The touch of leather ... part 2

This is me :)

At Oz Kinkfest in Melbourne recently we stayed with good friends who are into the leather scene, and attended lots of workshops relating to that scene. However we also had some quality time catching up with friends LadyMiaMia and slave_to_Lady_M who are less interested in the leather scene than ...

LEATHER itself. As a divine fetish and passion all of it's own. I always love talking to them about leather. About the items they own. About how they store it. About each item's texture and smell and erotic potential...

I'm rather fond of leather myself, as I explained and explored in the first "Touch of leather" post:

"From the moment I first encountered Robert Mapplethorpe's "Self-Portrait with bull-whip" (1978) I thought leather chaps were the sexiest thing I'd ever seen (I don't have permission to reproduce that image so you'll need to click on that link to see it).

"Everyone else checking out "Self-Portrait with bull-whip" - which was part of Mapplethorpe's X Portfolio series and sparked national attention in the early 1990s when it was included in the National Endowment for the Arts' traveling exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment - seemed to focus on the bullwhip up the photographer's ass. Funny, that *grin*. And I agree. It turned me on to the potential of bullwhips as well as anuses, LOL.

"But what I found most erotic of all was the very simple lacing at the back of Mapplethorpe's black leather chaps...

"That photograph made me feel I could almost smell and touch the leather garments Mapplethorpe was wearing ... the softness of the supple leather in some parts, the high sheen on other parts. And the leather cords themselves, laced at the back, hanging down like a flogger's falls. Mapplethorpe took the idea of the leather cords even further in another photograph "Untitled Self Portrait" (1973) where a taut leather strip emerges from between his ass cheeks. Now THAT was another hot photo. So simple, but so erotic...

I wrote that first "Touch of leather" post in thanks after Steve Sax from S(A)X gifted sol a pair of amazing lace up leather chaps:

"And when I say "lace up" I don't just mean at the back. These chaps have a seriously labor intensive design with lacing down each side:


"Doesn't sol look amazing in them? That ass is oh soooo tempting, framed in those soft black leather!"

As I noted sadly in that post:

"leather is an expensive beast. So (with the exception of a few games with leather laces) my own experiencing of wearing tight, laced leather didn't happen until last year, during a visit to Marquis De Sade's in Melbourne. The result was this:


"That leather corset is the most erotic thing I've ever owned and worn. I've worn other corsets before and absolutely adored them. But they were fabric. This one is the softest, softest leather. Every time I wear it and look down and see how the lacing cord cuts across the top of my breasts, my breath catches ... and no, that's not because I'm wearing the corset too tight!"

So I'm sure you'll understand my delight when - as a result of those Kinkfest conversations with LadyMiaMia and slave_to_Lady_M - a parcel recently arrived from them containing an absolutely stunning leather coat:


The leather is incredibly soft, and I love it's military cut. I also like what it does to my breasts *grin*:


As part of saying "thank you" I wanted to show LadyMiaMia and slave_to_Lady_M what I looked like wearing it .... so all our other readers get a look, too!

We have such amazing kinky friends :)

Many many thanks:
LadyMiaMia and slave_to_Lady_M

Photos:
Ms160
solipsist

Ms160 the Helicopter Pilot

Recently after I joined a group on Fet my friend Song left the following message on my profile wall:

"Nooo way - get out of town!
You're not a helicopter pilot too - ARE YOU?
If so, why am I not surprised?
You are so accomplished at so many things! :)"

After I sent her a link to a certain video, she replied:

"Slaps forehead! Hehe, well at least I'm partly correct.
You are still such an accomplished lady!
Walks away muttering as she thumbs through her Bdsm terminology encyclopedia."

But her confusion is justified. This is not a form of CBT familiar to everyone, and as Song discovered, it's not listed in many good BDSM Glossaries. Even vanilla reference sources (for example Urban Dictionary) refer to their - vanilla - version of the ..er .. sport ... as:

"The forgotten art of cock spinning"

Forgotten, indeed. Cock spinning apparently involves:

"Simply hold your semi-flaccid member at the base and twirl in a clockwise motion. It's important to achieve optimum size and weight for the best results."

Ah, boys will be boys ... whether kinky or vanilla they are always in search of a new way to waggle their dick! The kinky version of this involves a very long piece of string or cord and is known as:

"Helicopter or Cock Twirling".

Or The Whirlybird. In it's simplest form you wrap the string or cord around the cock (or sometimes the cock and balls) lots and lots of times ... and then you pull the string very quickly. As it unwinds the cock spins in circles like the blades of a helicopter.

There are lots of ways you can jazz the basic format up, but in it's simplest form it's not a bad form of CBT to try, if you are new to BDSM. The esteemed Mistress Natashah (Brisbane) writes on her website that it's "a fun ice breaker for the novice and beginner".

What does it feel like? Here's Ropesy:

"She told me that she was going to give me a whirly bird and explained to me what a whirly bird is as she quickly wrapped the silk strings up along my penis. The strings weren't painfully tight but I knew what she was going to do next. I was in a state of relaxed suspense. When she reached the top, she looked up at me and asked, "Ready?" I nodded.

"She then yanked on the strings straight up into the air and my penis twirled around like a helicopter rotor around the tightening strings. The sensation of my dick rapidly twirling was almost like a vibrator. And it wasn't all that painful. Of course it's quite possible I went from 0 - 60 on the endorphin meter and just didn't feel it.

