Whips:
Whips, or single tails, take a lot of practice to use as they are long and unwieldy, this makes them difficult to land correctly and more likely to wrap around the body and hit unintended body parts. In general toys with small surface areas inflict more pain. The combination of small surface area and speed of movement makes this toy high intensity.
Low Intensity Floggers:
Floggers come in a range of styles and intensities. What distinguishes them from whips is multiple and/or thicker tails. Mini or short floggers with thick tails made of a soft material like deerhide are great for beginners or low intensity play. There isnât a large margin for error because the short length and the soft and thick tails allow for thuddy and precise hits.
High Intensity Floggers:
Floggers have the largest range of intensity depending on the length and material they are made of. High intensity floggers have longer tails and are made of stiffer material. Any long and bendy impact toy takes practice to land correctly as I mentioned before. Thinner tails sting more, braided even more so, rubber and metal the most. Stiffer materials like cowhide will also mean a higher intensity. Floggers with extremely thin tails are often called cat oâ nine tails. They look like a combination between a whip and a high intensity flogger and hurt as much as one would imagine that combination would.
Crops:
Crops sting, so definitely not for the faint of heart but their size and rigidity means that theyâre pretty easy to use. A bit of warm up and knowledge of where not to hit and anyone can handle this right.
Paddles:
Paddles, like crops, are easy to handle but their larger surface area means they are a lower intensity toy. They tend to be really thuddy and can be a good toy for low intensity play or for beginners.
Canes:
Canes are easier to handle than whips or long floggers because of their size and rigidity but they are most definitely a high intensity toy. They come in a range of flexibility. The more flexible they are the harder they are to control and the more bite they have. They sting a lot. They can even break the skin.
When it comes to impact toys we tend to separate them into thuddy and stingy. Thuddy is lower intensity pain, feels more like a punch. Stingy is higher intensity pain, feels like a slap, bites into the skin. Like I touched on before, surface area has a lot to do with sting vs. thud but so does material. Leather and wood are thuddy when theyâre thick like certain floggers and paddles but have the potential to be stingy when theyâre thin like canes, whips and certain other floggers. Rubber on the other hand is always stingy. It grabs onto the skin when it comes in contact with it. Even rubber paddles will sting. Only experienced players should use metal impact toys.
Many peopleâs idea of bondage is metal police officer cuffs. In reality, police officer cuffs shouldnât be used on anybody, ever. They can cut and bruise the skin and cause permanent nerve damage. They can also tighten really easily and uncontrollably and often get stuck. There are a lot of great materials that wrist restraints can be made out of. Neoprene and cloth are budget friendly. Leather ones will last years.
Rope sold for bondage comes in different materials. Some of the most common are nylon, cotton and hemp.
Hemp:
Hemp has a rough texture but doesnât cause rope burn. Itâs suspension grade because itâs strong and knots hold tight. And it doesnât cause rope burn even if itâs pulled fast. Itâs good for all levels of experience.
Nylon:
Nylon is a great starter rope because knots canât pull very tight. Itâs suitable for any non suspension bondage. Itâs sleek and smooth but can burn if pulled too fast across the skin.
Cotton:
Cotton rope looks a lot like hemp but feels softer. It is cheap, easy to find and washable. Like nylon it is only suitable for non suspension bondage but isnât great for beginners because knots can pull very tight and be very difficult to undo.
Youâll find other types of rope materials such as jute, silk, polyester, bamboo. Make sure to do your research on what kind of rope you want and what rope you have, before using it. As can be seen from the brief descriptions above, different ropes are suitable for certain things and need to be cared for in certain ways. Always have safety shears within easy reach when playing with any rope but cotton rope in particular. There should always be room for at least one if not two fingers between the rope and the body. Constantly check that the blood circulation of the person being tied up isnât being affected by the rope. Always make sure the skin around the rope isnât turning blue. Check in with the person tied up to make sure they arenât feeling any pins and needles. Have the person tied up wiggle their fingers and toes. Never leave a tied up person alone.