Nick Hawk GIGOLO Keyless Cuffs

June 8th, 2013

Nick Hawk GIGOLO Keyless Cuffs

Nick Hawk GIGOLO Keyless Cuffs

While these specific cuffs are no longer available, you can find similar sliding styles on rope cuffs.

Let me preface this by saying, WTF “Gigolo?” That’s not sexy. That’s not a selling point. What is wrong with the branding here?

And then I’ll say something nice, like, I really enjoy the look of these cuffs. The chain rope that connects them and the leather appearance are different, and it’s just different. The chain that connects them is a tube of chainmail, while the cuffs themselves are a braided rope. The braid is thick and tight, and the material is softer on your skin than metal cuffs, even with something soft around them. However, the material is pretty stiff, and that’s a difference I noticed between my cuffs and the product image. The keyless cuffs look quite round by default, but they’re not. They are folded in half in the box, and the crease remains in the cuffs as you can see in my photo.

However, they’re really made for form and not function, unfortunately. These are the type of cuffs you’d keep around for a photo shoot, but they’re not the cuffs you’re going to reach for in the heat of the moment. I’ll tell you why.

Rather than band-type cuffs that connect via snaps or an O-ring or metal cuffs, with which I’m sure you’re all familiar, these are two loops that do not open. Instead, there’s a small faux-leather strap on each cuff. The strap is permanently attached to the one side, while you wrap it around the other side and fasten a snap to secure it. You slide the leather enclosure up and down the cuff to make it tighter. Ideally, this design would work for both wrists and ankles because it’s adjustable.

However, it just doesn’t work very well. When the snap is fastened, you can’t move the strap up and down the cuffs. So, to adjust, put on or remove them you must completely undo the strap and then re-wrap it around the cuff. The strap really is quite tight. In fact, I can barely put this one with two hands let alone one.

What this means is that I would have to spend a lot of time just getting this on or off or in the right position, which could be a real downer when it comes to the mood. It’s much too much effort, and while it might loosen up a bit over time, I don’t have the patience to deal with it. I can’t imagine many people would.

When it comes to specs, these keyless cuffs has a circumference of about 12″ each, so they should work for ankles as well as wrists. There’s no minimum, really. I guess you could lock someone’s finger up in this. Because the strap is so tight, I cannot get out of these cuffs even though it’s just a single snap securing them. There is a little less than 4.5″ of slack between the cuffs, thanks to the chain and hardware. This is more than the tiger striped cuffs that I have, so this design, if it worked better, might be good if you’re not so flexible or have short arms like I do.

The connectors between the chains use a “swivel design.” This means added flexibility because you don’t need to keep your wrists in a single position. You can squirm as it were.

Maintenance is, well, iffy. I would consider these porous, and the braining provides lots of nooks and crannies for liquids to get into. You can wipe them down to preserve their appearance, but I wouldn’t share them with non-fluid bonded partners.

CEN Sexpert

2 Comments

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

SpareParts Sasha Lingerie Harness

September 28th, 2012

SpareParts Sasha Lingerie Harness

SpareParts Sasha Lingerie Harness
$169.95 from SheVibe

My first harness you guys. It’s so touching, isn’t it? You know what I thought when I first opened the box, but he’s some in-depth thoughts.

I immediately noticed the red was lighter in person than it is in most photos. It sometimes looks like a raspberry shade, but it’s definitely lighter. It personally doesn’t look as good on me as the black probably would have, but I have one of those skin tones that doesn’t always work with red.

Harness and pantyAs I lifted the harness out of the box, it seemed much larger. It’s simply a lot of material. It’s not quite like a pair of panties, at least, it’s not like the panties I’d normally wear. The waistband is reinforced to almost be stiff, which is definitely unlike a real pair of panties, and the sides of the panties seem quite long when unexpected. The picture to the side shows the Sasha harness in large with a VS Pink panty in medium. The bottoms line up, but there’s simply a lot more material to the harness.

The stiffness of the waistband equals a lack of stretch. I ordered a large, which is supposed to fit a 38″ hip, but an XL might have been a slightly better fit. In fact, you can expect this harness to be a bit snug. If you’re at all worried, I’d suggest moving up to the next larger size. Better safe than sorry.

The amount of material really felt awkward upon pulling it up. I initially cinched up the sides to make this more like a bikini, rather than granny panties. However, this has the added effect of narrowing the legs holes just a bit. I untied the bows after pulling these up and getting situated to make it more uncomfortable.

