Review: Buying and Using Paddles and Slappers

BUYING AND USING PADDLES

I was having a peruse of S(A)X’s paddles and slappers page today and admiring the many wonderful implements available.

It brought back memories of one item that we purchased many years ago, which still gives us lots of enjoyment: the leather and fur strop. You can see a photo of it at the top of this post.You can also purchase a round leather and fur paddle which I believe make a perfect first paddle purchase.

The leather and fur strop was one of the first impact play toys we ever purchased and it is still being used … in fact I even included it in my BDSM for Beginners blog post about assembling your first toy box, as well as a blog post about sol’s and my all time favorite toys. You can see it hanging to the left of the group of our impact play toys in the photo below:

And on this tray, used for another scene at home:

Sorry, it’s sort of under the red table tennis paddle on the left, lol, but you get the idea - it’s one of those impact play implements you find you are always using!

When I first purchased it I was looking for something that could be applied sensuously as well as with more force, because we were just learning about impact play.

Like most kinksters interested in impact play or sensation play we’d started out doing lots of extremely erotic spanking. To begin with I’d used my open hand, with sol bent over my knees. I loved this, it felt so intimate and of course it needed no special “kinky equipment”.

But after a few intense sessions my hand started giving out, long before we wanted to finish. I soon realized I needed something else, if we wanted to take this type of sensation play further.

So we started looking at rigid implements. Riding crops and canes seemed a bit too fierce at that point, they produce a sharp “stingy “sensation and we wanted to stay with the dull “thuddy” sensation of wide implements such as my open hand or perhaps a paddle…

Paddles are highly recommended for new kinksters … and were exactly what we needed. They were perfect for the kind of intimate play we’d been doing, either over the knee spanking or in bed. Firm enough to be accurate and not require a lot of training to use, and effective in many different shapes and materials. Paddles are usually broad at one end and narrow at the other. In BDSM the term “paddle” can also be applied to implements like wooden spoons and or hair brushes. Some people also use table tennis paddles (you can see one in the photo above of my own toys) but be aware some people experience an allergic reaction after play.

Straps, strops, slappers, tawses etc are used in similar ways to paddles but are thinner. Some have two layers … or more. You move on to these when you decide it’s time for more intense, stingy sensations.

These types of implements are usually made of wood, rubber or leather. You can also make your own implement or even buy some really beautifully hand crafted paddles and strops at many shops online, some based on historical designs (like the tawse) which have a fetish appeal for some kinksters. These make wonderful additions to your toy box, but to start your collection you’ll want some practical, classic designs that are not too expensive … which is why we bought our own first paddles here at S(A)X and recommend you do too.

A quick glance at S(A)X’s paddles and slappers page will reveal a range of both leather and rubber implements. If you are a beginner, you might like to try the leather versions first. Leather “gives” more than wood and is more precise than rubber. The latter, while it has a magical intensity all of it’s own (I remember one designer of toys writing that it leaves a “memory” after each stroke, and that the effect is cumulative), on the practical side is very flexible and takes some practice to be accurate.

Which brings me to how do you use one of these toys.

Well, it’s pretty easy. Go for something firm at the beginning, that you feel you control as you strike. Remember, while a large paddle may look scary, the force is spread out over a larger skin surface area, and so may be less intense than a longer, thinner implement of equal weight. If you want to try a strop or slapper toy that’s less intense, look for designs with two layers of leather - these slap against each other, mitigating the force while creating a very scary noise that will put fear into your sub!

The best place to apply these types of toys is across your sub’s backside, over both cheeks. I love doing this with sol, as his bottom provides a nicely padded working surface! After a few strokes his cheeks turn a lovely pink. Less flexible toys still create great marks, usually bruises rather than stripes.

For me it’s important to alternate impact play with lighter more sensous play, so the moment I saw S(A)X’s leather and fur implement I had to buy it. I love applying the leather side to sol’s backside until it turns a deep pink, then turning the strop / paddle over and running the sensuous fur gently over his burning skin.

As you build up confidence and want to try for more intensity, move from larger and wider products to narrow and more flexible toys.

You’ll also see paddles on this site made with holes (here is a rubber example) and might wonder about their intensity during play. The holes decrease resistance to the air and decrease the mass of the paddle, making it easier to get moving. They also decrease the surface area of the paddle, making a smaller area to distribute force. What all this means is paddles with holes are for more severe play. And leave wonderful marks.

Have fun paddling