseye feels and fits like worry stone. For me as a top there is something sensual in holding a beautiful made, open-grain piece of wood in my hand and playing with it. If you make your sub kiss the toy before applying it, he will be able to smell a faint hint of wood.

Conclusion: Beautifully made wooden paddle for beginners and pain pigs.  
Pros Cons Where to get Price  
Despite being made out of unforgiving wood, Bullseye can be used for warmup Being made out of wood difficult to clean and sanitize Regulation Bullseye £39.99
Slot Tawse £39.99
Excellent overall quality and fell
Leather loop for easy storage

Tenderizer Wooden Paddle

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The Tenderizer Paddle

Vendor: Regulation

Construction

Like many paddles, the paddle’s body has an obround shape that flows into the handle. The body is 90mm wide and 160mm long. While one side is smooth, the other is textured with 9x9mm pyramids that are 4.5mm tall. The handle’s grip area is 115mm long and 33mm wide. At the bottom of the toy the handle flows into a little bulge for a secure grip even in heavy scenes. In the middle of this bulge there is a small hole for a brown leather thread that forms a loop, either for storing the toy or securing it around the top’s wrist.

All edges on this toy have been painstakingly rounded so the toy lies and feels great in the hand. It is made out of a medium brown, light wood. The surface has been carefully sanded yet you can still see and feel a bit of the wood’s grain. To increase this effect the Tenderizer has no clear coating like other wooden impact toys but has been oiled for beautiful, rich and natural surface texture. At 185g the paddle is quite light for a wooden paddle. This is lighter than all aluminum paddles in my collection…

Detail of the Textured Paddle Side

Playing with the Tenderizer Wooden Paddle

… and you can feel that! The pain sensation leans heavily towards sting. The product description promises thud when using the plain side. When lightly tapping and carefully warming up an impact area, there is a bit of light thud. But as soon as you are spanking light you are meaning it, this sensation quickly turns into lightning sharp sting! Hitting completely parallel to the body and with exactly the same force, this side is actually stingier than the textured one.

Like with all textured impact toys, finely dosing the kinetic energy is key to unlocking the true potential of this toy. This starts with sensation play by letting the toy travel over the sub’s body. With almost no pressure, the slight stickiness and abrasion creates a very faint scratching and tingling sensation that depending on the sub will give him goose bumps or send them into a laughing fit. Increasing the pressure can end up with a serious scratching sensation without breaking the skin but maybe some red marks.

The well rounded handle with the Leather Loop

When switching to swinging and hitting, keep in mind that the textured side is not made for warm-up; use the plain one for that. With light to medium tapping the little spikes create a tingling sting. As written above, I was surprised by the intensity of heavier blows. Usually texture on impact toys increases the pain sensation because the air between the paddle and the skin forms a dampening cushion that can escape between the texture’s gaps. Surprisingly this effect is compensated by the material properties of wood: The pyramid tips have rather rounded and flattish tips so the sting is moderated. Until you start to move the paddle in the impact moment. Dragging the texture over the skin while the kinetic energy drives it into the body is stingy! Add to that the “coarse” wood and you have a devilish combination many of my pain pigs enjoy.

The smooth backside of the paddle

One word of warning when playing heavily with this toy: Wood is a higher maintenance material than rubber and aluminum. It is hard to sanitize because it absorbs a bit of the tissue fluid and since it has no clear coating, blood will stain it. So if you play really hard, do not only spray a sanitizer on it but let it lay in the sun for a few days before using it on someone else (alternative: use a UV sanitizer some of you might have bought during the Covid crisis). To keep the paddle as beautiful as it is, I recommend oiling it with olive oil (or a wood oil of your choice) every 6 to 12 months depending on how often you use it. This might alter the wood color and give the toy patina but ultimately it will turn a random paddle into YOUR paddle.

That being said at least for me the feeling of warm, grainy wood in the hand makes up for this work. The handle feels and fits like worry stone. For me as a top there is something sensual in holding a beautiful made, open-grain piece of wood in my hand and playing with it.

