Agitation Collar

The Mako & Tiger 2“ Agitation Collar

Vendor: Mako & Tiger

Design

What makes this collar stick out that it’s HEAVY! Without the lock it weights slightly over 600g. This is (thin) metal collar territory! The weight comes from its heavy duty construction: In the middle of this multi-layer construction is the collar itself, a piece of bridle leather is lined with firm yet comfortable padding which is covered with garment leather.  The garment leather comes in black, red or blue. The piping of the lining is slightly wider than the bridle leather so even when the collar is fastened tightly, the unburnished edges don’t scratch the skin. Below the lining two screws (not rivets!) each hold the flaps in place which house the massive, burnished steel roller buckles and guiding loops for the belt.  The belt surrounding the collar is made out of two layers 3.5mm thick bridle leather. The two ends of the belt are punched with two rows of three holes each.

The D-Ring with the Branded Protective Flap

In the center of the belt which marks the back of the collar a leather flap embossed with Mako & Tiger’s paw brand sign is sewed. It covers the thick 6mm thick stainless steel D-ring which is 45mm wide and 32mm deep.

What makes this collar an agitation collar is the grip what is sewed onto the back of the belt. It is as wide as the belt and in the middle also double-layered. When I first showed my testees this collar they are a bit puzzled that it was sewed and not riveted/ screwed onto the belt as a seam for them meant something that could come apart. The stitching is so high quality, the yarn to thick and strong that none had fears that things would come apart, even with the most unruly, agitating subs!

The Supplied Padlock locking the Agitation Collar

For locking the collar, there are two options: The more elegant one is the Segufix lock. On this version the belt holes are pushed over a Segufix lock pin and shackled with a standard Segufix lock. But of course any sub with access to a strong magnet and a free hand can undo this. More secure and heavy looking is order this collar without the pin. Then you pull the shackle of a padlock through both belt ends and close it. This way the collar is most definitively secured around the slave’s neck and you can use your keyed-alike padlock set you already have in place in your dungeon. But don’t lose the key! The thick, multi-layer design makes cutting through the collar with safety sheers or emergency knifes almost impossible. If you don’t have a key-aliked padlock system in your playspace,

The Sewed on Multi-Layered Grip

The collar also comes in two sizes: 50mm/ 2’’ width which I have or 75mm/ 3’’ which can double as a posture collar! When choosing the collar width, please be realistic. Because of the many layers of thick leather, it takes forever to break this collar in and it will never get as flexible as a “normal” bondage collar from Mr S for example. So if it fits too tightly between shoulders and chin, the unburnished edges of the stiff leather can scratch a bit, not to talk about the metal trim of the buckles.  When ordering the collar, you have to supply a neck circumference. There is some leeway up and down this sizing so it fits somewhat smaller and bigger collar sizes. But in order to work well, the fit should be good. So more than any other piece of bondage gear, this is really something the sub should own for a perfect fit instead of a dom keeping in his playroom as a one-size fits all. If you want to do the latter, 16’’ is the most common collar size. Smaller twinks have around 14½’’, big bears around 17’’.

 

One of the Two Roller Buckles

Playing with the Agitation Collar

 

Like many BDSM toys, agitation collars come from the vanilla world. They were originally designed to train wild puppies or control sharp dogs – the bio not the fetish kind.

Even “just” the 50mm version has an air of heavy duty around it! The many layers of thick leather, the big, burnished roller buckles, the big padlock dangling in the front (or the – ideally – red Segufix lock cap) creates an atmosphere of seriousness. This is also enhanced by the way it is fettered around the subs neck: Since the belts meet in the front, a kneeling slave has to look up to his master while he adjusts the two buckles so it sits right in the middle of the neck and ultimately locks the collar. Like with all lockable gear, hearing the click of the lock adds a lot of psychological momentum. This is even enhanced when during play the dandling lock hits the sternum. If you want to facilitate that, buy a long-shackled lock with a thinner wire so it moves around more. If you want to mark you dog visibly, you have to lock the dog tag also shackle because there is no D-ring on the front.