"As she yanked, I let out a big "WHAOH" Afterwards she asked, "Did you like that?" My brain rapidly processed all of this sudden and strange stimulus and came back with a reply. "YYYEEEEEE-HAAAAA-HUH-HA!"

Here's how sol and I started out. For the first few attempts I used a piece of cord we keep for CBT bondage ... note here how the loops around the balls are not tied:

I had sol do the hard work, winding the cord carefully in a tight spiral:


When we were ready I took the end of the cord ...


And pulled...

Of course there was no time to take a photo before it was all over, but in this photo I'm giving the "thumbs up" sign because the technique certainly had potential:


We tried the cord one more time, with sol on his knees:


Then we switched to thin round satin ribbons ... Satet had kindly given us several packets with exactly this kind of CBT in mind. Sol now had 7 meters to wrap ... and wrap ... and wrap LOL:


He had lots of fun:


One fan writes (requoted on this thread) after the cock is wrapped:

"The head will at this time, be engorged and incredibly sensitive, so take a little time and have some fun with it"

I then positioned sol on his knees again:


The results were very successful. We definitely achieved the helicopter look! I have two short videos, and I'll upload one on Fetlife soon and link to it here. Meanwhile here are some points that might prove useful:

• Keep it simple to start

• Good basics page about CBT here.
  

• We've used cord and ribbon so far but dominants use all sorts of materials. Ms. Christine writes "rough gardening twine is good" while others advise "Be sure to use a soft material as to not “rug burn” the penis". Experiment.

• Length of string is again variable. We find the 7m craft ribbon works really well but on the other hand Lady_Anna_Bradford has found "A nice long bootlace will do.". Remember the shorter the string the shorter / less painful your "whirly bird" action.
  

• Don't tie a knot in the string around the base of the balls ... unless you are planning a major jerk at the end of your "flight"! Just loop the string around the balls and cross one loop under another.

• Wind / wrap with care. Ms. Christine again: "if you don’t wrap the cord carefully, it will tangle and jerk. You have to wrap it in a tight spiral, not overlapping the turns"

• Some people wrap the head, others don't. Some wrap the balls, others don't. Again: experiment, see what works best for you.
  

• Why not apply the string / cord and then leave the genitals in tight bondage for a while?? This has two results: the effect of the bondage and also a build up of pressure. Here's LadyCBTwhip-bmp view on this : "Obviously the wrapping can not be helicoptered staight away, as it is better to make sure that all pre flight checks are throughly undertaken. The ripcord is primed and held at the ready awaiting that moment when the correct color in the balls is produced and the anxiousness appears on my boys face."

• Opinions vary on what angle to pull the string at. Some prefer a downward pull, but when sol's on his knees I find pulling straight at the same level as his genitals works well. I found someone who agrees: " pull gently directly outward from the body".

• You will need to pull hard and fast, otherwise the effect of the "rotating blades" will be lost but try to keep your pull steady and continuous

• Don't forget to watch it whirl!! It's easy to get caught up in the scene and the planning and how your sub is after ... but all these things are minor compared to your own enjoyment of the few seconds you get to watch the blades in action. Forgot to watch? Do it again *grin*
  

• Dana_Phais notes possible problems: "One thing I would have to be aware of if I was trying this out on someone and that is that it could cause torsion (twisting) of the testes, a common condition that occurs when your testis become twisted, cutting off the blood supply to your scrotum. Scrotal oedema, testicular tenderness, nausea and vomiting may occur next. Most of the time the twist can be corrected, but in rare cases, immediate surgery is required to ensure fertility. But there is always a certain amount of risk when dealing with CBT and BB. Also the string around the testes must released straight away because it will probably tight enough to cut the blood circulating to that area."
  

• Dana also advises "I would also make sure there were no piercings in the area, or at least remove all genital jewelery." and another source agrees: "It isn’t advisable to do this to a man who has a genital piercing on the shaft or head of the cock without removing the jewelry first.". Having said that, we've had no problem with sol's PA ring ... perhaps because it's a closed loop? Anyway, be careful with piercings!

• Check out Mistress_Tara's helicopter videos on Fet

• Also punycunt's helicopter videos (esp this one where the balls are wrapped)

• If you are a member of Kink Academy check out their "Cock helicopter video": "Lolita Wolf demonstrates the cock helicopter during this three-minute video. She notes the type and length of cord to use and then shows how to safely prepare the wrap for the surprising and fun finale"

• Join Fet's group Domme Helicopter Pilots for more ideas
  

Most of all: have fun :)

Photos:
Ms160

Jailbird back on...

For those readers interested in our Mature Metal Jailbird chastity device explorations, sol is now back in the device for a second go.

I let him out of the device for a week while he recovered from urethral region pinching. This problem was documented in our Jailbird - one week review post, but I'd like to stress it's not a fault in the device. It's just that sol needs to get used to the tighter fit of the Jailbird, and try and avoid the pinching which occurs when he starts to get hard and his silver PA ring and the Jailbird's metal bars interact.

Thanks to everyone who dropped us a line about this problem. We agree, we may end up having to change sol's PA jewelry and that's fine. If you find a great chastity device it's worth making any adaptations needed to make it fit perfectly.