Conclusion: Beautifully made wooden paddle for sensations between a laughing fit and lightning-sharp sting.
Pros Cons Where to get Price
Wide range of sensations (though hard to get thud out of it) Being made out of wood difficult to clean and sanetize Regulation £39.99
Small, lightweight and nimble for delicate spankings without tiring the wrist
Excellent overall fit and fell

Fetters Heavy Leather Flogger

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The Fetters Heavy Leather Flogger

Vendor: Regulation

Very often I get asked “Where can I get a good, quality flogger, best in Europe?” That is actually a tough question because unlike the USA Europe never developed a big BDSM flogger maker scene. Most of my floggers are made by a flogger maker in New York I have got to know when I studied in the USA. They cost at least four times of this Heavy Leather Flogger and take months to make, an invest most people are not willing to make. So I am quite excited to take a look at a traditionally made flogger that is easily accessible to guys from Europe.

Construction

This flogger is a beautiful example of traditional flogger making: Braided leather knot on the top and bottom knot. Between them a black and red herringbone pattern made out of leather straps covers the 17cm long grip, giving the handle an overall length of 23,5cm. For better storing and not losing the flogger while throwing it, a 14.5cm long braided leather loop is attached to the bottom knot. What surprised me that Fetters uses relatively stiff and sturdy leather for the braiding which usually makes getting it tight and firm difficult. But I was impressed how tight it was which is a good indicator for durability and quality. The flogger is quite well balanced. The mass center is at the bottom of the upper knot which is low enough to keep the wrist from tiring out quickly.

Detail of the Angle Cut Tail End

Into the top knot 25 tails are woven. They are made out of rather stiff black cow hide and have an angle cut at the end. At 55cm overall length they are 4.5cm longer than the “standard” flogger length of 20’’ resp. 50.5cm but this only is important when you are Florentine flogging with a 20’’ in tail flogger. In the knot a 4x2cm leather patch with an embossed Fetters logo is woven. I am not sure about this move because when you tails “break” over this patch, it impacts how they fly. Especially experienced tops will soon learn how hold their flogger to not have this happening or how to compensate. Still, I would have preferred this patch elsewhere.

All things considered, I have not yet found this level of craftsmanship and attention to detail for this price. So from a pure manufacturing side, this flogger offers incredible value for money.

Playing with the Fetters Heavy Leather Flogger

Detail of the Knot with the Fetters Logo Patch

From a technical point of view, this flogger is good for novice tops getting into flogging. The tails fly well which makes the aim easy. The mass center at the top knot allows the tails to gain momentum when wielding in laying-8-shaped circles so once you have established a pattern, the flogger guides the throwing arm.

But from a pain perspective this one is not for the faint of heart. Fetters chose a stiffer variety of cow hide, yet not as stiff (and thus severe) at Latigo leather. Unlike Latigo this cow hide is flexible and flows and flies really nicely yet it is far from soft. Adding that to the medium weight of the leather it leans a bit towards sting. Additionally the edges are a bit firm and the rough side of the leather is relatively coarse for a flogger. And finally, the tips are angle cut so when they hit, they have an extra bit. Furthermore, angle cut will give you the most acceleration and thus most strong impact sensation.

Detail of the Bottom Knot and Loop

This doesn’t make the flogger bad! It is awesome toy for masochists, a mid- to end-scene toy when the endorphins are flowing and a skilled top will be able to get some thud out of it. But for people starting out with flogging or not hard-core masochists, I strongly advice to use a different, softer flogger for warm up, like the Bare Leatherworks Buffalo one.

Despite the overall roughness of tails, I was surprised how relatively little they color. Of course the impact area will turn red quickly but being medium-weight bruises even on delicate areas like the ass and thigh are unlikely. Despite the sharp tail edges and angle cut tips I was actually surprise how little scratches and welts this flogger produced. So if you are looking for a meanish impact toy that leave relatively little marks after a scene, it is a good one to go with.

Finally a little word on availability: Since this product is handmade, it is rarely available in large quantities. This flogger has been on my watch list for over 2 years and it has been sold out most of the time. So if you are interested in this flogger, I highly recommend setting an e-mail alert to get notified when it is back in stock!

