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Tantus Silicone Paddles

Tantus is pretty damn awesome, all around. Their products, their employees, their founder, their entire rainbow-unicorns-glitter existence. And then they had to go and make something that will raise eyebrows everywhere, whilst still being made of awesome.

Silicone. Paddles.

I’ve seen paddles made of wood (naturally), paddles made of rubber and leather and even glass. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pure silicone paddle. What’s the fuss? Well, it’s Tantus silicone so you can sterilize it (an important feature for the serious kinkster), and each of the 4 paddles is a varying level of wobble ranging from pretty firm to nearly-a-flogger.  While I only own one of these, I was able to play with all of them at CatalystCon last month.

Pelt and Thwack

These two are more sturdy, the paddle portion is thicker than the other two. They’re also shorter, and in my eyes look more like a traditional “paddle”. They still have flex and bend, though.  A solid, wood paddle is firm and hard, and absorbs the excess energy when you smack someone (there’s a better way to explain this, but I don’t have the words in my brain lately). The “give” and bend of the silicone paddles means that you don’t have to use as much of your own energy to deliver the same amount of pain – conversely it also means that you can deliver as much pain as you want, as hard as you want and unlike the traditional wood paddle, you can’t break it. But the ability to deliver more-for-less is great for people with disabilities, less upper body strength, a wonky wrist, etc. I’ve seen people just kind gently “wobble” the paddles and deliver a satisfying, yet sting-y smack with little effort. This also means that you gotta dial back your swinging arm. I’m accustomed to a suede flogger, the kind made up of strips of leather. It’s more thud than sting. But it also lets me really work out my frustrations/irritations/whatever and feel more, really uh “put my back into it” kinda thing.  Pelt is all about the nice, rounded edges and reminds me of a hairbrush. Thwack has a solid, rectangular look to it and is a little more rigid of the two, I think.

 

Wham Bam and Snap Strap

Ohhhhh boy do these fuckers sting. Wham Bam is the one I own personally, and while it’s pretty wobbly it isn’t exactly floppy – if I hold it upright it lists the side a bit. It’s 15″ long, whereas the Pelt and Thwack are closer to 12″ long, and the paddle portion is thinner silicone than the Pelt and Thwack, which lends to more wobble. And therefore, again, less effort required to really deliver a stinging smack. Even at 15″ though, you’d think it’s not travel friendly but it is. The flexible design would allow this to curve around in a tight U-shape to half its length. The same can be said for the Snap Strap, as it is even longer (nearly 18″) and a little thinner than the Wham Bam.  When you try to hold the Snap Strap upright the whole length just falls down, it doesn’t support itself. I would really classify Snap Strap as something more akin to a flogger than a paddle, with Wham Bam being in the middle.  Since the body of these is also less wide than the more traditional Pelt and Thwack, you are delivering a more concentrated smack but also a more precise smack on a smaller surface area. Trying to aim for the nipple and not the whole breast? The Snap Strap would really do well at that sort of thing. Into delivering these sensations to the vulva/clitoris? Wham Bam or Snap Strap. Now excuse me whilst I go cringe like crazy for a few minutes after thinking about the last two scenarios.

If the receiver has a high pain tolerance, then these are absolutely perfect. If the receiver can only tolerate dull, thuddy whollops like a hefty flogger can deliver, then they may not be able to enjoy the Tantus Paddles. But I have a feeling that many kinksters will enjoy the hell out of these things. You can’t break them, they’re easy to clean, they’re non-porous and safe to share between partners, the handle will be comfortable for most, they travel well and are lightweight, but best of all? They’re affordable. Right now SheVibe.com has them listed for $33.99 each.

When you purchase one of the Tantus Silicone Paddles, you’ll receive it in a simple, Tantus plastic bag. Attached to the handle is a simple tag with a little about the item and it details basic care. As with every Tantus silicone item, the paddles are phthalates- and latex-free, hypoallergenic, odorless and can be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution, by boiling or even tossing in the top rack of the dishwasher. Less rigorous cleaning could be as simple as soap and water or, for fun at the dungeon, use cleaning wipes unless it came in contact with body fluids and you’d like to go use it on a different body. These paddles will last you a lifetime.

 

Thanks to SheVibe for sending me one of these to review.
(It will really come in handy for….nevermind. If I tell you, you’re an accessory.)

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Looking for 50 Shades of Grey Sex Toys? How about a Steel Kegel Ball?