Here he in, nicely positioned, before he put his clothes on for work this morning:


We'll be posting a two week review soon. I have to say, we are really liking the Jailbird so far :)

Other Jailbird posts:

• Jail Bird ordered (why we chose it)
  
• Jailbird arrives (manufacturer feedback, how the device looks etc)
  
• Jailbird - two day review (first experiences)
  
• Jailbird - one week review (lots of things we like about the device / first problem etc)
  

Photos:
Ms160

Rainbows for friends - part 3

This one's for swan and family. Not a rainbow this time but a recent moonrise over our place, overlooking a sacred site now known as Sphinx Rock. Thinking of you all...

150 Lashes ... but not with a flogger lol....

cassie from "...with a sense of pride" put up a great post recently showing how subtle BDSM awareness can be. I thought of her post when sol came home a few days ago with a six pack of a newly launched beer called One Fifty Lashes, lol.

How did it's creators James Squire come up with this particular name?

"The Lashes name is based on the true story of James Squire being discovered stealing ingredients from the hospital stores soon after his arrival with the first fleet, in order to make one of colony’s first batches of beer. The magistrate ordered 300 lashes… and he received 150 with the remainder to be served “when he could bear it”. James never received the balance of his sentence most likely because his attempts at brewing had proven so promising."

What about the beer itself?

"Lashes is a refreshing cloudy pale ale with restrained bitterness and a clean, smooth finish. We’ve used malted wheat as well as pale barley malt to add balance to the finish, while the late addition of Nelson Sauvin & Amarillo and also some Australian grown Willamette hops deliver a subdued fruity nose with hints of passionfruit, grapefruit and citrus.

"While modeled along the guidelines of the Australian Pale ale style in both appearance & degree of hoppiness, in true James Squire fashion we could not resist adding our own little twist. Lashes Pale is aimed at 4.2% alcohol, technically aligning it more toward the English Bitter Ale style."

Sol certainly enjoyed it, and we look forward to serving it to kinky friends when they visit!

Playing with electric fly swatters / electric paddles

This post is about Edgeplay

Please don't view if you
are not interested in:
electrical play

"start with an electric flyswatter.
The high pitched whine of its charging,
and sudden jolting shocks...".
perverted imp - Masochist Brain

One of the great things we brought back from Kinkfest was this "Bug Zapper". There are many different kinds of electrical play, including TENS units, Violet Wands, EMS and ... Electric Fly Swatters!

Here's Wiki on the latter:

"manual bug zapper or electric flyswatter, which resembles a small tennis racquet strung with wire. A high voltage is maintained between two adjacent grids by a battery-powered high-voltage generator operated when a switch is pushed; when an insect is swatted it touches both grids. These devices are not protected against touch (they are only live while the switch is depressed); if touched they give a sharp but harmless electric shock."

There are a few different types available. judygrrl writes on Fet:

"It's important to remember that there are two kinds of these units...the OLD ones (fun and evil); and the NEW ones (safe and boring.) Basically...if they have "layers" (separated by a plastic thingy in the center)...you won't have a lot of "fun" with them (except that you can make e'm give of an evil sounding "zap" sound...good mind-f@ck!)"

While KinkyRoly writes on IC:

"There's two sorts generally on offer, the safe sort and the dodgy sort. Needless to say, you want the dodgy sort. The safe type has the grid of high voltage elements within a protective wire screen which lets flies through, but not bits of people. It's very difficult to use them effectively on people. Most electric fly swatters have two buttons. One to enable it and another one to charge it up. Pressing the charge button for a few seconds charges it up and lights a lamp showing that it's ready for use. Releasing the button earlier will partially charge it and produce a lesser shock, which may be useful when trying it out"

You need to make your own mind up re the safety factor of these toys, and for that you need to read more than the few quotes I've posted here, so check out the various links in the References and Online Resources list at the bottom of the this post.

Some people absolutely do not recommend them for play. Prober writes:

"I have given a bit of thought on the use of this bug zapper as a playtoy. It could be used however the safety aspect is questionable. The advertisement is correct in its' description that with the battery source and the method for generating the high voltage there is not enough current to be dangerous. That part is correct.

"There are potential problems however which are equally serious being the voltage generated is likely pulsed D.C. which is dangerous to the skin (I have not confirmed this but based on the fact that this is a cheap consumer device I would doubt that they would go to the time and expense to include appropriate circuitry to create an A.C. signal). Some of this might be difficult to follow, however the important issue to note here is that direct current (D.C.) or pulsed D.C. is potentially harmful by burning the skin. Always use a system that uses alternating current (A.C.)

"The distance between electric plates on the bug zapper are designed to kill bugs. Therefore between electrodes you have only about a quarter of an inch. This small space is limited especially when you might wish to select a larger *grIN* area on the surface of the body to inflict your pain enjoyment.

"The last problem that I see is that there is no adjustment .... This means the intensity of the electric shock is fixed and only time of application can be changed. This is not good. Ideally you want adjustability and NOT voltage regulation..you want current regulation so as the victums body changes characteristics (resistance) you are always generating the same current (stimulation).

"Would I use one? Would I recommend others to try them as playtoys? No. They are far too limited in ability and rather than turn you off of electric play I would rather see people use something specifically designed for the purpose"

We'll discuss "something specifically designed for the purpose" later, but let's look at some other opinions about safety. Marcus Strapp accompanies his text in "How to Build a Zapper Instructions" with this "Note":

"This is not a recommendation. This is a record of my experience. You copy what I have done, you do so at your own risk.

