Grenade Stroker

November 25th, 2009

Ironically enough, the first toy my husband has ever known got its first use on his birthday. Fortunately for him, he enjoyed it quite a bit and I think that surprised us both. I had only asked if he wanted to try the Grenade Stroker as a joke; I wanted to get him something instead of something for me but I didn’t know he’d actually go for such a design. Maybe I should have. LOL Regardless, I was more than happy to present him with something and I’m glad I did.

Out of the box, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My experience with lifelike materials has been limited to one cyberskin toy which was really just a sleeve. The futurotic material was fairly hefty, not like my Pure Wand or anything but the material seems quite dense. And squishy. Playing with it in our hands, it didn’t feel lifelike and he actually wasn’t really impressed at that point. He also made sure to comment – several times! – that it was not realistic at all. After all, it felt nothing like any grenade he’s ever touched. (He has made certain I include that in my review so you all can know how funny he is. I know, I’m a saint). Of course, it’s totally not discreet. Even if someone thinks it’s a real grenade, they’re going to want to know why you have one lying around.

We had fun talking about the Colt Power Stoker for a few days because Power Stroker just sounds funny. I didn’t have as much fun when I went to wash the stroker for the first time. It’s dusted in some talc-free powder(and also comes with a tiny, 5 gram bottle) and I don’t think my skin likes it very much because it did cause me to itch. Dusting is important to keep the material from becoming too tacky and it may help make it from being a completely lint magnet but, rest assured, it will be a lint magnet so all your lint will find a nice home on the grenade stroker. If, for some reason, you are not a fan of lint, then be sure to keep the grenade stroker tucked away and only dry it with a lint-free towel (or let it air dry).

As I have not had the grenade handle experience, I cannot say for sure that it’s comparable in size. I only know that the stroker is 4.5″ long and is 2.5″ in diameter at the widest. What I do know is the anus-style hole for insertion seemed tiny but I was able to easily slip a few fingers in and it was enjoyable for my averagely endowed husband. I cannot promise that this masturbator will work for everyone but the amount of stretch it has is almost magical. The stroker was still quite thick around his penis.

Of course, using a good water based lube will ease insertion and there’s a bit of leeway if you happen to get some on the outside of the stroker; the grenade texture helps secure your grip. He could easily control it with one hand and it could potentially be used between the mattresses to mimic sex more than jerking off. I wonder, though, if such stretch makes it easier to tear (another good reason to use lube).

So how did he like it? He liked it quite a bit but almost immediately he said he wished it were longer so it would envelop his whole penis. The head of his cock slipped in and out of the other side and didn’t seem to be uncomfortable like I expected but it provided less sensation than he would have liked. Still, orgasm was achieved. Besides the short length, it definitely seemed tight enough and there is some slight ribbing. I’m not sure if he noticed during use but he was inspecting it after and we could see a few small ribs inside.

I tried to get a feel for how much he liked it and he said he’d consider traveling with it and would maybe use it half the time he masturbated which I found to be impressive, considering his reservations about other sex toys we used.

Because of its nature it’s not entirely easy or difficult to clean. The ribs aren’t so much as to make it a difficult job but it definitely needs more than a quick rinse to ensure it’s fully clean. I clean each side at a time by flipping one hole inside out and pulling it over the other end. The material does like to snap back in place which can result in some water (or ejaculate) splashes. However, it would be much more difficult were the one end closed. I’m not really sure if this toy should be turned completely inside out; I’d err on the side of caution. The inside will be a bit more difficult to dry but it can also be dried using a method similar to how I wash it.

After drying, I toss it back in the back and squeeze some puffs of powder into it. The included bottle is tiny and kinda hard to squeeze. I think a box of corn starch would just be easier to use and I could dump some in the bag shake and bake style.