For those who have read the 50 Shades of Grey books (I, sadly, read the whole trilogy so that I could comment on it all with knowledge and then I lost the interest to even write the damn rant) you may remember that in a number of scenes, Christian Grey instructs Anastasia to insert a stainless steel (for everything with this damn idiotic man is gray/steel it seems) kegel ball for her to wear once while in public and another time or two during a spanking. It’s been awhile since reading the books though so I don’t know what they referred to it as, exactly. It wasn’t a Ben Wa ball. Those are generally the same theory as the larger Kegel beads on the market, which something rattle-y inside, but are much smaller and have no retrieval cord. As described in the book, the object Mr. Grey used was 2 steel silver beads linked with black thread. That just doesn’t work in reality.

 

Shelley’s Toy Box asked me to review an item for them and at the time I chose this because I had actually been looking to see if this “fictional” sex toy existed anywhere other than the author’s warped imagination. While the Stainless Steel Geisha Love Ball isn’t exactly what Anastasia used, it’s about as close as you’ll find on the market I think. Heavy, cold and made in Germany, these are not your average Kegel exercisers. Shelley’s Toy Box has two styles….with one chain dangling down, or two. I don’t quite understand what the difference is between those, really. More weight hanging outside the vagina to offer resistance, maybe?

As with all steel toys, the kegel ball will be cold at first unless you warm it in your hand a minute, but it does warm up to body temperature very quickly and retains that temperature….the dangling chain and attached little balls are another matter though and they may retail some chill.

The Stainless Steel Geisha Love Ball is sadly not something I will recommend for anyone who actually wants a Kegel exerciser. The Luna Beads have everything over on this item – they are more noticeable during wear, they are easier to sanitize, they are more customizable with weight and just all around more practical. The Geisha Love Ball weighs 90 grams; the chains and balls attached take the entire thing up to 120 grams. Lelo’s Luna Beads can be used together or singularly; each pink bead is 28 grams, each blue bead is 37 grams. This means that the Geisha Love Ball by itself weighs more than two blue Luna Beads together….and unless you have well-developed PC muscles, it is not recommended that you start out with 2 blue balls. Also, the chain with the ball(s) at the end? The chain is fairly long, which is necessary for a retrieval method, but those damn metal balls present a new problem – unless you’re wearing jeans, the clunk of the balls resting inside your panties as you sit down on a wooden chair is noticeable. Even for me.

The description on the site also says that these beads, since they are all metal, will rattle inside of you more noticeably ….. yet they do not. I stood here and danced around and I could barely feel them even whilst trying to simulate the twist. So perhaps these might be good for a novelty item and best suited for BDSM play where the wearer must keep these inside while their dominant tugs on the chains? However at $90-110 each, it’s a little much for novelty.

Since these are stainless steel, they can be sanitized fairly easily. However, I do not recommend that you drop it into a pot of boiling water. As I discussed recently regarding Lelo Luna Beads, the item may sustain a little damage if it knocks the sides of the pot during boiling. In comments of that post, Elspeth told of her marvelous work-around – use a colander in the pot! This way the items never touch the hot metal bottom of the pot, or bang the sides and all is protected. This does matter even with a stainless steel item, as they are not entirely scratch-resistant. However, cleaning this chain is not such as easy task. In fact, it might be the design’s major flaw. That chain is very, very difficult to clean in between the tight links.

While the Geisha Love Ball looks a lot more bad-ass than the Lelo Luna Beads, I would still recommend Luna Beads over this any day.

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Shopping Sprees

You know, I don’t get ALL my sex toys for free. Sometimes I get impatient and just buy them. Sometimes I do a “buy out” for review at edenfantasys.com which means I get a discount but I still have to review it, such as the Devine Play Chest or the Fleshlight.

But there’s things I purchased with my own money (err…I mean EF giftcards that I got from writing for Edencafe plus the commissions I got from affiliate sales at EF) recently that I want to talk about, both the good and the bad. So read on for my thoughts on the Toiboks Original, the Erosillator 2, a couple of toy storage bags, some rope from Twisted Monk, the Nobessence Seduction dildo, and the Wahl 7-in-1 2-speed Massager.