"Is it safe? I don't know! At least I have nothing in the way of hard evidence to say that it is. Although the Zapper is powered by two AA Batteries (1.5V each) the voltage at the business end is much higher. I put a digital multimeter with hold facility across the terminals and recorded an instantaneous peak voltage of nearly 1,500V! I would only use this on someone in A1 health. I certainly would not use it on anyone with any heart condition or someone using a pace maker.

"my decision to use it is based on lots of trying it out on me, and the fact that the fly swatter is available for sale without any restrictions on the purchaser (such as age). but then, matches are freely available too!"

Here Tanos discusses the safety aspects:

"If you're thinking about making or using one yourself, you need to understand the risks as they apply to you. You may get tiny electrical burns; high voltage toys can damage electronics, including pacemakers, etc. If in doubt, ask your doctor if it's safe for YOU to "use a fly swatter."

Finally, here's Malystryx from a thread on Fet about electric fly swatters:

"I have used electric fly swatters for a good period of time on a good number of people from the tips of noses to their toes, will nothing worse than a string of profanities being issued when it's used or a complaint that it still hurt, but subsided in two hours or less. Granted, nothing is 100% safe and yes, there are some risks which include startling someone to possible electrical burns, but if you play with awareness of the risks, all should be fine.

"You can get the "zap" from quickly touching it to the skin and removing it(a little more severe than a good static electricity shock," or you can hold your finger on the charge button and run it over a person's body which gives a tingly, kind of like a violet wand, feeling. The voltage has little to do with their use and effectiveness IMO, but I would look at local or online farm suppliers for one without safety grids which is where I've found them most recently."

Electric fly swatters or zappers are used in BDSM play in several ways. Some people leave the swatter in the form they bought it and use it as an "electric spanking paddle", for either spanking or related play.

image from 4.sick.com

Here's an incredibly hot quote from My Not-So-Secret Self posted on the Spanking Blog:

"The wires hot with electricity touch the tender flesh of my inner thigh and I feel it surge along my body; unlike the cattle prod it doesn’t echo deep into my body but rather seems to travel along my skin, like waves in the ocean slipping away into calm nothingness.

"She pauses, waiting for my response; it really doesn’t hurt all that much, and I tell her so, giggling quietly. As she agrees with me, I jerk involuntarily at the unexpected touch of the fly swatter on my other thigh.

"This time, I give in to the electricity – letting the incredible feelings wash over me. I feel zippy light pain, almost indistinguishable from the floaty mindless pleasure that overwhelms me. But before the sensations have a chance to dissipate, I feel it starting all over again as she touches the fly swatter to the first thigh, yet again.

"The intensity of the electricity becomes harder to control as she gently touches the fly swatter back and forth between my inner thighs. I lose control quickly and she coos at me calmly that I need to stay still. Despite my best efforts, my legs are thrashing and my body won’t stop moving – I can no longer defeat the current..."

photo from Spanking blog

Greta Christina advises in "Shock Treatment", her in depth review of "electric paddles":

"I should tell you right off the bat -- "paddle" is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, the size and shape of the toy are very paddle-like. But the feel as it lands on your skin couldn't be more different from a paddle. This is not a "thud" toy at all. This is a serious "sting" toy. It discharges onto your skin with a sharp, sudden, cruel bite, focused on a very small area.

"The pain is erotic, even sensual in a way, but it's not hypnotic or massage-y like a spanking or a flogging can be. This toy wakes you the hell up. The first time I got zapped with it, it scared me half out of my skin. I almost thought it was too much. But by the third or fourth time, I was squealing when the shock hit and begging for more. It doesn't feel quite like any other play toy I've used, but if I had to compare it to something, I'd say it's like being hit with a riding crop or a single-tail whip. But it gives you that sensation without any actual impact at all..."

However it's not all good news, in Greta Christina's review:

"The big downside is that you can't control the intensity of the shock. If the intensity is too much, you can't dial it down, and if it's not quite mean enough for you, you can't crank it up. The shock level does vary somewhat within a small range, but that variety seems to come more or less at random. Also, the round racquet shape makes it difficult to use on hard-to-reach parts of the body. If it were shaped more like a wand or a rod, it'd be more handy as a sex toy. But then you couldn't swat flies with it, which is after all what the damn thing is made for.

"What's more, you really cannot use the Electric Paddle as a paddle. Well, you could, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's far too flimsy. If you hit someone with it hard enough to actually have an impact, it seems like it wouldn't hold up for long..."

I think the flimsy factor, together with the fact its hard to actually use in it's "tennis racquet" form factor is in part why many kinksters adapt their electric swatters. You might recall my first experience of playing with one of these modified swatters: Mistress Tara's "sub zapper", which I first used during the "predicament" tableau MzAntonina and I created during our Victorian themed high protocol tea party. Here's what I wrote about the scene at the time:

"As our guests drew, I walked about the tableau with Mistress Tara's subzapper. I first heard of this toy after sol attended MistressTara's "Sadistic play" workshop at The Gathering. I couldn't attend because I was moderating another workshop but sol was full of talk / possibilities re MistressTara's fiendish creation. I'd asked MistressTara to bring it today and the guests had already enjoyed seeing it used on solipsist and wolve.

