To say I was excited when I first saw the 12″ Fur Slapper would be an understatement. In fact, all of the pieces in the line are so alluring. Never mind that my husband and I decided to go blue for all our BDSM purchases; I certainly didn’t when I requested this piece for review. Getting to know this slapper has been interesting. It’s generally well made with even and clean stitching, no obvious flaws and even a leather strap attached to the handle for hanging or wearing during use. The leather is stiff and reinforced with “spring steel” which makes the slapper feel more like a paddle but, at only 12″ in length, it’s unlike any true paddle I’ve ever seen (and easy to store).
With one side lined in purple fur, it doesn’t look intimidating in the least which made it appealing to me. It’s also aesthetically pleasing but, as others have mentioned, a wider range of fur colours would be great. Currently, we’ll be sticking with the furred side which does help to sooth the blows and reduces the possibility of marks or bruising (if that’s a concern). It still does pack a bit of a punch with harder blows. Compared the Kookie Riding Crop I recently reviewed, the pain is more diffuse and heavier. The fur also muffles the sound. It sounds something like clapping chalkboard erasers together. Of course, you can deal pain-free taps instead of heavy-handed strikes. Alternatively, the fur side can be used to soothe tender flesh, as a light rubdown tool or, the way I’ve used it most, to tickle. This makes it a pretty versatile tool and it allows to make every playtime with the Fur 12″ Slapper unique.
The fur is obviously the draw of this piece, and it feels pretty nice on the skin. However, it is rather short and.. fake. It’s not really as silky as I was expecting; I guess I wanted something a bit more like my rabbit fur flogger, but the fur on this slapper just feels not real. Of course, fake fur can absolutely feel great. I’ve had some stuffed animals whose coats were quite luxurious and I think just making the fur a bit longer would make it that much more pleasurable. The fur on this tool is about 1/4″ long and can be fluffed up by running a hand against the ‘grain’ of the fur but there’s still not much there to be fluffed. Again, it’s not bad, just not as great as I expected.
If you are a fan of bigger pain, the smooth leather side may better suit your needs. Without the fur, the sensation is definitely more intense, and there is quite a bit of sting. Thud lovers may be a bit disappointed but they would probably invest in a different tool (a wood paddle, perhaps). There is some give in this slapper, but the stiffness of the leather and steel combined with over 1/4″ thickness makes it firmer than I thought and firmer than more true slappers. It seems to be a bit of a hybrid piece. The bare side also is much louder, making a slapping sound when it meets flesh.
No matter the strength I choose to exert, wielding this slapper is quite easy. The handle is long enough that I can just wrap both of my fists around it, end to end. It’s thin enough that it’s easy to grip but tapers toward the end so you won’t lose it too easily. It feels like the fur end is heavier and gravity helps pull it down without using as much strength on my part. There’s a leather strap through a secure grommet in the end. I can see the usefulness of this for storage if you have hooks (I don’t but maybe I should throw some command hooks up on the inside of the closet door) but I found it awkward during use. If I looped it around my wrist, it limited the mobility of my hand and I had to take the time to remove the loop. I’ll probably risk flinging the slapper across the room (a la Wii-mote) than have to continuously remove/replace it on my wrist.
Plus, its small sizes make it easy to store. Hell, I could just throw it between my mattress and box spring without a worry.
When it comes to construction, I was pretty impressed. As I mentioned, the stitching is done well. I cannot pinpoint any flaws, and there are no loose threads like I could see on a similar piece I own. The two leather pieces are sewn snugly together and the edges are cut flat. The purple fur is about 5.5″ long and just meets the edge of the widest part (2″) of the slapper. It is sewn (and hardily) on 3 sides using the same thread that holds together the entire slapper. However, the fourth end (which is one of the shorter ends) is loose, which could result in tearing if it gets caught on something. It probably won’t happen, but it’s something that kind of bothers me, and I’d at least like it glued down. Although I haven’t had the need to clean the Fur 12″ Slapper, I would probably it down with a damp cloth. Easy enough.
My complaints about the Fur 12″ Slapper are not major. The cord and fur issues really fall into the realm of personal preference. It’s well made, affordable and, although small, can be used for a variety of sensations. It would be well placed in anyone’s toy box.