Example of the Many Bridle Leather Layers

Besides humiliating and restricting the neck movement through the collar, the piece de résistance  is the grip on the back. It really allows to – somewhat – comfortably grab the neck of the sub – either holding him back or drag him towards where he has to be (like a hole to rim or a dick to suck…). The collar distributes the pulling force quite evenly. Of course, it is felt strongly but this Agitation Collar is the most comfortable and thus safest one I have experienced so far. This of course also applies for attaching a leash to the D-ring at the back. So if you have an unruly puppy that wants to jump at people, keeping him on a short leash works well with this collar. Despite being so thick and stiff, the collar can be worn comfortable over extended periods of time.

The Double-Layered Grip to Pull or Hold the Slave

The “somewhat comfortable” is directed towards the dom. Being made out of STIFF bridle leather, the grip is not really comfortable to grab with its unburnished and undeburred edges. I tried to soften mine using neatsfoot oil but had limited success. Over time it will get a bit more broken in, but since it is double-layered at the center, it can only get so soft. At least the sharp edges are not a problem if you like me play almost always (leather) gloved as a top. A bigger issue is the width, especially on the 3’’ wide version: The top has to grab a 75mm wide, not really compressing piece of leather. For guys with smaller hands this is almost impossible. I have already given feedback to Mako & Tiger and maybe in the future there will be an about 1’’ wide bridle leather grip sheathed with garment leather. I assume especially female (pro)doms would appreciate a nimbler handle.

Conclusion: Heavy & heavy duty collar with grip to control unruly slaves!
Pro Cons Where to get Price
Grip & D-ring to pull & hold back the slave securely & safely Grip is somewhat uncomfortable 2’’ Wide Version $350
3’’ Wide Version $550
Great craftsmanship
Very heavy duty feel
Lockable

Mako & Tiger Agitation Collar

The 3“ Agitation Collar from Mako & Tiger

Sometimes I get the question if I knew toys to really HANDLE a sub. Especially in the aggro and prison play scene there is a demand for toys to grab the bottom/ brat/ resisting switcher or top and drag him to his knees, the dick or hold him down while destroying his ass. For this kind of scenes even a short leash will not do it because it has too much slack. There used to be a few gags with a grip in front but teeth are surprisingly frailer than you might expect. So they weren’t the best idea.

Collars with a handle have long been popular in dog training but to my surprise have not been adopted wildly into the kink world. One model that comes with high praise from friends but I have not yet had a chance to try out myself is the Agitation Collar from Mako & Tiger. When I studied in the USA some 9 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Mako. He’s a heavy (bondage) player and thus knows how high quality gear needs to be designed for heavy scenes.

The Agitation Collars can be Locked using a Pad or a Segufix Lock

The body of this collar is made out of thick and sturdy bridle leather. Depending on the version it is either 50mm or 75mm tall. The latter can probably double a bit as a posture collar. The inside is lined with padding wrapped in soft garment leather for a comfortable fit. For quick and easy shackling the collar is adjusted and closed with a roller buckle. For secure collaring this piece of neck gear can be locked and comes with a Segufix option.

But the piece de resistance is the wide handle in the back of the collar. It is made out of the same bridle leather but friends who have been using this collar for quite some time now told me that is it treated with mink oil and thus comfortable to hold onto. My friends also tell me that the draft is distributed evenly even when tugging on the collar with force. The same should also apply when a leash is attached to the big d-ring which is laterally placed below the handle.

The Handle and D-Ring on the 3“ Agitation Collar

These are big claims which I look forward to test in a review in some point in time. This curiosity especially applies to the fact that there are no rivets used to construct this collar. Everything is “just” sown together which if done well is sufficient. I have already a heavily resisting bottom in mind to try this gear out on.

But for the moment I trust the recommendation I get from experienced, heavy duty players I have known for years. So when you are in the market for a strong, heavy duty collar with a grip to handle your sub, check out the Agitation Collar from Mako & Tiger. At $350 for the 2’’ version and $450 for the 3’’ version they are not inexpensive but from what I have been told worth every cent as gear that will last you for years of heavy play.