Ms160 - Tableau photo
original post here

"Now, as I moved quietly around the tableau, none of the subs knew where I'd apply it, and the whole tableau rocked away from me as I walked around and around. Hmmm. How to strike, to cause the most damage. I looked down. Of course! After silently conferring with Mistress Meg I zapped nickzwa on the backside. He flinched and the whole tableau shook. He later wrote:

"Whenever a subbie was zapped i felt the pressure shift on my back. my arms were growing tired and i started to drop lower because the weight on by back kept flinching and jumping and whimpering. i felt a sudden zap on my arse and then another! i felt the entire sculpture move. i was zapped again but i did not flinch ... Then i was told to reposition myself properly. i had lowered myself too much!. i pushed on my arms again and made my back level. it was hard being a table"

"I was really delighted to read later that nickzwa enjoyed the tableau and found "it was hard being a table". In fact, nickzwa had been placed in that position at the bottom of the tableau for a very important reason - he had mentioned a particular objectification fantasy in his ClubFEM - NSW server's questionnaire, so I had discussed with his Mistress the possibility of making it come true, although perhaps not in a way nickzwa had visualized!

"I was still walking around the tableau looking for good places to strike. "Try the balls" said someone. I could reach nickzwa's .... but "you didn't say WHO's balls" I replied as I inserted the device up the back of desertstorm's skirt. He too flinched and moved forward, and the tableau rocked again.

"I moved to the other side. By now I was becoming hyper aware of slavegirl_M's response to my movements. She was breathing fast and flinching away. Now I knew, and her owner Mistress Tara knew, as we'd discussed all this, that the subzapper was only to be used on slavegirl_M for severe punishments. But slavegirlM certainly didn't know that. From her point of view she had a strange dominant roaming around her who may not understand how the toy was usually used. I looked up at Mistress Tara. "The flinching, the scent of fear ... it's intoxicating", I said. She grinned. I touched the underside of M's right arm with a finger tip and the whole tableau nearly toppled..."

I'm sure you can understand after reading that why sol and I have been looking for an electric fly swatter of our own to adapt since that scene *grin*.

There are lots of different ways to adapt your electric fly swatter. As Mech wrote on Fet:

"I have a couple of them i have modified , one is a rivet studded leather paddle , the other is made like a stun gun with two protruding rivets , they are fun"

Here's some ideas:

• If you want a Taser style implement, check out Marcus Strapp's instructions.

• If you prefer a cattle prod style implement, I highly recommend Tanos's instructions ("[I started] thinking about cattle-prod like adaptations, with the business end on a long metal shaft. This has obvious uses for "moving" slaves around woods") (final photo here).

• thisgirlsub posts her Dom's instructions for "converting a flyswatter into a 'cattle prod' type item...the contacts become smaller and this will make it hurt more than using it as a bat ... [these are] very basic instructions and depending on your level of skill you should be able to adapt these instructions to make a fairly effective "subby prod" on this Fetlife thread.
  

If you like the cattle prod style but don't want to do any modifications you might like to track down a TAZapper:

"Made from durable plastic and a circuit board that has undergone rigorous testing ... Like a miniature cattle prod, the TAZAPPER delivers a concentrated spark of differential, non-penetrating static electricity across its gold plated contacts. The contacts are 5mm apart and are looped back into the nose housing to prevent snagging. The unit will deliver an impressive sounding and looking spark repeatedly until the batteries run down..."

snakeman describes the TAZapper on Fet as:

"an electric flyswatter modified with a voltage regulator and has two contacts about 5mm apart instead of a grid for more precise targeting on the recipient. I own one and find that it makes a bigger brighter spark and a louder pop than it’s cousin the fly swatter but with less bite"

.TwistedView agrees this Fet thread

"I've played with both the Tazapper and a converted fly swatter and they are almost identical. I wouldn't spend the money on a Tazapper when you can take a fly swatter and use that. The Tazapper/swatter is a single shock. One quick pulse"

However perhaps the TAZapper is the kind of "something specifically designed for the purpose" that critics of playing with electric fly swatters like Prober would be happier to recommend.

Once you've adapted your new toy you need to read up on how and wear to use it - the Fetlife and IC threads in the References and Online Resources list below are useful to find direct experiences and advice, but here's a few quotes to start.

Marcus Strapp writes in "How to Build a Zapper Instructions":

"How do you use it? Charge it up (you need to hold down the "on/off" button and the "Safety" button). Go in quick, make contact, then immediately pull back! if you maintain contact with the victim you run the risk of repeat sparking and that will cause burning. a quick contact will cause a spark, but in my experience, provided you avoid sensitive AREAS there is little or no sign of burning. where can you use it? so far i have tested it on myself on arms, legs, feet, hands, arse, and lower torso.

"Personally i would not go anywhere else. as tempting as it is, i'd avoid nipples, and other sensitive bits and bobs. i'd also stay away from the face. what this delivers, is not nice. you simply do not need to over use it. it's a great head fuck to let someone see it, then blindfold them, shock 'em once, and just prod them with the thing without charging it up! they're going to jump anyway!"

TheProf advises on IC:

"Seriously, do keep them away from soft tissue, nipples or the head of the penis, especially. The discharge is enough to actually cook thin flesh, causing burns that never heal well."

Finally, an extended quote from V and G of Erotic sushi who write of their oh so very erotic experience with a TAZapper:

"Sir had me bound, gagged, blindfolded, spreader bar between my ankles, vibrating nipple clamps in place.... he moved around the room silently, making occasional deliberate noises to heighten my anticipation. I knew it MUST be coming, but when? Where? and HOW would it feel?