Back ruchingThere’s this giant ruching in the back. To be honest, the thickness and material look almost diaper-like out of the box, bur I don’t notice it when it’s on. I’m wearing ruched panties as we speak, and I never even feel it in the back. The thicker fabric just makes this look weird when it’s not on a body. As you can see in product photos, the layers that enable you to insert a dildo really show in the front. To me, this is distinctly unsexy. Of course, your silicone cock will probably be what your partner looks at, but this harness just did not feel as sexy as I would expect in and of itself.

Mesh on the insideThen I added a dildo. I went with my VixSkin Tex. It has a girth of about 1.5″, and this was perfect for inserting into the harness. I won’t lie, it took me a minute to realize how this works. There’s two layers of mesh material on the inside that slightly overlap. After pushing Tex through the hole, I then covered the base, but the mesh is loose enough that this doesn’t add sooo much stability. The mesh really helps prevent any chafing or uncomfortable rubbing during use. The harness itself was snug enough on me that it would stay in place pretty well, I think. You’ll really have to get the right size for this to work, though, and there’s no adjusting it.

Speaking of lack of adjustments: the O-ring is permanently sewn in place, and it semes to be 1.5″. Tex was perfect. There’s not a lot of stretch, though. You’d have to stretch the material and the O-ring. It’s just not happening. I feel like you wouldn’t want to go much higher or lower in terms of diameter. This severely limits the number of toys you might be able to use with the Sasha harness, but it’s the perfect size for me. Keep this in mind if you’ve been eyeing it up and you’re a die-hard size queen.

Unlike a real pair of panties, there’s no cotton crotch liner. The envelope of mesh continues down the center, so you could technically stick a bullet or maaaybe another dildo in there for the wearer to receive stimulation. I haven’t used it like this because it seems like there’d just be too much going on. Maybe I’m lame, but to be honest, just wearing my own little penis was pretty exciting enough. I also found that the location of the cock on me meant I could still reach my clitoris through the harness.

As you’d probably guessing, the generous cut, layers, stiff waistband and a few other things don’t much make this an item that I would personally like to wear under my clothes. I would have loved that idea. Oh, you want to have sex after our hot date? Sure, but let me fuck you. It’s totally cheesy in my head, I know. In reality, it’s just not happening.

However, some other goodies totally made up for it. This item is machine washable, and SpareParts provides you with a lingerie bag in which to wash it. It’s a really thick and durable mesh, which I love. It cinches closed, and the hardware seems pretty secure. There’s a little tag with the SpareParts logo on it. I’ve already used this multiple time for my actual bras, panties, etc. It’s super handy and far higher quality than the dollar store bags I was previously using.

Inside Sasha's PouchThe harness also comes with a storage/travel pouch. It’s made of the same red nylon/spandex mix as the panties themselves with a small black bow on the front lip. It has a solid zipper to secure it shut. On the inside, there’s two pockets, and these neat vintage-y buttons hold the one pocket closed. You can easily slip both the harness and lingerie bag into this pouch for storage or use it to hold your Sasha harness and a dildo; however, it won’t be the biggest dildo in the world. This pouch measures about 9″ wide and is just under 7″ tall.

Sasha Pouch and Garters9″ is also about the exact length of the included garters if you extend them fully–including the hardware. They’e pretty typical and seem sturdy but not quite as stretchy as some others that I’ve used. There’s four altogether and the loops on the panties are incredibly sturdy and sewn just inside the leg holes, so you can’t actually see them. Bonus! Especially if you wear this harness without the garters. Because this is slightly uncomfortable on me, I’d opt for not wearing the garters. I just think there’d be too much going on. The hooks are plastic, so make sure to take them off when you wash. Plastic pieces on straps always tend to break on me. However, the ribbons at the end move away for the classic garter attachment if you’re wearing thigh highs.

So, what’s my verdict? The Sasha is not as sexy on me as I would’ve liked. The cut and material is probably better for someone taller and thinner in the midsection. However, it works very well as a harness, and all the extras really blew me away. I can’t remember the last time I was impressed with the details. I love that it’s machine washable and that the manufacturer provided a washing bag with it. If you want to try it, you could do much worse, but I’d carefully measure yourself and consider the size of dildos that you love to use before making the plunge. This is a luxury piece that will please a select few, but not everyone will love it.

11 Comments

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Bondage Boutique Faux Tiger Fur Spanking Paddle

August 10th, 2012

Faux Tiger Fur Spanking Paddle

Faux Tiger Fur Spanking Paddle

Lovehoney has since discontinued the Tiger Fur Paddle, but they still have other items available under their Bondage Boutique line, including some plan furry ones.