Toibocks Original

This is a pricey yet unique toy storage item for someone with a few bedside toys that needs total privacy and discretion. The Toibocks IS beautiful, a dark mahogany wood that looks like a plain box and the lid opens to reveal a jewelry-tray thing. Keep cheap jewelry there, watch, anything that you like that’s average and doesn’t warrant a closer look. To anybody that looks at it in depth they’ll know that the box is big but the tray is shallow and try to lift up the tray. But it is locked in place with no obvious key hole. The key is contained within this piece that is stored inside the box magnetically to the metal logo on the underside of the lid. Problem is, in my eyes, that “key” is obvious that it doesn’t belong. In other pictures I had thought it to be metal, but it’s just plastic. Not even fake-chrome-plated plastic, it’s the swirly metallic-silver and so it looks like an oversized play-money coin from a child’s board game, and that’s really my only disappointment with this whole thing. The box is lined with velveteen-flocked cardboard and appears to be well made and sturdy. Like I said…..pricey, not for storing serious valuables, but it IS pretty and inconspicuous. Good choice for bedside storage if you have roommates or kids.

Toy Pouches

These are being sold under EdenFantasys as the brand, and are cute drawstring toy pouches. I purchased one of each, unable to tell exactly if one was better/different than the other. Other than one having the EF logo in glued-on rhinestones, there’s absolutely no different and IMO not really worth sending the extra $6. They come in black or purple on the outside and it’s a faux-suede material. The inside is a hot pink satin. Sturdy, thick cords make up the drawstring. Shiny silicone dildos/vibrators will not smoothly glide along the satin on the inside, so I took one and turned it inside out (that’s the pink one you see above). While the suede will likely stain more easily if the dildo isn’t clean, it can be easier to use it this way for some toys. I was able to fit the Wahl in the pouch by removing the attachment and just dropping it in the bag. I could probably fit one more attachment in it. Toys longer than 9.5-10″ won’t fit in and still let the pouch close.

Eroscillator 2

After reading Epiphora’s stellar, glowing review I decided to try it out. However….her review was for the tippy top super deluxe package of every attachment plus the stronger motor. EF sells a basic package of the standard motor body and 3 attachments. I liked it….but it wasn’t perfect for ME. I like pressure and with the oscillations you can’t apply pressure, or they’ll slow down a lot. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this though for other women, so long as they don’t require pressure like I do. It can be powerful or subtle, good for a wide range of women. Even my husband liked the sensation of it when I applied it to his hard cock, at the frenulum. I think that I could love it if I was able to try out the super deluxe package, with a more powerful motor and different attachments. In the end, I wound up loving this next toy so much that I no longer reached for the E2 and so I gave it to Backseat Boohoo as a surprise. (she loved it)

Wahl 7-in-1   2-speed Massager

That sounds so clinical, doesn’t it? This is another “body massager” that has become a pervertable vibrator in disguise. Not for those with sensitive clits, but it’s very different from the Hitachi’s power. The type of vibrations can’t even be compared. The Wahl comes with 7 little plastic attachments but to ME most are not going to work was a sex toy. Especially the scalp massager attachment (the one with nubby spikes). Ouch. There’s 2 speeds and they deliver more than just differing speeds….it’s totally different types of vibrations. The first is almost buzzy and surfacey but yet….not. Because long time readers will know that my clit doesn’t like that type and my clit loves the Wahl, both speeds. The second speed is…..whoa. Only for the aroused clit. The word “jackhammer” comes to mind, but not in a scary way. It’s not a numbing buzz like the Hitachi, it’s…..literally like a hammering/thumping sort of vibration. That might sound painful but I swear, it’s not. And holy shit is this thing QUIET especially on the first speed. On the first speed you wouldn’t be able to hear it from a few feet away. The cord is nice and long. The Wahl has become my go-to vibe now. Sure it looks funny but I can’t even tell you the last time I reached for my Hitachi since I now own this and the Climax Twist. Also, unlike the Hitachi, I never ever go numb from it, clit OR hand. This paragraph doesn’t even do it justice, maybe I’ll write about it more elsewhere, another time. LOVE IT. Buy one. BUY IT. You’ll love it.

Nobessence Seduction

It’s called the “S-shape” on the EF site….why, I don’t know. They do that with all the Nobessence dildos – list them on the site as a weird, generic non-Nobessence name. It makes it hard to locate them, IMO. While you can’t have the choices in wood type/color that you’d get if you bought it directly from Nobessence what you CAN get is the occasional really good sale. This dildo is NOT for those who think their vagina is small. This is a dildo for the size queens, but yet with some “warm up” most women should be able to handle it. LOVE IT. But I don’t use it on myself, because I can’t get the right angle. Love having hub use it on me though. It’s pretty wood, too. They use a different finishing method than Hans, and it seems to seep into the wood giving it a 3D glowy sheen almost. It’s a pricey dildo but SO fucking worth it. And the packaging? Cute. CUTE! Hard pressed/colored/textured cardboard similar to Lelo but the inside is padded and has a few elastic bands to hold the item in place. I can’t wait to try other Nobessence toys.