"I was on the brink of a delicious squirting orgasm courtesy of a glass dildo and the Eroscillator... when he did it. It sent me plummeting away from my orgasm as quickly as anything ever has. ZAP!!! Right on my inner thigh ligament... the one that helps form the hollow between my pussy and my leg... a supremely sensitive spot. Zowie.

"And..... mmmmmmm...... It was followed almost immediately by another matching ZAP!!! on the other side, then one on the side of my breast: that one seemed to shoot down my arm a bit. OuchDammitFreakyCoolYowza. More please....

"He did this several more times, just as I was cresting orgasms, until I was dying to cum. It was one of the best orgasms of my life.

"So what does it feel like? Hmmm... hard to describe. Imagine someone takes a little rubber band and snaps you with it. Close, except that the sensation travels outward from the point of impact a little, sort of slithers under your skin... and the sting goes away almost instantaneously, unlike the aforementioned rubber band. Or just imagine a static electricity shock times about 25. Oh, and you know its coming"

V and G of Erotic Sushi commented about the strength of the TAZapper:

"Now I think I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but ... I would imagine that there are some out there who might think it just barely tickles. It only has one power setting. So it would take some serious electrical pimping-out to make it do anything more."

Snakeman agrees:

"When I have used the tazapper on myself I have found the sensation to be less intense than a non-modified electric flyswatter and everyone who sampled it to date concurs"

So it's definitely up to each individual to work out their own responses, to both electric fly swatters and the TAZapper.

UPDATE 19 OCT 2011:

Here's sol creating our new zapper:


We used this plug, which came off an Indonesian appliance:


It really only took about half an hour:


And here's the end result:


It's certainly painful. We'll keep you informed of any future scenes in which it takes part. I find I agree with V and G of Erotic sushi that these devices are:

"a novelty and a nice addition to our toybox... and just knowing its in there makes putting the blindfold on all that much more interesting"

I'm always amazed what devices - electric or otherwise - we kinksters end up "perverting". As Spanking blog observed:

"Somewhere Thomas Edison is smiling in his grave"

REFERENCES AND ONLINE RESOURCES

WANT ONE?
You can purchase one from a BDSM store:

• Extreme Restraints - "Electric Zapper Paddle For Spanking" - "This really give them a jolt without much stress on your pocketbook! Originally this lightweight plastic and wire tennis racket shaped paddle was intended for use as an electric fly swatter or bug zapper. Activate the paddle by pressing the button to turn the paddle on and then apply it to the target. This electric zapper paddle emits a really intense electrical shock."
• The Stockroom - The Zapper: "We believe these electric paddles were originally intended as bug zappers. Leave it to us kinksters to come up with an equally cruel but consensual use for them. ... These paddles are constructed of lightweight plastic and aren’t well-suited for heavy swats, but can be used lightly and don’t require any force once the electricity is flowing. These paddles put out an intense spark and will probably mainly appeal to heavier players"

But some stores are extremely pricey. I saw one fly swatter priced at nearly 40 Euros. So you might like to check at local cheaper stores or markets. We purchased ours for a few bucks at a Melbourne market.

You might also like to look at the TAZapper, although it seems to be mostly out of stock these days, in various stores.

GENERAL:
Peter Boots and Dirk - Electricity Reference
BDSM Electrical Stimulation - Can Hand-held bug zappers be used safely for electric play?

Greta Christina - Shock Treatment: Electric Paddle Review
Caged Heart Publishing - BDSM Scenes & Electrical Play: Violet Wands, TENS Units and Bug Zappers
Tony DeBlase - The Difference Between Violet Wands and TENS Type Units
Erotic Sushi - The TAZapper
Fet Electric play group

• Fly swatter index
• Electric fly swatters
• Electric fly swatter modifications
• Two sides protected electric fly swatters
• Electric fly swatters
• TAZapper
• Anyone else used a TAZapper?
  

IC

• TAZapper
• Electric fly swat
• Modified fly zapper http
• Fly swatter / zapper
• Electric fly swatters as D/s toys
• Electric fly swat, to (tame) Cattle prod

perverted imp - Masochist Brain
Spanking blog

• Spankings with the zapper
• Another electric spanking
• The Zapper - an electric spanking paddle

Sparks - Information on Electric Play
Marcus Strapp

• The Zapper
• IC thread where it's discussed

Tanos - Making a "flyprod"
Wiki - Bug Zapper

Photos:
electric fly swatter on pussy - 4sick.com
photo from Spanking blog
Ms160
(permissions obtained from
everyone in Tableau photo ...
original post here)

Jailbird - one week review

We are still enjoying the Jailbird device. It's been a week, however I'm now taking sol out of the device for a bit. I'll explain..

In terms of a product review it's mostly good news. Let me go through a few points.

Remembering the Fort (which I loved for it's weight but it was certainly obvious under clothes) we thought being metal the Jailbird might have a similar high profile, despite the Mature Metal website stating about the device:

"it has a very low profile that is easy to hide under clothing"

We are delighted to be proved wrong here. We definitely agree about the low profile ... you can hardly see the Jailbird under sol's panties:

As a key holder, I also like the weight and feel of the Jailbird. The website lists the specs as:

"Item is constructed of 316 surgical stainless steel using 1/4″ and
1/8″ round bar.
Base ring is constructed on 1/4″ round bar.
All parts are handmade and can be built to any size.
Light Weight 5 OZ. (For average size)"

It's not nearly as heavy as the Fort but the metal does weigh the genitals down a bit, which is a look I really like. I'll show you a photo of what I mean a bit later in this post. I also love it's bright and shiny look. I'm 100% with Dev:

"I think the steel is so much sexier than plastic and there aren’t any pegs to poke me. I definitely love the JB."