Conclusion: Extremely competitively priced, well made and handling flogger to deliver a stingy sensation.
Pros Cons Where to get Price
All tails fly together for a good ain Unlike advertised on the stingier and heavier end of the pain spectrum Regulation £58.99
Well balanced
All tails have same length and overall well made
Not good for warm-up

Paddle Daddy Rubber Strap with Walnut Handle

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The Paddle Daddy Walnut Handle Rubber Strap

Vendor: Regulation

We are still in the middle of the Anal Toy Special. But the two last toys to be reviewed in this special are still in the hands (or holes) of testees and they have not returned them yet. I guess, with more and tighter lockdowns in place, people indulging in stuff they can enjoy at home on their own – like the dildos I borrowed them. For next week, I hope to return to the usual schedule. But in order to have to consecutive weeks without a review, enjoy this review of a paddle for true masochists.

Detail of the Screws Holding the Blade in Place

Construction

The Rubber Strap is a traditional, 355mm long two-material impact implement design. One side is made out of walnut wood. Like on all Paddle Daddy impact toys, all edges have been smoothed and rounded and surface has been meticulously oiled, giving you a high quality feel once you pick the toy up. The 130mm long handle slightly tapers towards the impact surface for a comfortable and secure grip. At the bottom of the handle, a leather loop is threaded through the hole for easy storage and securing the paddle onto the wrist. The handle flows into a short, 75mm wide section of wood with a perpendicularly carved slot. This slot houses a 75x185mm rubber strap is put and fixed to the handle using two screws. Unlike most other rubber paddles on the market, this strap is made out of a single piece of rubber instead of two layers with fabric tape between them, making it one of the thinnest rubber paddles out there at 6mm thickness. The rubber has been thoroughly deburred to prevent unintended chafing.

Detail of the Ergonomic Handle and the Leather Loop

The massive handle compared to the relatively light slapper means that the Rubber Strap is handle-heavy. Combining this with the dynamic the slapper develops throughout a scene, hitting continuously over extended periods of time can tire out top’s the wrist.

Playing with the Rubber Strap

When looking at this paddle, there are two aspects to consider: The fetish and the play side. Especially hardcore rubber fetishists are often frustrated by the selection of mostly leather impact implements. In that regard, the Rubber Strap is an epiphany. Opening the parcel it arrived in filled the room with intoxicating rubber smell; its surface feels silky-smooth like all thick, industrial rubber. Yet to be honest, the leather loop and wooden handle take a bit away from this immersion. But a blindfolded (rubber) sub’s fantasy – being left with just his sense of smell, touch and maybe taste – will be properly stimulated by this paddle.

Detail of the Rubber Blade Resting in the Walnut Handle

If you want to sum up this toy play-wise, there is one word: Evil! Meanly evil, delightfully evil, surprisingly evil. During the review process, I have heard many things from my testees – both top and bottom – about this paddle but all call it evil. This is mainly due to strap’s construction. Being really flexible it transmits most of the kinetic energy onto the bottom’s body in a stingy way. So even medium-light slaps create a noticeable sensation. Adding a bit more force increases the pain exponentially up to an excruciating level! So this is neither a warm-up paddle nor for the faint of heart. As an added sensation, the rubber will stick a bit to the skin. So there is a little pinch every time the rubber separates from the skin. This effect will increase as the rubber warms up during the scene.

Like all rubber impact implements, the Rubber Strap colors quickly leaving the hit skin red and irritated. Being light, it is also not a bruiser. However, increased, forceful impact on one skin area can cause it to break.

Luckily, rubber is easy to clean. Regardless if it is sweat, tissue fluid or even blood, you can wipe the slapper off with warm soap water, dry it and spray sanitizer on it. This makes this paddle perfect for scenes with multiple subs where you have to clean you impact gear quickly. However, this paddle is not really made for messy scenes due to the wooden handle. Unlike latex gear, the rubber does not really need care. However, to maintain it, do not expose it to oils and fats. In VERY heavy scenes, the screws holding the strap can become a bit loose. This can be fixed with a simple screwdriver in a second.