I’m into the tiger things lately. Remember those cuffs? Well, this paddle is better. Ultimately, they were pretty cheap, and not stripey in the right way. It’s probably a complaint you don’t often hear. You’re welcome.

The only real negative I can state is that it smells. Out of the package, there was an overwhelming fake leather smell. You’ve smelled it before, I’m sure, and it might not even bother you. I just don’t love it.

Otherwise, it’s on to the pros. This is actually smaller than expect. The span of the fingers on my tiny hands is bigger than the paddle, but that’s not a horrible thing. For one, you can control is easily. It’s also good on petite behinds.

I was impressed with the plushness of the fur. The stripes are great–not exactly realistic but appealing to my eye. To my hands, this fur is way plush. Sticks up and over and offers a lot of padding. It’s much more plush, for example, than this fur slapper I reviewed a while back. When you smack someone’s ass with this, it’s soft and thuddy. The impact spreads out, rather than landing in one place.

Even if I give it my all, I can’t do much damage with that side; although, you can flip it over and use the fake leather side. Still, the paddle is just a little bit flexible, so I find that this lessens the impact. It doesn’t impede performance necessarily, but it makes this paddle on the lighter side of bondage. On LoveHoney, the review system asks you to rate kinkiness. I guess I chose about 3.5 because, to be honest, it doesn’t seem that kinky to me.

The handle is bordered in metal rivets to add to its hardcore appearance, but this tiger is really a kitten. Technically, you could use the handle as a paddle to get more stimulation, and it would be more acute than using the furred paddle.

At the end of a handle is a leather strap, which helps you keep your grip while using the toy and makes it easy to store. I’d wipe it down with a damp cloth if you have any cleaning to do.

Although I haven’t had a chance to really use this, it seems like a well-made toy at a decent price. It delivers both in looks and feel, and it’s non-intimidating if you’re just getting into impact play. I’m definitely interested to see what the rest of the Bondage Boutique has in store!

5 Comments

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Playful in Pearls Satin Eye Mask and Cuffs

July 25th, 2012

Playful In Pearls Satin Eye Mask Playful In Pearls Satin Eye Mask

This product has been discontinued.

This month’s assignment from CEN’s Sexpert program was a surprise. I don’t know if I would have chosen anything from their light bondage line, titled Playful in Pearls, myself. However, I can more than give you a thorough review regardless.

The satin mask is a slight upgrade to the free masks. It doesn’t just look like a pad on a string. There’s a more defined contour for your nose. Rather than a thin elastic strap, the band is bordered with lace on the top and bottom. In the center, back of the blindfold is a big ribbon bow. To top it all off, there’s a row of faux pearls along the top front of the mask. All in all, it’s very feminine, and I think this definitely affects who is going to buy this. It’s a little too much going on for me. The ribbon, mask, and lace have too many textures for my personal preference.

So, while the mask isn’t quite a pad-on-a-string, it’s not perfect. The satin is stiffer than I like, but it’s not so stiff that it doesn’t pull across the bridge of the nose. I experience this with softer materials. My KinkLab blindfold, for example, is stiff enough to prevent this. The elastic stretches and the mask stays stationary. Plus, while the lace and elastic band is stretchy, it’s not going to fit every head. The band itself is just under 14″ long, with another 7.5″ for the mask itself. It stretches much larger, obviously. I find this to be a little loose on my head, and it’s not adjustable. On the other hand, if your head is larger than mine, this won’t be a problem.

The beads don't stay in placeAlthough contoured, the mask isn’t quite enough to block out all light. The layers of fabric are pretty thin, too. It’s not a very good blackout blindfold, and the blindfold will slip during use, especially if it’s loose. For these reasons, I feel like this piece is really better for show than function. Take some pictures, but that’s about it.

The problem is that it doesn’t look as good up close as you think. The line of “pearls” is sewn on with a clear thread, like fishing line. It looked up over the top of the mask and only goes through the actual material ones. This means that the pearl beads can slide out of place. One in particular, on my blindfold, likes to flip behind the mark, so I’m constantly adjusting it. This really wreaks havoc on the aesthetic appeal, at least for me. Because the beads are just spheres with a hole on either side, a regular stitch would work for this. I’m not sure if it would require more effort, but the result would be nicer.