We find the device's oval rings interesting. Divine Mistress Angelique wrote about these on a ChastityMansion forum thread that she had asked Mature Metal about these and been told:

"The oval ring aligns the bottom of the ring closer to the bottom of the cage. This allows a uniformed gap all the way around. A few of my customers want the round ring but it adds to the gap at the bottom and make it less comfortable and less secure."

You can see what he means in this photo:

We agree with the Mature Metal website that the device is easy to clean ... although it's only been on a week sol's comment is "its a lot better than the CB". It's great not having to remove the device for cleaning. Peeing was a bit splatter-y at first - as sol also has a PA piercing - but he got the hang of it quickly.

Sol's had no trouble sleeping through the night, which if often a problem for others wearing chastity devices. As Burger_01 notes:

"those familiar with male chastity devices will be aware of what happens at night. The first night I put this device on, I slept right through (and the second night, and the third..). I’ve never slept all night in a plastic device. I think that statement best highlights the differences between a piece of pre molded plastic, and a custom made stainless steel device. I’m very happy with it"

Erections ... well, because it's custom sized to sol's dimensions he doesn't actually get much chance to grow. MM is very clear you need to order a "snug fit". Here's a couple of photos so you can see sol's snug fit:

The custom fit means you get less problems. Here's sol:

"when you get semi erect your circulation can get cut off by the base ring of devices like the CB. This is very painful. MM devices like the Jailbird being custom fitted avoids this problem"

That doesn't mean he doesn't get a little bit erect LOLOL:

These photos were taken after I'd done a bit of stimulation. I really liked the look of his flesh straining through the shiny, smooth metal bars:

There has so far been no abrasions or skin problems on sol's shaft or balls. I grimaced a bit when I read dollyanne's Jailbird review on Chastity Mansions:

"Then, on the fifth day dolly experienced a pain at the base of the A-ring, which caused her to remove it. It turned out that the pain was due to an injury that had been caused by the cb-2000 and dolly was aware of it. So, all dolly had to do was to reattach the device and make sure the ring wasn't over that sensitive spot"

This is not reflecting a problem with the Jailbird. It's just that so many serious chastity device wearers - including sol - now have "sore spots" on their genitals that were repeatedly rubbed raw while wearing badly made or poorly fitting devices. And as dollyanne found, these can sometimes flare up even when wearing the best made custom device. This photo shows where sol usually gets abrasions when wearing CBs or the BON4:


Definitely none there :) The only problem we've encountered is pinching of the skin near / around / at the tip of sol's urethra, near his PA ring and the device. The Mature Metal website states:

"The stainless steel bars are very rigid which means they will not bend nor pinch"

That's true, but when you have a Prince Albert piercing, any metal jewelry you wear through it potentially can cause problems because as sol points out:

"The sensitive end of your urethra is getting pinched between two bits of metal"

It's not a constant problem, only one that might occur when he tries to get erect. sol again:

"when you are not erect you can just move position and find something mote comfortable but if you are semi erect the PA ring is mashed up against the bars"

This photo shows sol as erect as he can get, you'll see what we mean if you look at his silver PA ring which you can just glimpse between the bars at far left:

In this photo no skin near the urethra is catching but you can see how easily it can. All you need is for the cock to be in a slightly different position, and with the pressure from the erection ... sol's right, it's very hard to re-jig when the "PA ring is mashed up against the bars".

I did some research to see if anyone else had encountered this, and found that Spike's bitch had posted on a Chastity Mansions forum thread:

"Has anybody used the jailbird with a PA? Just curious if it causes any pressure irritation with hardons when the PA is inside the cage?"

There were several responses, but nothing really specific. Spike's bitch later posted:

"Mistress mentioned to that we could change jewelry if my current PA ring causes pressure issues inside the jailbird"

By the end of a week wearing the device constantly sol's urethra was quite sore. I've removed the device for a few days until the irritation heals. Then we'll have another go. Now we are aware this irritation may build up I'll instruct him to immediately reposition himself when any pinching occurs. If we continue to encounter problems it might be time for a PA jewelry change.

It's a slightly different issue but you might be wondering why we purchased a Mature Metal device without a PA attachment. Mature Metal get lots of requests for products with PA attachments, but as MM posted once on Fet:

"I have not made a design with a PA attachment that fits my standards. Cages with PAs are great, but are plagued with problems"

He's not wrong. He continues:

"I have had lots of customers purchase my devices and use a simple ring with a cable that attaches to the lock. They seem to like it. From what my customer have told me if there is no back ring then the device pulls on the PA. The ring helps support the cage so there is no pulling."

Which is something we might consider. It should also stop the pinching, as well as up security.

That's the only negative point in our Jailbird one week review. I'd like to end on a positive note so I'll finish up by writing a bit about a scene on the weekend where the device really featured.

You can read more about our recent scene with sol's "sphinx" here, but for this post I'll reproduce images that show how the Jailbird became part of our play. The "sphinx" has a genital attachment post as well as collar and ankle / wrist cuffs, and once sol's locked in he really can't move:

This is how appealing his cock and balls looked in the Jailbird, forced back by being tied to the "sphinx" post:

I really couldn't help focusing a lot of play on those vulnerable balls!:

This is what I mean about the weight of the device, how I like how it pulls the genitals down a little:

At the end of the scene I unlocked sol:

And gave him permission to masturbate ... and being a kind Mistress and feeling generous I then let him come:

We look forward to future play where the Jailbird features :)

As I wrote above, I'll keep him out of the device until his urethra area heals, but I'm sure there will be another Jailbird update in a week or so....