Color of the Month Rope from TwistedMonk.com

Twisted Monk‘s much-hyped “color of the month” always run out quickly. Whether that’s because it’s a tiny batch or people flock to it, I don’t know. I used to think the COTM was actually monthly but since the annual Midori rope came out in January and there hasn’t been anything new since (or for a few months prior) I’m not sure how helpful my review is going to be. I can tell you without a doubt that this rope is different from his run-of-the-mill colored hemp rope. The description calls it a “premium 4-strand Bavarian Blonde hemp”, which is normally listed under the Exotics section. I bought the rope because I really liked the color, and having seen his regular colored hemp rope back in November, I had high expectations. It was also for a good cause, benefitting Midori’s charity of choice, LifeCycle. While I realize that the site disclaimer says that one should expect some variation from what’s shown…..I didn’t expect to be disappointed. And I was. Really disappointed. The color was dull and drab, and the application of said color reminded me of makeup – surface only. With his normal rope, the color saturates maybe 3/4 or more of the rope and it’s tightly wound so you rarely see the non-colored portion. I had asked Monk on Twitter if the color saturation that I was seeing was normal and he said it was.  This COTM rope though had light patches, un-twisted at every bend, and showed a whole lot of undyed rope. Beware his shipping prices, too. You don’t find out the shipping cost until the very last page of the ordering process – he uses only USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate and charges $13 for it. Even though I only ordered 15 feet of rope and it came in a very small box I paid $13, the same as anybody would even if they ordered 5 large kits. So if you plan to drop a few hundred and order enough rope to suspend 3 models – you’re getting a really great deal! If you’re like me and only are buying a little bit of rope, you’re going to feel cheated on the shipping cost. If there were more standard colors available, I would buy his regular rope again someday (but only going in with someone else on the order to save on shipping) but never the COTM rope. Perhaps this Bavarian Blonde hemp isn’t good for dying….perhaps the dye wasn’t good…I don’t know. I know that I’ve seen his standard rope and had been impressed.

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Review: Slut Paddle

 

 

 

 

There were two reasons I requested this paddle to review. The first being the novelty factor of having something “imprint” the word SLUT on my ass. The second being that it was an affordable leather paddle of smaller length (only 12″).

The Slut paddle is made by Sportsheets. It’s basically made from two shapes of leather – they are stitched together with a metal flat rod running through for the handle (making it nice and solid) and then left “open” for the paddle part employing a “double slapper” type of paddle. In between the two pieces is a piece of red paper – that’s the red you see in the photograph. It’s sewn in there but for what purpose, I’m not sure. Aesthetics?

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Review: Bondage for Sex (book)

 

As soon as I received the first bondage rope to review from Sextoy.com, I realized that…..I don’t quite know what to do with it. The proper way, I mean. And there IS a proper way. You have to make a few passes with the rope, make sure the band of ropes is flat, etc so that the pressure from the ropes is distributed over a larger area than just the width of the single strand of rope. It’ll hurt less and be more safe – less chance of cutting off circulation and so on.

The first book I picked to review is Bondage for Sex, Vol. 1. It’s soft-cover but the cover is thick and protection. The pages are heavy and glossy. Every tie is shown in color photos of models that seem…um well, awfully hairless. I mean, everywhere except their head, lol. Just an oddity I picked up on.

How well you’re going to master or even understand a tie depends on you, mostly. I did find myself getting confused at times with this book, either in their explanation or the fact that the next photo skipped a bunch of steps. That’s not always the case with the photos, sometimes there are more than others. I guess they can’t show a photo for each major step, or it would be too much.

There’s a range of ties shown in the book from the basics to things moderately advanced. The models are all pretty thin, and so the length of rope required for the tie will vary. There were one or two male-centric ties shown, but most were either done on female or specifically for females. I personally would want to see more done on male models, ones that are specific to men, greater variety.

All in all, it’s a really nice, pretty book. The high-quality color photos is a big help when you compare them to a book that might use cheaper matte paper and black and white photos.

 

 

 

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