Conclusion: Intensely pain dealing and intoxicatingly smelling rubber paddle.
Pro Cons Where to get Price
Powerful enough to bring a true masochist to tears Low intensity is even too strong for warm-up Regulation £79.99
Colors quickly
Mouth-watering rubber smell

Massage Flogger

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Bare Leatherworks Massage Flogger

Vendor: Bare Leatherworks

Construction

The basic design of this flogger is fairly standard: One side with tails, other side handle. But that’s all that is standard about this toy. Instead of having a bunch of tails, this one only has 6 which are made out of soft and medium heavy bull-hide. They are 50mm wide and about 530mm long in full (or rather standard flogger tail length) size and 350mm in the medium size (for playing in more confined areas or using this flogger primarily on subs on spanking benches). I intentionally write “about” because on my flogger there was a difference of 9mm between the longest and the shortest tail! For a “normal” flogger, this would serious impact the play experience. But being a “massage” flogger you do not really just target with the tail tips but with the full length. The tails fixed to the handle by just putting a screw through them in the middle which is a “quick & dirty” way to make a flogger which in the end enables the rather low price.

Detail of the Rubber-Wrapped Handle

The handle is made out of wood with a “bulges” (the cover material not being plaited you cannot really call them knots) on both ends for a secure and comfortable grip. Despite the heavy tails, this flogger is extraordinarily well balanced! The center of mass lies right between the end of the grip section and the beginning up the upper bugle. Looking at my collection of 10 floggers this is the most balanced flogger I own!

The handle cover is quite unique: Instead of being covered in an elaborate plaited multi-color leather pattern, a long strap of industrial rubber is wrapped around and fixed buy multiple black screws in stainless steel grommets. The rubber provides a good and secure grip even with sweaty hands. So from a functional point of view, nothing speaks against this method and it safes a lot of time, material and money (thus the very competitive price). But as someone who sees a flogger also as a piece of craftsmanship and handcraft tradition, this flogger looks a big “basic” (or as another testee put it “Bad-ass Mad Max”-like…). At the bottom of the handle, an eyebolt is screwed into the wood. Through it two intertwined leather straps are threaded for a wrist or storage loop. This loop looks so “artistic” and lavish that it is a steep contrast to the rest of the rather “basic” flogger design. Not that I would mind…

Detail of the Eyebolt and the intertwined leather loop

For an extra $10 you can get the “Pro Grip” handle. When choosing this add-on, a thick wire that runs in a spiral beneath the rubber cover. This adds texture to the gripping surface. I tried the Pro Grip at Spexter in Munich years ago and found it too uncomfortable for my size 7½ hands. So I ordered this flogger with a standard grip. In the review process, I never felt that even in heavy scenes that I needed extra grip when throwing this flogger. Naturally my testees could not compare both handle types. But even the tops with the sweatiest hands never had gripping problems. In addition, none of the Bare Leatherworks impact toys I have come across in scenes over the last 5 years had the Pro Grip. Another possible add-on for $14 is adding two more tails for an extra powerful thud!

Free of charge is customizing the colors of the tails. You can choose between black, red, blue, purple, grey, green, white, yellow and pink and have different colors for the inner and outer tails.

Playing with the Massage Flogger

Usually, I am very skeptical when tails are just screwed to the top of the handle instead of carefully arranging them in a woven knot for optimal flying capabilities. But the Massage Flogger flies really well. I was actually surprised how good targeting and swinging was with it.

Detail of how the Tails are Attached to the Handle and the upper „bulge“

Of course, throwing this flogger takes some getting used to. Instead of straightening out a few dozens of tails more or less loosely flying into the same direction, there are only six (resp. 8). So it takes a bit less force and control to direct them towards a target.

After talking about the technical aspects, let’s look at the sensation side of this flogger. The impact sensation of this toy is unlike any sensation I have felt before from a long-range impact toys before. It does its name really justice. The width, weight and rounded tips of the tails only produce a deep, satisfying thud. If you hit the sub lightly, it will be like caressing, if you hit him full power, the sheer force will throw him forward in a shattering way. The level of thud you create is highly disproportional to the weight and mass of the tails. Most testees compared it to a at least 40 tail cow flogger. So even more than usual I highly recommend trying out this flogger with a trusted play partner starting with low intensity and a thorough debriefing.

Detail of the Round-Cut Tail Ends which are Sadly Unevenly Long

If you want to get a bit of sting out of the Massage Flogger you could try hitting with the tails’ sides. But on the one hand, the tails usually orientate themselves towards the wide side, on the other hands the tails being made out of soft leather, after hitting with the side, the surface “falls” on sub’s body adding thud.