Other related posts:

• Jailbird - two day review
• Jailbird arrives
  

NOTE - DEC 2011:

This review helped an Australian D/s couple Lady Geisha and corporateslave make a decision to go with the Jailbird. You might like to read corporateslave's thoughtful post "Thoughts on chastity for the well endowed".

Photos:
Ms160

The Sphinx gets a name...

In May 2007 I posted:

"My boy has made himself a new toy. It's the ultimate home made pervertable, lol!

"It's a rather useful frame consisting of several nicely sanded pieces of wood and half a dozen leather dog collars. The collars attach to the sub's neck, wrists, ankles - and lastly, a very fiendish one around the cock and balls....

The result is a neatly imobilized sub. Its not nearly as comfortable as it looks (joke). As you can see from the photo on the left it creates a lot of strain on the arms and upper back.

You can also considerably up the stress by tightening that collar around the cock and balls.

Oh and of course - because they are in SUCH a vulnerable position - also by focusing your attention on the family jewels with other items, such as small floggers, Wartenberg wheels, pegs, bamboo skewers etc.

"The frame's positioning of the sub presents all sorts of interesting posibilities, including a well positioned back (for all sorts of impact toys) and a lovely raised ass with cheeks apart. Great for ...well, everything really (*evil grin*).

"You can place the frame on the floor, or on a table. We have a sturdy rectangular coffee table thats perfect. The increased height means you can make everything perfect for whatever game you have in mind (positioned on the frame on the coffee table, sol's ass is at the best angle possible for strap on attack).

The entire frame can be taken apart, stored or transported and very quickly and easily re-assembled. Sol's still working on the design ... Meanwhile I'm enjoying thinking up evil things to do with it. So far one of my favourites is to put sol in position on the coffee table and leave him there, while I sit and watch TV. I'm very kind though, I even feed him dinner. He looks SO cute, somewhat like a trussed turkey just before it goes in the oven ... hmmm, might be time for an apple in the mouth and for some serious stuffing....

"But here's the problem. We haven't yet come up with a name that really suits our new pervertable..."

We never did come up with a name. Stockroom calls their version the Stockade, which is a great name but we never found a name that felt right until a male dominant friend showed us his (very tasty) design. He called his the sphinx. Which was just perfect to snaffle, in part because we live close to a mountain with the same name. So a four year old pervertable finally gets a name, thank you SirTrisk :)

We've not used our "sphinx" for a while, but I directed sol to clean and reassemble it both for our ClubFEM - NSW Orientalist tea party last weekend and because I thought it might be useful at the next Roissy event.

There are an extraordinary range of BDSM restraint furniture designs around, from A frames to bondage chairs to stocks to spanking benches and St Andrew's crosses. Have a look at the list here. Many are designed and manufactured by professional companies, but it's still possible to find books (The Big Book of Sex Toys: From Vibrators and Dildos to Swings and Slings - Playful and Kinky Bedside Accessories That Make Your Sex Life Amazing. Quiver. 2009) and also sites that will help you DIY (one terrific example being Sartan's BDSM Workshop).

Having said that, there are not actually that many designs around for something that restrains the sub on all fours. Which is strange because that position really presents the sub for use in many ways ...one thing I really like about the Stockroom's Stockade is it's absolutely perfect with a fucking machine :) :


You could also work with something like four cuff spreader bars or make Sartan's Folding Doggie Bench ("A simple project creating a small bench/stool-like piece to hold an occupant securely in the doggie-style position. This basic design folds for storage/transportation, and is planned for hardwood construction").

Sol's had some fun over the years, designing BDSM equipment ... everything from the Queening Stool (which has been copied by other D/s couples) to the Ball Presenter. He came up with the "sphinx" because he couldn't find exactly what he wanted ... in particular, he wanted a device with a cock and ball attachment post:


The end result holds his body taut (which keeps scenes at about 10 minutes because it's so uncomfortable):


And his genitals in a VERY vulnerable position lol:


Last time we'd used the "sphinx" sol had not been wearing a chastity device. This time, I really enjoyed tightening the "sphinx's" ball post's black strap (dog collar) above the shiny metal of sol's Jailbird device:


One design problem we've uncovered is the location of the wrist restraints, which sol placed at the end of the wooden bar:


It's very difficult to hold one's arms in position. Here I am undoing the wrist restraints only a few minutes into the scene:


They need to be moved to the same position as the ankle restraints. And really, that's the only problem we encountered. It's a great device and you can have a lot of fun. Once sol was more comfortable I tried a few different implements out on his backside and balls, including our new tiger cane:


Look how beautifully those balls are presented!:


I also used my riding crop, as the flat leather tip was excellent for hard to reach spots:


Our 10 minutes was quickly up so I released him from the "sphinx". To finish up, as a special treat I let him out of his chastity device:


And allowed him to masturbate to orgasm:


It was a short but very effective reintroduction to the "sphinx". I definitely think we'll be using it more now it's been reassembled ... and finally, given a name!

Photos:
Ms160
Stockroom - Stockade

Thank you:
SirTrisk
Stockroom for Stockade product photo