If you are going buy something to add to your ToyBox perhaps it is wise to buy quality rather than quantity. A flogger with no balance and made from inferior leather that turns to the consistency of dried spagetti after one use is hardly a good investment. “Oh but it was cheap” I hear you say, “and easily replaced”. Well after you have replaced it a couple of times you could in fact had a good quality one. It is a bit like buying Chinese tools…and then actually using them to construct a Carlo Bugatti Chair. No hope at all.
The same applies to rope. Get good quality. I use rope 8mm in diameter with a 6mm polypropelene inner core, finished with a braided outer core of polyester, available in all sorts of colours. The reason? I can’t afford silk, this feels like silk, very smooth, passes through the hands quickly and it is washable. I used to cut lengths for specific areas of the body. These days I don’t, I just find other things to do with the excess length. But if I was to cut it I can finish the ends with heat so it doesn’t fray. All cotton or hemp rope ends should be finished by braiding, taping or dipping in a rubberized solution available from any hardware store. You can actually color code the ropes using this method.
The person with whom you are playing desires the best as do you. Quite often with a bit of care, and certainly a lot of satisfaction, the toy you make yourself is the best. A casual stroll through a hardware shop and some lateral thinking can afford all sorts of lovely things with which to play. The ingenuity of most kinksters never ceases to amaze me. Be on the lookout for Community run Toy Making Classes and attend. Quite a few leather suppliers also run leather work classes. They have pretty much seen it all, I don’t think anything would shock them. Some friends made the best leather sling I have seen whilst attending such a class.
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Don’t be afraid to comment on the quality of other people’s play equipment that usually results in you being told exactly where it came from. Check out the old-time saddlery shops you would be often amazed at what they actually have and they can repair the old or make replacements for you. Usually at a fraction of the cost from the usual sources.
I have my eye on a 12 foot plaited kangaroo stockwhip currently, which has been hanging from a peg for the past 8 years, at $199 Australian it is a bargain. Also don’t overlook the obvious. A nice round door knob, a piece of rope to keep the head in place, and you have a great gag as well as a submissive in a kneeling position. I witnessed a very old and wise Dominant letting his submissive know she had crossed the line simply by taking her hand and placing a spoon of jam in it. He didn’t say a word, breakfast continued and the submissive refocused immediately. Sometimes you don’t have a toy to use.
Don’t overlook the obvious, the human body. Lots of things you can do without playtoys at all. I have turned up to play with just my forefinger. Couldn’t really leave it at home I suppose. If you frequent bookshops, libraries or simply ask a qualified massagist you will soon learn the pressure points of the body. Some that give pressure some that give pain, others that give a mix of both. I can squeeze a nipple between my forefinger and thumb at a far greater intensity than any clover clamp and so can you. Clit play? Nothing beats a slow tongue and a sharp fingernail. Sharpen a matchstick and have hours of fun with the sole of a foot. Open a kitchen draw and you have a myriad of toys.