So, did the Grenade Stroker provide the promised explosion? Yea, pretty much. My husband enjoyed it and I enjoyed that he did. The cleaning is about middle of the spectrum of all the toys I’ve used but it will be interesting to see how well the futurotic material holds up over time (and our careless maintenance). It would be nice if it were a little less finicky but it was a positive experience nonetheless.

The Power Stroker is one of many items available from The Adult Toy Shoppe, the sex toys store which so generously provided my husband with his very first toy!

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Categories: Other Sex Toys, Reviews

Best buy dolphin

November 3rd, 2009

No, this isn’t a vibrator that I bought at Best Buy although some part of my simultaneously giggles and cringes at that idea. It’s CEN’s take on an affordable rabbit vibrator that is great for those looking into rabbits for the first time and also perhaps for folks who sometimes become overwhelmed by all the options rabbits can have. It’s not luxury, nor is it meant to be. It is simply.. the Best Buy Dolphin.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of things a vibrator can do. This was the case with Evolved’s Lunar Rabbit which has hundreds of possible combinations but it ultimately didn’t do anything of them perfectly. In my opinion, when a toy does a few things really well it beats a toy which does many in a mediocre fashion – hands down. That is what the Best Buy dolphin aims to do which makes it perfect for any rabbit newbies or anyone who is just plain sick of a million settings, none of which quite hit the spot. As usual, there are a couple glitches with that ambition.

There are only 4 buttons on this toy. One to turn on/off each of the functions and the other to adjust. For the rotating shaft and beads, this reverses the direction. For the vibrating dolphin clit stimulator, this changes from low to high and back. There’s a few combinations but it remains newbie friendly. Of course, there’s no pulsation or rollercoaster type settings, either so if your clit likes something a bit more exciting than steady vibes, look away. Per usual, the beads and rotating shaft work together and I would love to find a rabbit where the beads could be operated separately.

I was surprised at how well the rotation works. I think this is because the 4 rows of plastic beads rotate pretty fast but this also makes a whining sound. Most rabbits freeze up under any sort of duress but the beads actually hurt me when I clenched and I had to ease up. On the one hand, they work pretty damned well; on the other hand, many people (including myself) tend to clench during orgasm so this can actually be a con.

In terms of vibration strength, I was unimpressed. The high is more like a medium and most vibrators and I usually don’t use the medium on most rabbit vibes. Neither setting did anything more than tingle. Furthermore, the dolphin shaped clit stim just didn’t work for me. I found it to be a little short; only his points nose made contact and it actually hurt a bit.

I’m not surprised the vibrations were lackluster. The bullet seems to be quite small; although there is quite a bit of TPE material around it so the bullet looks larger. Furthermore, this is only powered by AAA batteries but is pretty quiet. Granted, it uses 4 of them but my experience is that I usually need at least 2AAs. The battery pack is also a little strange. It pulls straight out and pops back in but there’s a screw which attaches the battery cap to the casing which makes it seem like you might need to unscrew it. You don’t, it’s just misleading. Also, make sure it’s secure. It will turn on even if it’s not only to have the batteries fall right out.

As I mentioned, the shaft and clit stim of the Best Buy Dolphin are covered in a soft, blue TPE which is translucent. It’s very flexible and thin. I can actually pinch some off the shaft. I wouldn’t mind thicker material around the beads and thinner material on the clit stim to make it more comfortable. The shaft had water and wavelike textures while the also has 4 equidistant ridges (and is thinner than the shaft) but none of those textures are really effective.

TPE is both silicone and water-based lube compatible and you’ll want to use it, not because the Best Buy Dolphin is huge (it’s respectably girthy at 1.75″ diameter at its widest) but because the TPE is so sticky and this can cause friction without proper lubrication. I found the 5 insertable inches and girth to be pretty adequate, myself. It also collects a lot of lint and dust so popping on a condom isn’t a horrible idea to make the whole thing a little cleaner (plus it’s somewhat porous).