Playful in Pearls CuffsOn to the cuffs, which, unfortunately, suffer from many of the same flaws. The cuffs are two elastic and lace bands with velcro enclosures, and they’re permanently attached to each other with a string of pearls. I think the cuffs themselves are cuter than the blindfold. I’d almost wear them as regular accessories with the loose lace and the pretty ribbon bow on top. If you look at the point where the velcro attaches, it looks a little odd, but this isn’t so noticeable if you’re not staring directly at it.

The wrist cuffs do seem pretty tiny, especially compared to some of the nylon and leather ones I’ve tried. They’re about 7.5″ long, unstretched. You can stretch them another two inches, and the lace does have some elasticity but, again, these seem intended for ladies and not men. This also limits their versatility as ankles cuffs.

Such lovely knotted fishing lineThe real drawback is the line of pearls in between. They’re strung on the invisible thread; although, they’re tight enough that you can’t see it at all. The long row of faux pearls looks pretty cheap and, IMO, tacky. It’s very plastic-y. The bound person has 9.5″ of space between her hands, which lets her move some, but not much. I would worry that, during actual play, the bound person might accidentally jerk, tear the thread and the pearls would go flying.

CEN has tried to avoid this, because you can see that the ends of the strings are tied in one giant glob of a knot. It’s noticeable only if you’re looking, I suppose, but you’d think they could do it much better. It’s really sloppy. I didn’t give this one a full-strength pull test but, again, I’d be careful with it.

While I like the idea of the playful in pearls pieces, the execution just needs some work.
CEN Sexpert

1 Comment

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Fetish Fantasy Series Beginner’s Ball Gag

December 17th, 2011

Beginner's Ball Gag - Black

Beginner's Ball Gag - Black
17.99 from Pipedream

Welp, my first ball gag experience was not beginner-friendly. It’s not necessarily the fault of Pipedream; although, the generic copy they provide to retailers doesn’t explain that this is a 1.75″ diameter gag and that’s pretty important information if you have a tiny mouth like I do. So, I can’t even get this in my mouth. I’d have to shove it in there and there’s no way it would come out without breaking some teeth or bones. Not cool.

But if you know you can use a ball gag of this size, it’s cheap and decently made. The ball is made of rubber and strung on a nylon strap. It’s not fixed in place so it can slide to the left and right a few inches but the length of nylon to which the ball is attached is actually attached to another piece of strap with D-rings that are attached via rivets. These pieces stop the ball from moving forever. Technically, this ball gag comes in 3-pieces.

The point of those detachable straps is confusing if you buy this product, but if you realize that Pipedream makes a ball gag training set, it’s likely that they once made a similar set that reused some of these parts. Of course, they’re only snaps, so they’re not locked in place but they actually do require a bit of effort for me to unsnap. You have to use both of the straps in order to create a full loop, though.

One of the straps ends in two D-rings, while the other is just the strap that you loop through both, then back through one like you would with children’s belts. At least, that’s the one application that easily comes to mind. It’s secure but quick to take off by moving the outer ring.

It’s also somewhat adjustable. At its tightest, the gag has a circumference of around 15″, including the ball itself. The straps offer about 5″ more of leeway if you require it. A quick measure of my own head indicates that this will fit my head with a couple extra inches but those with larger heads may need to modify the design for their needs.

Because I was not able to successfully wear it, I can’t say if it’s comfortable. The nylon isn’t the softest and it may irritate those with sensitive skin. The ball gag won’t completely block airflow but can cause a drooly mess; however, that may not be a negative for you. It does block access to the mouth, of course.

The rubber ball does offer just a bit of give when you apply pressure to it. You may be able to damage it if you’re biting down especially hard but I wasn’t able to leave any marks by gently biting or using my nails. I do wish that you were able to remove the ball from the strap to clean it better, however. You also can’t sterilize it because it is a porous material and I’d worry about bacteria building up after a while on the strap/instead the hole. I would probably replace this gag every so often for those reasons. If you want a permanent tool, I’d consider the Tantus fantasy gag, instead.

Comment

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

18″ Classic Leather Whip

December 2nd, 2011

18" Classic Leather Whip

18" Classic Leather Whip
$22.95 from FunWares

My impact play collection is small but growing. I have a rabbit fur flogger that feels design but isn’t effective at transmitting pain or staying together. I have the paintbrush flogger that is mostly a novelty. I do enjoy Babeland’s riding crop and now I have a very traditional leather flogger. Perhaps I can clear up some misconceptions that maybe no one has.