Like all thuddy toys, extra care is advised when throwing this flogger. The amount of kinetic energy hitting the bottom’s body can severely damage organs if you hit anywhere except the left and right side of the rip cage (and not the spine!), chest, ass and thighs with much force!

Conclusion: Good value for money flogger with a unique sensation.
Pro Cons Where to get Price
Unique sensation Not all tails have the same length Bare Leatherworks $99.95 – $133.95
Extremely well balanced
Good value for money Simple, industrial design instead of craftful plating

 

Tenderizer Paddle

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Vendor: Ballistic Metal

The Ballistic Metal Tenderizer Paddle

In early January 2019 I was approached by Ballistic Metal if I was interested in designing a paddle for them. In the past, I have been involved with toy design of other manufacturers so I was excited to design a toy from scratch. My approach was not design something completely crazy and new but combine elements iconic for Ballistic Metal in a new way.

In order to not be too fanboyish over my own creation, this review is heavily based on the opinion of my testees who were not informed they were testing a design created by me.

Design

The Tenderizer Paddle is a medium-size compact paddle. The overall length of this paddle is 330mm from which 130mm belong to the handle. The handle tapers towards the middle for a more secure and comfortable grip and was inspired by the Viper Paddle, back in early 2019 the only Ballistic Metal paddle to feature this handle design. Since one of my functional points of criticism of the vinyl covered handles of most of the other Ballistic Metal paddles is the covered up hole for a wrist loop, naturally I added a hole for a strap at the end of the handle.

Detail of the Ergonomic Handle

The main body measures 200x75mm. One side is smooth, the other side is textured with 3x3x1.5mm pyramids, known from the Tenderizer ball crusher. Due to manufacturing reasons this pattern is milled out of the paddle and thus surrounded by a small rim instead of rising from the paddle’s surface. In the middle of the impact area there is a 150x33mm rectangular hole.

Back than “like all”, now “like most” Ballistic Metal paddles, the Tenderizer is made out of 6.5mm thick aircraft grade aluminum (I’d love to get my hands on one of their limited edition polymer paddles).

Playing with the Tenderizer Paddle

The starting point for the design and the most noted design feature by my testees was the rectangular hole in the middle of the impact area. Since aluminum does not give at all (in safe play situations…), most aluminum paddles struggle with air resistance and an air cushion forming between the spankee’s body and the impact area both softening the blow. This effect is greatly reduced through this design, making the impact and sting more intense. By implication this means the Tenderizer is not paddle for novices or starting out a scene. While you can use the paddle for light tapping, the hole prevents an even warm-up of the skin over a large body area.

Detail of the Pyramid Pattern Impact Area

But the paddle is living up to what is has been designed to be: A tough and nimble paddle. The two different sides can be used to control the impact intensity. The smooth side is a bit softer pain-wise yet colors the skin more quickly. The side with the Clous de Paris pattern (the technical term for a pyramid pattern) stings more for several reasons. First, the initial impact is focused on the pyramids’ tips. Second, the air cushion is compressed between the pyramids so the dampening effect is lesser. If you are a mean top, move the paddle along the body during the impact for an abrasive sensation. The quicker you pull, the stronger the sensation.

The paddles dimensions and the grip were intentionally made considerably smaller than other ones so the paddle could be twisted while securely holding onto it to reach delicate body areas. While the hole does not really make the paddle suitable for CBT, it is a good one to specifically target the sensitive thigh areas on the inside or just below the ass. It is also narrow enough to hit the bottom of the feet. However, be careful when hitting this body area with full force! The unforgiving aluminum might injure the delicate bones inside the foot.

Detail of the Smooth Surface

Of course, what applies to all aluminum paddles, applies for this one too: The range of sensations can easily be extended by cooling or heating this paddle. After a scene, cleaning is easy. Wash it in hot soap water and sanitize afterwards. For even more thoroughly cleaning, bleach can be used but is frankly not necessary.

Conclusion: Intense, heavy duty paddle with two distinct sides.
Pro Cons Where to get Price
Two different sides for wider range of sensations Pattern not as intense as possible due to “sunken” design Ballistic Metal $79.95
Intense impact due to limited air draft
Comfortable grip
Virtually indestructible