When it comes to cleaning off that lint and whatever fluids may have collected, soap and water should do the trick. However, I’d be reluctant to submerge this vibrator completely (whether playing or cleaning) even though it’s supposed to be waterproof, especially considering that the battery cap can pop off if it’s not secure. The cap just doesn’t seem as watertight as others California Exotics styles.

The Best Buy Dolphin is a pretty good option for those who are just getting into rabbits but isn’t anything amazing. The clitoral stimulator definitely needs more power and its shape was just no match for me. Although the beads rotated enough for me to squirt, no part of this toy was going to make me orgasm. For less than $30, you could do worse.

Find vibrators like this and one of the biggest selections of sex toys online at SexToy.com

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Extreme Restraints

Sensual Curve

June 5th, 2009

All in all, the Sensual Curve was wholly forgettable which probably explains why, every time I sat down to write this review, I just couldn’t think of anything to say.  I couldn’t remember if it led me to orgasm or even made me feel good. I couldn’t remember if the insertable portion stimulated my G-spot. I couldn’t remember if the vibrations were easily felt on all parts or even how I felt about the material.

So I had to force myself to give it another go ’round, hoping it would spark some memories. It did but, really, I don’t feel like I have much to say about this toy. I mean, like so many other dual stimulators, it fails as doing either very well but, for some reason, I just don’t feel like it’s a big loss.

So here’s what you need to know:

This dual stimulation vibrator is made of pink rubber (the colour it sort of strange; it looks faded) and is not waterproof. It definitely has that skunky,  rubber smell and is stronger than some toys I’ve had but isn’t the worst. The vibrations stem from the bottom of the toy, which also acts as a bit of a handle but I find that annoying because my hand absorbs most of the vibrations. The vibrations are better felt in the clitoral stimulator, which looks like two short tentacles (and even has sucker like bumps on the inside) and curves slightly toward the body, than the smooth insertable portion which tapers and ends in a bulb (which exists to stimulate the G-spot, I imagine).  This makes insertion extremely easy and only a little water-based lube  was needed. The whole thing is run on 2 AA batteries and operates by dial control. While I usually don’t like dial controls because they’re either too touchy or not touchy enough, this one actually worked really well and because the dial is grooved, it’s also less slippery to use than others.

Unfortunately, the level of vibrations provided by this toy just weren’t mind blowing and I felt it best in my hand. Even on high, I thought this toy works better for teasing or warm up and I don’t do much of either so it might be better in the collection of something who likes lighter vibrations than I do. The rubber  is stiffer than some other materials I’ve tried (silicone, jelly, TPR, TPE) and the clitoral stimulator doesn’t really vibrate loosely like a lot of clitoral attachments do on softer toys. The stiffness also felt a little uncomfortable or painful at times. Combine this with the fact that the prongs seemed to have a tendency to curve back toward my vag, and away from my clit during use (and since they’re stiff, I can’t really adjust them much), and the external part wasn’t that great.

Occasionally, the vibrations did hit a sweet spot internally but this wasn’t consistent, either. Sometimes the sex toy seemed to brush my G-spot but it wasn’t moving any mountains and it was difficult to maneuver, given the stiffness of the material, and have both places adequately stimulated. I also felt that the cord was unusually short at just under 22″ – even my crappy Venus Penus has a 3-” cord – and while it works okay for masturbation, partner use make find this problematic.

One of the things I really like to do with dual sitmulation toys is to grind against it and push it tightly against my pubic bone. Grinding was out because of the clitoral attachment but even when I tried, it jsut felt uncomfortable and too hard. I also couldn’t get enough pressure on my clit which is something I get from rabbit-style vibe with larger bullets. The shape of the little prongs just didn’t allow for pressure at all.

While the Sensual Curve may seem a steal at arond $20, it doesn’t do anything really well. The pourous, foul smelling rubber was too stiff. The vibrations were weak and misplaced. The toy didn’t find my G-spot consistently and the cord was freakishly short. Yet, you can bet I’m not done trying similar toys!

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

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