Actually, it seems that this flogger was made by the same folks who made my rabbit fur flogger — Touch of Fur. This one is much higher quality, though. The 18″ whip is about 2/3 tails and 1/3 handle. I can fit just about two fists on the handle but it’ll be a comfortable fit for those with larger hands, too. The handle is uniformly wrapped in leather and there’s a plastic cap over the end, through which a small D ring is attached. It’s really small, though and I think it could stand to be a bit larger because this will only fit on long, slender hooks. Either end of the handle is secured with hardware, the name of which is completely escaping my mind. But don’t expect this piece to come apart too easily. Plus, the silver on black looks smart.

Even though it’s labeled as a whip, it’s a multi-tailed tool. There’s 12 to be exactly. and they overlap in two and a half rows around the rounded handle. The leather tails are cut with perfectly straight ends and the outside is finished to a shine while the inside of the tails is soft and unfinished. They both feel nice, actually. The leather does not smell as amazing as I like my leather to smell but it won’t kill me.

This flogger is actually the most.. severe that I own. It’s not that you can’t flog someone lightly but it creates delicious welts, small ones albeit, with surprisingly little effort. In fact, its bark (welts) may even be a little bit more intense than its bite (pain) and this could be good for a novice. I like finally having an impact toy that will leave some marks and can easily be felt.

This one is pretty balanced, to my inexperience hand, and aims fairly well. The tails mostly stay together when swinging and it’s not long enough that you’ll have to worry about too much wrap around, which can mean pain in a negative way. I don’t like things that require too much arm strength or practice so this flogger is right at my level.

I don’t even remember if it came with a plastic bag. If it did, I threw it out right away. I also don’t remember any instructions but I’d wipe this with a damp cloth, pat dry and let it hang to air dry completely. The hook, which is too small in my opinion, will work for some storage solutions. Vertical storage really is where it’s at, folks.

My experience with the 18″ Classic Leather Whip has been far more enjoyable than with their rabbit fur flogger but I’d love if it FunWares and similar sites gave more information about the manufacturer. d=

3 Comments

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Fetish Fantasy Series Furry Handcuffs

November 15th, 2011

Furry Handcuffs - Tiger

Furry Handcuffs - Tiger
$12.95 from FunWares

I decided to request these handcuffs to review simply because they were tiger striped. It seems to me that furry handcuffs are something that even a lot of vanilla folks have on hand and why shouldn’t I have my own pair? I haven’t necessarily been thrilled with anything in the Fetish Fantasy series and while these are about as functional as one would expect, I do have a major complaint.

The tiger stripes are wrong. You can see it in the photo but, in person, it just looks even stranger. Instead of black on orange, the stripes themselves are a light and dark brown with cream/white. Even a brown-tinted orange would make sense but these handcuffs should really just be named “striped.”

The fake fur has the netting-like lining and the edges aren’t really finished. It seems like you could rip them with a little force. Like many furry handcuffs, the fur itself is just a sleeve that slides over the cuff. It’s a little loose so there’s room to move. This can be a hassle when you’re trying to put on the cuffs as the sleeve can get in the way. A lot of struggle can also cause it to bunch up toward the side so while the fur does offer some protection against the cold and rigid metal of the cuffs, it’s not foolproof.

Because they’re metal, these handcuffs are weightier than the plastic kinds you’ll run across. This pair comes with a set of keys. The cut is very generic and they’re tiny, less than an inch long. I think the tiny key size will be difficult for people with larger hands or even fingernais to use. Luckily, there’s a quick release mechanism on these handcuffs. Some part of me think that deters from the point of bondage but folks just getting into it will likely feel reassured by it. Nevertheless, my short fingers are unable to reach the level to release it.

The cuffs are adjustable, like real ones, with the teeth things. I don’t know what they’re called. There’s about 1.25″ difference between the tightest and loosest settings so they’re not quite as adjustable as some of the bondage cuffs around. They’re also not ideal for use about most ankles.

The cuffs are connected by a small chain about 2″ in length. The chains that attach the cuffs are more secure than I was expecting. There’s no way I could break them and then links are soldered, not just pressed together. There’s a little room to move but not so much. They’ll work well for police-style restraint or simply cuffing the hands in front of the body. You could also use them to attach one wrist to another object, like a bedpost or.. bike rack. I don’t know. There could be kinky bike rack scenes, am I right?

So, weird patterns aside, these are a fun little item to add to your bedroom repertoire but I guess I’d opt for a different color in the future.

4 Comments

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.